used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
AllennounUS /ˈælən/
United States comedienne remembered as the confused but imperturbable partner of her husband, George Burns (1906-1964)
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He looked at Minnie, as though wondering whether she would back the older lady up in that astounding assertion.
assertionnounUS /əˈsɜːrʃən/
a declaration that is made emphatically (as if no supporting evidence were necessary)
From this reading He looked at Minnie, as though wondering whether she would back the older lady up in that astounding assertion.
marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence
From this reading "Yes, there were ever so many of the nasty wriggling things, Frank," she assured him in her convincing way.
astoundingadjectiveUS /əˈstaʊndɪŋ/
bewildering or striking dumb with wonder
From this reading He looked at Minnie, as though wondering whether she would back the older lady up in that astounding assertion.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He looked at Minnie, as though wondering whether she would back the older lady up in that astounding assertion.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He looked at Minnie, as though wondering whether she would back the older lady up in that astounding assertion.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
convincingadjectiveUS /kənˈvɪnsɪŋ/
causing one to believe the truth of something
From this reading "Yes, there were ever so many of the nasty wriggling things, Frank," she assured him in her convincing way.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
dennounUS /den/
the habitation of wild animals
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
detestationnoun
hate coupled with disgust
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
at any time
From this reading "Yes, there were ever so many of the nasty wriggling things, Frank," she assured him in her convincing way.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He looked at Minnie, as though wondering whether she would back the older lady up in that astounding assertion.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading But to his surprise Minnie immediately nodded her head.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading But to his surprise Minnie immediately nodded her head.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Yes, there were ever so many of the nasty wriggling things, Frank," she assured him in her convincing way.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
intense and profound fear
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading But to his surprise Minnie immediately nodded her head.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He looked at Minnie, as though wondering whether she would back the older lady up in that astounding assertion.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading He looked at Minnie, as though wondering whether she would back the older lady up in that astounding assertion.
LankyadjectiveUS /ˈlæŋki/
tall and thin and having long slender limbs
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He looked at Minnie, as though wondering whether she would back the older lady up in that astounding assertion.
magnifiedadjectiveUS /ˈmæɡnəfaɪd/
enlarged to an abnormal degree
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading "Yes, there were ever so many of the nasty wriggling things, Frank," she assured him in her convincing way.
Minnie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He looked at Minnie, as though wondering whether she would back the older lady up in that astounding assertion.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
nastyadjectiveUS /ˈnæsti/
offensive or even (of persons) malicious
From this reading "Yes, there were ever so many of the nasty wriggling things, Frank," she assured him in her convincing way.
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading But to his surprise Minnie immediately nodded her head.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
olderadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldər/
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading He looked at Minnie, as though wondering whether she would back the older lady up in that astounding assertion.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
prairienounUS /ˈpreri/
a treeless grassy plain
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
ranchnounUS /ræntʃ/
farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
rattlernounUS /ˈrætələr/
pit viper with horny segments at the end of the tail that rattle when shaken
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
RATTLESNAKEnounUS /ˈrætəlsneɪk/
pit viper with horny segments at the end of the tail that rattle when shaken
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
ROUND-UP
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
Identical; not different.
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He looked at Minnie, as though wondering whether she would back the older lady up in that astounding assertion.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
snakesnounUS /sneɪks/
plural of “snake” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
express in speech
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading But to his surprise Minnie immediately nodded her head.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He looked at Minnie, as though wondering whether she would back the older lady up in that astounding assertion.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Yes, there were ever so many of the nasty wriggling things, Frank," she assured him in her convincing way.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading He looked at Minnie, as though wondering whether she would back the older lady up in that astounding assertion.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
unconsciouslyadverbUS /ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəsli/
without awareness
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He looked at Minnie, as though wondering whether she would back the older lady up in that astounding assertion.
WallacenounUS /ˈwɔːləs/
Scottish insurgent who led the resistance to Edward I; in 1297 he gained control of Scotland briefly until Edward invaded Scotland again and defeated Wallace and subsequently executed him (1270-1305)
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "Yes, there were ever so many of the nasty wriggling things, Frank," she assured him in her convincing way.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Yes, there were ever so many of the nasty wriggling things, Frank," she assured him in her convincing way.
in or at the place that
From this reading A RATTLESNAKE ROUND-UP Frank Allen could see now where Lanky got his horror of snakes, since his mother seemed to have the same detestation and fear of them.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading He looked at Minnie, as though wondering whether she would back the older lady up in that astounding assertion.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading One prairie rattler would be bad enough, but to speak of a whole den, and so close to the ranch house as that, seemed a bit as though Mrs. Wallace unconsciously magnified things.
showing curiosity
From this reading He looked at Minnie, as though wondering whether she would back the older lady up in that astounding assertion.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He looked at Minnie, as though wondering whether she would back the older lady up in that astounding assertion.
wrigglingadjective
moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion
From this reading "Yes, there were ever so many of the nasty wriggling things, Frank," she assured him in her convincing way.
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes, there were ever so many of the nasty wriggling things, Frank," she assured him in her convincing way.
