used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading "There were none among them more careful than these two brothers, one of whom was called Clutch, and the other Kind.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Though brethren born, two men of distant countries could not be more unlike in disposition.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
brought into existence
From this reading Though brethren born, two men of distant countries could not be more unlike in disposition.
boundedadjectiveUS /ˈbaʊndəd/
having the limits or boundaries established
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
brethrennounUS /ˈbreðrən/
(plural) the lay members of a male religious order
From this reading Though brethren born, two men of distant countries could not be more unlike in disposition.
plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "There were none among them more careful than these two brothers, one of whom was called Clutch, and the other Kind.
exercising caution or showing care or attention
From this reading "There were none among them more careful than these two brothers, one of whom was called Clutch, and the other Kind.
taking care or paying attention
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
a series of things depending on each other as if linked together
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
ClutchnounUS /klʌtʃ/
the act of grasping
From this reading "There were none among them more careful than these two brothers, one of whom was called Clutch, and the other Kind.
cottagesnounUS /ˈkɑːtɪdʒɪz/
plural of “cottage” — a small house with a single story
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Though brethren born, two men of distant countries could not be more unlike in disposition.
countriesnounUS /ˈkʌntriz/
plural of “country” — a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Though brethren born, two men of distant countries could not be more unlike in disposition.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
dispositionnounUS /ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃən/
your usual mood
From this reading Though brethren born, two men of distant countries could not be more unlike in disposition.
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading Though brethren born, two men of distant countries could not be more unlike in disposition.
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
dweltverbUS /dwelt/
inflected form of “dwell” — think moodily or anxiously about something
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
at any time
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
grassyadjectiveUS /ˈɡræsi/
abounding in grass
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
GREEDYadjectiveUS /ˈɡriːdi/
immoderately desirous of acquiring e.g. wealth
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
heathnounUS /hiːθ/
a low evergreen shrub of the family Ericaceae; has small bell-shaped pink or purple flowers
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading "There were none among them more careful than these two brothers, one of whom was called Clutch, and the other Kind.
lambnounUS /læm/
young sheep
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
immediately past
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
the force of workers available
From this reading Though brethren born, two men of distant countries could not be more unlike in disposition.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "There were none among them more careful than these two brothers, one of whom was called Clutch, and the other Kind.
morselnounUS /ˈmɔːrsəl/
a small quantity of anything
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
not any; not one
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
not one, and not any
From this reading "There were none among them more careful than these two brothers, one of whom was called Clutch, and the other Kind.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Though brethren born, two men of distant countries could not be more unlike in disposition.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
on one occasion
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
profitnounUS /ˈprɑːfət/
the excess of revenues over outlays in a given period of time (including depreciation and other non-cash expenses)
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
sharedadjectiveUS /ʃerd/
have in common; held or experienced in common
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
SHEPHERDnounUS /ˈʃepərd/
a clergyman who watches over a group of people
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
shepherdsnounUS /ˈʃepərdz/
plural of “shepherd” — a clergyman who watches over a group of people
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
skirtsnounUS /skɜːrts/
plural of “skirt” — cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "There were none among them more careful than these two brothers, one of whom was called Clutch, and the other Kind.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
thatchedverbUS /θætʃt/
past form of “thatch” — cover with thatch
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "There were none among them more careful than these two brothers, one of whom was called Clutch, and the other Kind.
in or at that place or location
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading "There were none among them more careful than these two brothers, one of whom was called Clutch, and the other Kind.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Though brethren born, two men of distant countries could not be more unlike in disposition.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
travelledadjectiveUS /ˈtrævəld/
familiar with many parts of the world
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
unlikeadjectiveUS /ənˈlaɪk/
marked by dissimilarity
From this reading Though brethren born, two men of distant countries could not be more unlike in disposition.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "There were none among them more careful than these two brothers, one of whom was called Clutch, and the other Kind.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
which person or people
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "There were none among them more careful than these two brothers, one of whom was called Clutch, and the other Kind.
belonging to which person
From this reading THE GREEDY SHEPHERD "Once upon a time there lived in the south country two brothers, whose business it was to keep sheep on a great grassy plain, which was bounded on the one side by a forest, and on the other by a chain of high hills.
in the company of; together with
From this reading No one lived on that plain but shepherds, who dwelt in low cottages thatched with heath, and watched their sheep so carefully that no lamb was ever lost, nor had one of the shepherds ever travelled beyond the foot of the hills and the skirts of the forest.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Clutch thought of nothing in this world but how to catch and keep some profit for himself, while Kind would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog.
