used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the north country, a certain village.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading The door was low and always open, for there was no window.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
barrenadjectiveUS /ˈbærən/
providing no shelter or sustenance
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading They were cobblers, and had but one stall between them.
bleakadjectiveUS /bliːk/
offering little or no hope
From this reading THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the north country, a certain village.
plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading It was a hut built of clay and wattles.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the north country, a certain village.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the north country, a certain village.
claynounUS /kleɪ/
a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired
From this reading It was a hut built of clay and wattles.
cobblersnounUS /ˈkɑːblərz/
nonsense
From this reading They were cobblers, and had but one stall between them.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the north country, a certain village.
CUCKOOnounUS /ˈkʌkuː/
a man who is a stupid incompetent fool
From this reading THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the north country, a certain village.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The door was low and always open, for there was no window.
United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
temporary military shelter
From this reading It was a hut built of clay and wattles.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the north country, a certain village.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a hut built of clay and wattles.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The door was low and always open, for there was no window.
the location of something surrounded by other things
From this reading THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the north country, a certain village.
moorverbUS /mʊr/
secure in or as if in a berth or dock
From this reading THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the north country, a certain village.
not any; not one
From this reading The door was low and always open, for there was no window.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the north country, a certain village.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the north country, a certain village.
on one occasion
From this reading THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the north country, a certain village.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading They were cobblers, and had but one stall between them.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The door was low and always open, for there was no window.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
poorestadjectiveUS /ˈpuːrɪst/
superlative of “poor” — deserving or inciting pity
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
ScrubverbUS /skrʌb/
clean with hard rubbing
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
refrain from harming
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
stallnounUS /stɔːl/
a compartment in a stable where a single animal is confined and fed
From this reading They were cobblers, and had but one stall between them.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the north country, a certain village.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the north country, a certain village.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
in or at that place or location
From this reading THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the north country, a certain village.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the north country, a certain village.
the commercial exchange (buying and selling on domestic or international markets) of goods and services
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the north country, a certain village.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the north country, a certain village.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a hut built of clay and wattles.
wattlesnounUS /ˈwɑːtəlz/
plural of “wattle” — a fleshy wrinkled and often brightly colored fold of skin hanging from the neck or throat of certain birds (chickens and turkeys) or lizards
From this reading It was a hut built of clay and wattles.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading All its people were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all were two brothers called Scrub and Spare.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading The door was low and always open, for there was no window.
