used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It takes sportsmanship to make a ball team ... and foul play to get a backward race civilized!
from one side of something to the other
From this reading One of the half-domesticated thrags broke loose and cantered across the outfield with its peculiar five-legged gait.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading This was bad, because Reed was a fifty-fifty player: It was an even chance whether he got the ball or the ball got him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It takes sportsmanship to make a ball team ... and foul play to get a backward race civilized!
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Bill Bradley shooed away the group of Quxas that had surged over the first-base line.
backwardadverbUS /ˈbækwərd/
at or to or toward the back or rear
From this reading It takes sportsmanship to make a ball team ... and foul play to get a backward race civilized!
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading This was bad, because Reed was a fifty-fifty player: It was an even chance whether he got the ball or the ball got him.
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading It takes sportsmanship to make a ball team ... and foul play to get a backward race civilized!
for the reason that
From this reading This was bad, because Reed was a fifty-fifty player: It was an even chance whether he got the ball or the ball got him.
a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading Bill Bradley shooed away the group of Quxas that had surged over the first-base line.
BradleynounUS /ˈbrædli/
United States politician who was elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles (1917-1998)
From this reading Bill Bradley shooed away the group of Quxas that had surged over the first-base line.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
lacking funds
From this reading One of the half-domesticated thrags broke loose and cantered across the outfield with its peculiar five-legged gait.
cantered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of the half-domesticated thrags broke loose and cantered across the outfield with its peculiar five-legged gait.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading This was bad, because Reed was a fifty-fifty player: It was an even chance whether he got the ball or the ball got him.
civilizedadjectiveUS /ˈsɪvəlaɪzd/
having a high state of culture and development both social and technological
From this reading It takes sportsmanship to make a ball team ... and foul play to get a backward race civilized!
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
divisible by two
From this reading This was bad, because Reed was a fifty-fifty player: It was an even chance whether he got the ball or the ball got him.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
fifty-fiftyadjective
equal in degree or extent or amount; or equally matched or balanced
From this reading This was bad, because Reed was a fifty-fifty player: It was an even chance whether he got the ball or the ball got him.
first-base
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Bill Bradley shooed away the group of Quxas that had surged over the first-base line.
five-legged
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of the half-domesticated thrags broke loose and cantered across the outfield with its peculiar five-legged gait.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
fouladjectiveUS /faʊl/
highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
From this reading It takes sportsmanship to make a ball team ... and foul play to get a backward race civilized!
gaitnounUS /ɡeɪt/
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading One of the half-domesticated thrags broke loose and cantered across the outfield with its peculiar five-legged gait.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading It takes sportsmanship to make a ball team ... and foul play to get a backward race civilized!
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading This was bad, because Reed was a fifty-fifty player: It was an even chance whether he got the ball or the ball got him.
grinsnounUS /ɡrɪnz/
plural of “grin” — a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading Bill Bradley shooed away the group of Quxas that had surged over the first-base line.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Bill Bradley shooed away the group of Quxas that had surged over the first-base line.
half-domesticated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of the half-domesticated thrags broke loose and cantered across the outfield with its peculiar five-legged gait.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading This was bad, because Reed was a fifty-fifty player: It was an even chance whether he got the ball or the ball got him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading This was bad, because Reed was a fifty-fifty player: It was an even chance whether he got the ball or the ball got him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It takes sportsmanship to make a ball team ... and foul play to get a backward race civilized!
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading One of the half-domesticated thrags broke loose and cantered across the outfield with its peculiar five-legged gait.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Bill Bradley shooed away the group of Quxas that had surged over the first-base line.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading One of the half-domesticated thrags broke loose and cantered across the outfield with its peculiar five-legged gait.
engage in
From this reading It takes sportsmanship to make a ball team ... and foul play to get a backward race civilized!
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Bill Bradley shooed away the group of Quxas that had surged over the first-base line.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One of the half-domesticated thrags broke loose and cantered across the outfield with its peculiar five-legged gait.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading This was bad, because Reed was a fifty-fifty player: It was an even chance whether he got the ball or the ball got him.
outfieldnounUS /ˈaʊtfiːld/
the area of a baseball playing field beyond the lines connecting the bases
From this reading One of the half-domesticated thrags broke loose and cantered across the outfield with its peculiar five-legged gait.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Bill Bradley shooed away the group of Quxas that had surged over the first-base line.
PatverbUS /pæt/
pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading One of the half-domesticated thrags broke loose and cantered across the outfield with its peculiar five-legged gait.
piebaldadjectiveUS /ˈpaɪbɔːld/
having sections or patches colored differently and usually brightly
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
participate in games or sport
From this reading It takes sportsmanship to make a ball team ... and foul play to get a backward race civilized!
playernounUS /ˈpleɪər/
a person who participates in or is skilled at some game
From this reading This was bad, because Reed was a fifty-fifty player: It was an even chance whether he got the ball or the ball got him.
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
Quxas
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Bill Bradley shooed away the group of Quxas that had surged over the first-base line.
any competition
From this reading It takes sportsmanship to make a ball team ... and foul play to get a backward race civilized!
ReednounUS /riːd/
tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems especially of the genera Arundo and Phragmites
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
semicirclenoun
a plane figure with the shape of half a circle
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
shooedverbUS /ʃuːd/
past form of “shoo” — drive away by crying “shoo!”
From this reading Bill Bradley shooed away the group of Quxas that had surged over the first-base line.
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
sportsmanshipnounUS /ˈspɔːrtsmənʃɪp/
fairness in following the rules of the game
From this reading It takes sportsmanship to make a ball team ... and foul play to get a backward race civilized!
squatted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
surgedverbUS /sɜːrdʒd/
past form of “surge” — rise and move, as in waves or billows
From this reading Bill Bradley shooed away the group of Quxas that had surged over the first-base line.
plural of “take” — the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property
From this reading It takes sportsmanship to make a ball team ... and foul play to get a backward race civilized!
teamnounUS /tiːm/
a cooperative unit (especially in sports)
From this reading It takes sportsmanship to make a ball team ... and foul play to get a backward race civilized!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Bill Bradley shooed away the group of Quxas that had surged over the first-base line.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Bill Bradley shooed away the group of Quxas that had surged over the first-base line.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This was bad, because Reed was a fifty-fifty player: It was an even chance whether he got the ball or the ball got him.
thrags
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of the half-domesticated thrags broke loose and cantered across the outfield with its peculiar five-legged gait.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It takes sportsmanship to make a ball team ... and foul play to get a backward race civilized!
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading This was bad, because Reed was a fifty-fifty player: It was an even chance whether he got the ball or the ball got him.
which person or people
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading With broad grins on their flat, piebald faces, they moved away--in the wrong direction, of course--and squatted in a smiling semicircle around Pat Reed, who was playing third.
