used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They put on bits of coloured rags, not nearly so bright, so regular, nor so _contrasting_ as the feathers of our birds.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading Why, our parrots beat these West-African negroes to sticks!
BeautifullyadverbUS /ˈbjuːtəfli/
in a beautiful manner
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading They put on bits of coloured rags, not nearly so bright, so regular, nor so _contrasting_ as the feathers of our birds.
bitsnounUS /bɪts/
plural of “bit” — a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading They put on bits of coloured rags, not nearly so bright, so regular, nor so _contrasting_ as the feathers of our birds.
bittenverbUS /ˈbɪtən/
inflected form of “bite” — to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
blacksnounUS /blæks/
plural of “black” — the quality or state of the achromatic color of least lightness (bearing the least resemblance to white)
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading They put on bits of coloured rags, not nearly so bright, so regular, nor so _contrasting_ as the feathers of our birds.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
colouredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌlərd/
having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination
From this reading They put on bits of coloured rags, not nearly so bright, so regular, nor so _contrasting_ as the feathers of our birds.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
contrastingadjectiveUS /kənˈtræstɪŋ/
strikingly different; tending to contrast
From this reading They put on bits of coloured rags, not nearly so bright, so regular, nor so _contrasting_ as the feathers of our birds.
eatsnounUS /iːts/
informal terms for a meal
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
feathersnounUS /ˈfeðərz/
plural of “feather” — the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds
From this reading They put on bits of coloured rags, not nearly so bright, so regular, nor so _contrasting_ as the feathers of our birds.
finestadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəst/
superlative of “fine” — being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
destroyed or killed
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
holesnounUS /hoʊlz/
plural of “hole” — an opening into or through something
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
gain knowledge or skills
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading I really think nothing of the talking blacks who live near us.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
mothersnounUS /ˈmʌðərz/
plural of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading I really think nothing of the talking blacks who live near us.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading They put on bits of coloured rags, not nearly so bright, so regular, nor so _contrasting_ as the feathers of our birds.
negroesnounUS /ˈniːɡroʊz/
plural of “negro” — a person with African ancestry, "Negro" and "Negroid" are archaic and pejorative today
From this reading Why, our parrots beat these West-African negroes to sticks!
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading They put on bits of coloured rags, not nearly so bright, so regular, nor so _contrasting_ as the feathers of our birds.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They put on bits of coloured rags, not nearly so bright, so regular, nor so _contrasting_ as the feathers of our birds.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading I really think nothing of the talking blacks who live near us.
nursedadjectiveUS /nɜːrst/
(of an infant) breast-fed
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They put on bits of coloured rags, not nearly so bright, so regular, nor so _contrasting_ as the feathers of our birds.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
parrotsnounUS /ˈperəts/
plural of “parrot” — usually brightly colored zygodactyl tropical birds with short hooked beaks and the ability to mimic sounds
From this reading Why, our parrots beat these West-African negroes to sticks!
piccaninnies
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
plantain-eater
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
plantainsnounUS /ˈplæntənz/
plural of “plantain” — any of numerous plants of the genus Plantago; mostly small roadside or dooryard weeds with elliptic leaves and small spikes of very small flowers; seeds of some used medicinally
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
a purple color or pigment
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading They put on bits of coloured rags, not nearly so bright, so regular, nor so _contrasting_ as the feathers of our birds.
ragsnounUS /ræɡz/
plural of “rag” — a small piece of cloth or paper
From this reading They put on bits of coloured rags, not nearly so bright, so regular, nor so _contrasting_ as the feathers of our birds.
rainyadjectiveUS /ˈreɪni/
(of weather) wet by periods of rain
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
rascallyadjective
playful in an appealingly bold way
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading I really think nothing of the talking blacks who live near us.
in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle
From this reading They put on bits of coloured rags, not nearly so bright, so regular, nor so _contrasting_ as the feathers of our birds.
seasonsnounUS /ˈsiːzənz/
plural of “season” — a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading They put on bits of coloured rags, not nearly so bright, so regular, nor so _contrasting_ as the feathers of our birds.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
in the near future
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
sticksnounUS /stɪks/
plural of “stick” — an implement consisting of a length of wood
From this reading Why, our parrots beat these West-African negroes to sticks!
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading I really think nothing of the talking blacks who live near us.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Why, our parrots beat these West-African negroes to sticks!
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They put on bits of coloured rags, not nearly so bright, so regular, nor so _contrasting_ as the feathers of our birds.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I really think nothing of the talking blacks who live near us.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
up to a particular time
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
touraconoun
large brightly crested bird of Africa
From this reading "Beautifully coloured are the green touraco and the purple plantain-eater, a rascally bird! who eats some of our finest plantains, and has bitten holes in many a one I thought to get entirely to myself.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I really think nothing of the talking blacks who live near us.
West-African
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Why, our parrots beat these West-African negroes to sticks!
whereasconjunctionUS /weˈræz/
in contrast with the fact that
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
which person or people
From this reading I really think nothing of the talking blacks who live near us.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why, our parrots beat these West-African negroes to sticks!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I have told you our little ones soon learn to help themselves, whereas I have seen the piccaninnies of the blacks nursed by their mothers till many rainy seasons had come and gone.
