used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Once there was a little boy.
(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 This foolish idea made him do and say all sorts of silly things which led to all sorts of terrible happenings as this story will show.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading He had an idea that he was tremendously smart and that he could quite well get along by himself in this world.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He had an idea that he was tremendously smart and that he could quite well get along by himself in this world.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had an idea that he was tremendously smart and that he could quite well get along by himself in this world.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading This foolish idea made him do and say all sorts of silly things which led to all sorts of terrible happenings as this story will show.
a youthful male person
From this reading Once there was a little boy.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He had an idea that he was tremendously smart and that he could quite well get along by himself in this world.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Now he was a very silly little boy, so silly that he was called Silly Will.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He had an idea that he was tremendously smart and that he could quite well get along by himself in this world.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading One day he went out walking.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading This foolish idea made him do and say all sorts of silly things which led to all sorts of terrible happenings as this story will show.
devoid of good sense or judgment
From this reading This foolish idea made him do and say all sorts of silly things which led to all sorts of terrible happenings as this story will show.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading He had an idea that he was tremendously smart and that he could quite well get along by himself in this world.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had an idea that he was tremendously smart and that he could quite well get along by himself in this world.
happeningsnounUS /ˈhæpənɪŋz/
plural of “happening” — an event that happens
From this reading This foolish idea made him do and say all sorts of silly things which led to all sorts of terrible happenings as this story will show.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Now he was a very silly little boy, so silly that he was called Silly Will.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading This foolish idea made him do and say all sorts of silly things which led to all sorts of terrible happenings as this story will show.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He had an idea that he was tremendously smart and that he could quite well get along by himself in this world.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He had an idea that he was tremendously smart and that he could quite well get along by himself in this world.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had an idea that he was tremendously smart and that he could quite well get along by himself in this world.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading This foolish idea made him do and say all sorts of silly things which led to all sorts of terrible happenings as this story will show.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Once there was a little boy.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading This foolish idea made him do and say all sorts of silly things which led to all sorts of terrible happenings as this story will show.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now he was a very silly little boy, so silly that he was called Silly Will.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This foolish idea made him do and say all sorts of silly things which led to all sorts of terrible happenings as this story will show.
on one occasion
From this reading Once there was a little boy.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One day he went out walking.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading One day he went out walking.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading He had an idea that he was tremendously smart and that he could quite well get along by himself in this world.
express in words
From this reading This foolish idea made him do and say all sorts of silly things which led to all sorts of terrible happenings as this story will show.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading This foolish idea made him do and say all sorts of silly things which led to all sorts of terrible happenings as this story will show.
ludicrous, foolish
From this reading Now he was a very silly little boy, so silly that he was called Silly Will.
smartadjectiveUS /smɑːrt/
showing mental alertness and calculation and resourcefulness
From this reading He had an idea that he was tremendously smart and that he could quite well get along by himself in this world.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Now he was a very silly little boy, so silly that he was called Silly Will.
plural of “sort” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading This foolish idea made him do and say all sorts of silly things which led to all sorts of terrible happenings as this story will show.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading This foolish idea made him do and say all sorts of silly things which led to all sorts of terrible happenings as this story will show.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading This foolish idea made him do and say all sorts of silly things which led to all sorts of terrible happenings as this story will show.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Now he was a very silly little boy, so silly that he was called Silly Will.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Once there was a little boy.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading This foolish idea made him do and say all sorts of silly things which led to all sorts of terrible happenings as this story will show.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He had an idea that he was tremendously smart and that he could quite well get along by himself in this world.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading This foolish idea made him do and say all sorts of silly things which led to all sorts of terrible happenings as this story will show.
tremendouslyadverbUS /trəˈmendəsli/
extremely
From this reading He had an idea that he was tremendously smart and that he could quite well get along by himself in this world.
precisely as stated
From this reading Now he was a very silly little boy, so silly that he was called Silly Will.
close enough to be walked to
From this reading One day he went out walking.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Once there was a little boy.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading He had an idea that he was tremendously smart and that he could quite well get along by himself in this world.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading One day he went out walking.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading This foolish idea made him do and say all sorts of silly things which led to all sorts of terrible happenings as this story will show.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Now he was a very silly little boy, so silly that he was called Silly Will.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading He had an idea that he was tremendously smart and that he could quite well get along by himself in this world.
