used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
alteredadjectiveUS /ˈɔːltərd/
changed in form or character without becoming something else
From this reading The poor woman had not yet reconciled herself to her altered position.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THOMAS AND LUCY.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When Lucy came home the night before, she found her grandmother sitting by the fire, gazing reproachfully at the coals.
attemptingverbUS /əˈtemptɪŋ/
-ing form of “attempt” — make an effort or attempt
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
attractverbUS /əˈtrækt/
direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
barsnounUS /bɑːrz/
gymnastic apparatus consisting of two parallel wooden rods supported on uprights
From this reading He could only rattle his beak on the bars of his cage, and give a rending shriek.
beaknounUS /biːk/
beaklike mouth of animals other than birds (e.g., turtles)
From this reading He could only rattle his beak on the bars of his cage, and give a rending shriek.
have
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading When Lucy came home the night before, she found her grandmother sitting by the fire, gazing reproachfully at the coals.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
the act of delivering or distributing something (as goods or mail)
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading When Lucy came home the night before, she found her grandmother sitting by the fire, gazing reproachfully at the coals.
cagenounUS /keɪdʒ/
an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading When Lucy came home the night before, she found her grandmother sitting by the fire, gazing reproachfully at the coals.
coalsnounUS /koʊlz/
plural of “coal” — fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading When Lucy came home the night before, she found her grandmother sitting by the fire, gazing reproachfully at the coals.
considerablyadverbUS /kənˈsɪdərəbli/
to a great extent or degree
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He could only rattle his beak on the bars of his cage, and give a rending shriek.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
start firing a weapon
From this reading When Lucy came home the night before, she found her grandmother sitting by the fire, gazing reproachfully at the coals.
set up or found
From this reading When Lucy came home the night before, she found her grandmother sitting by the fire, gazing reproachfully at the coals.
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading When Lucy came home the night before, she found her grandmother sitting by the fire, gazing reproachfully at the coals.
giftedadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪftəd/
endowed with talent or talents
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading He could only rattle his beak on the bars of his cage, and give a rending shriek.
the mother of your father or mother
From this reading When Lucy came home the night before, she found her grandmother sitting by the fire, gazing reproachfully at the coals.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The poor woman had not yet reconciled herself to her altered position.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When Lucy came home the night before, she found her grandmother sitting by the fire, gazing reproachfully at the coals.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading The poor woman had not yet reconciled herself to her altered position.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading When Lucy came home the night before, she found her grandmother sitting by the fire, gazing reproachfully at the coals.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
judiciousadjectiveUS /dʒuːˈdɪʃəs/
marked by the exercise of good judgment or common sense in practical matters
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
incomplete skeleton of female found in eastern Ethiopia in 1974
From this reading THOMAS AND LUCY.
master'snounUS /ˈmæstərz/
possessive form of “master” — an artist of consummate skill
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
modesnounUS /moʊdz/
plural of “mode” — how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
moralsnounUS /ˈmɔːrəlz/
motivation based on ideas of right and wrong
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading When Lucy came home the night before, she found her grandmother sitting by the fire, gazing reproachfully at the coals.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The poor woman had not yet reconciled herself to her altered position.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He could only rattle his beak on the bars of his cage, and give a rending shriek.
and nothing more
From this reading He could only rattle his beak on the bars of his cage, and give a rending shriek.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading The poor woman had not yet reconciled herself to her altered position.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading The poor woman had not yet reconciled herself to her altered position.
rattleverbUS /ˈrætəl/
make short successive sounds
From this reading He could only rattle his beak on the bars of his cage, and give a rending shriek.
reconciledadjectiveUS /ˈrekənsaɪld/
made compatible or consistent
From this reading The poor woman had not yet reconciled herself to her altered position.
reformedadjectiveUS /rɪˈfɔːrmd/
of or relating to the body of Protestant Christianity arising during the Reformation; used of some Protestant churches especially Calvinist as distinct from Lutheran
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
rendingadjectiveUS /ˈrendɪŋ/
resembling a sound of violent tearing as of something ripped apart or lightning splitting a tree
From this reading He could only rattle his beak on the bars of his cage, and give a rending shriek.
reproachfullyadverb
in a reproving or reproachful manner
From this reading When Lucy came home the night before, she found her grandmother sitting by the fire, gazing reproachfully at the coals.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Lucy came home the night before, she found her grandmother sitting by the fire, gazing reproachfully at the coals.
shrieknounUS /ʃriːk/
sharp piercing cry
From this reading He could only rattle his beak on the bars of his cage, and give a rending shriek.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading When Lucy came home the night before, she found her grandmother sitting by the fire, gazing reproachfully at the coals.
the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
an acknowledgment of appreciation
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Lucy came home the night before, she found her grandmother sitting by the fire, gazing reproachfully at the coals.
United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)
From this reading THOMAS AND LUCY.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The poor woman had not yet reconciled herself to her altered position.
treatmentnounUS /ˈtriːtmənt/
care provided to improve a situation (especially medical procedures or applications that are intended to relieve illness or injury)
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
at the time that
From this reading When Lucy came home the night before, she found her grandmother sitting by the fire, gazing reproachfully at the coals.
belonging to which person
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
Widdles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
plural of “wish” — a specific feeling of desire
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Widdles was in vain attempting to attract her attention; but, not being gifted with speech like his gray brother in the next cage to his--whose morals, by the way, were considerably reformed, thanks to his master's judicious treatment of him--he had but few modes of bringing his wishes to bear at a distance.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The poor woman had not yet reconciled herself to her altered position.
but in spite of that
From this reading The poor woman had not yet reconciled herself to her altered position.
