used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
consider or hold as true
From this reading Both the horsemen expressed hearty thanks for this kind offer of assistance, and were prompt to accept it.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
From this reading Both the horsemen expressed hearty thanks for this kind offer of assistance, and were prompt to accept it.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
the two together, not just one
From this reading Both the horsemen expressed hearty thanks for this kind offer of assistance, and were prompt to accept it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
-ing form of “concern” — be relevant to
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
without stop or interruption
From this reading “What has this man done?” continued Uncle John.
corralverbUS /kərˈæl/
enclose in a corral
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
digverbUS /dɪɡ/
turn up, loosen, or remove earth
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading “What has this man done?” continued Uncle John.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
regard something as probable or likely
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
communicated in words
From this reading Both the horsemen expressed hearty thanks for this kind offer of assistance, and were prompt to accept it.
opinion or judgment
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
the act of acquiring something
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “What has this man done?” continued Uncle John.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
heartyadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrti/
showing warm and heartfelt friendliness
From this reading Both the horsemen expressed hearty thanks for this kind offer of assistance, and were prompt to accept it.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
horsemennounUS /ˈhɔːrsmən/
plural of “horseman” — a man skilled in equitation
From this reading Both the horsemen expressed hearty thanks for this kind offer of assistance, and were prompt to accept it.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
a message received and understood
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Both the horsemen expressed hearty thanks for this kind offer of assistance, and were prompt to accept it.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading “What has this man done?” continued Uncle John.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading Both the horsemen expressed hearty thanks for this kind offer of assistance, and were prompt to accept it.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “What has this man done?” continued Uncle John.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
to a great degree or extent
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
nagsnounUS /næɡz/
plural of “nag” — someone (especially a woman) who annoys people by constantly finding fault
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
not any; not one
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading Both the horsemen expressed hearty thanks for this kind offer of assistance, and were prompt to accept it.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
select carefully from a group
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
promptverbUS /prɑːmpt/
give an incentive for action
From this reading Both the horsemen expressed hearty thanks for this kind offer of assistance, and were prompt to accept it.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
settlementnounUS /ˈsetəlmənt/
a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state's system of government
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
a wide scarf worn about their shoulders by women
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
carry out
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
express in words
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
an acknowledgment of appreciation
From this reading Both the horsemen expressed hearty thanks for this kind offer of assistance, and were prompt to accept it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “What has this man done?” continued Uncle John.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
a source of difficulty
From this reading “O, he got into a little trouble down there in our settlement, and had to dig out; so he stole the best horse in the state to help him along.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading “What has this man done?” continued Uncle John.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What has this man done?” continued Uncle John.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
whippedverbUS /wɪpt/
inflected form of “whip” — beat severely with a whip or rod
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading That will be the means of getting him into _big_ trouble, if we put our eyes on him; but we don’t much expect to catch him, for the horse he stole can travel for a week at his best pace, and our nags, which were fresh this morning, are pretty nearly whipped.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I am sorry that I can give you no information concerning him,” said Uncle John; “but I will tell you what I can do—I can give you some supper, and you can take your pick out of twenty fresh horses in my corral.”
