adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
a-ripening
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading It was Sunday after dinner.
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
bearsnounUS /berz/
plural of “bear” — massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading We had been to church and Sunday-school in the forenoon, and we had a houseful of company for dinner.
blossomsnounUS /ˈblɑːsəmz/
plural of “blossom” — reproductive organ of angiosperm plants especially one having showy or colorful parts
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
blushingadjectiveUS /ˈblʌʃɪŋ/
having a red face from embarrassment or shame or agitation or emotional upset
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
churchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading We had been to church and Sunday-school in the forenoon, and we had a houseful of company for dinner.
comesnounUS /kʌmz/
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
companynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading We had been to church and Sunday-school in the forenoon, and we had a houseful of company for dinner.
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading It was Sunday after dinner.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
easyadjectiveUS /ˈiːzi/
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
fallsnounUS /fɔːlz/
the petals or sepals of a flower that bend downward (especially the outer perianth of an iris)
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
firesnounUS /ˈfaɪərz/
plural of “fire” — the event of something burning (often destructive)
From this reading "'Mad frenzy fires him now,'" quoted Leon.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading We had been to church and Sunday-school in the forenoon, and we had a houseful of company for dinner.
forenoonnoun
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading We had been to church and Sunday-school in the forenoon, and we had a houseful of company for dinner.
forthadverbUS /fɔːrθ/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
frenzynounUS /ˈfrenzi/
state of violent mental agitation
From this reading "'Mad frenzy fires him now,'" quoted Leon.
frostnounUS /frɔːst/
ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
greatnessnounUS /ˈɡreɪtnəs/
the property possessed by something or someone of outstanding importance or eminence
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading We had been to church and Sunday-school in the forenoon, and we had a houseful of company for dinner.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
honorsnounUS /ˈɑːnərz/
plural of “honor” — a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
hopesnounUS /hoʊps/
plural of “hope” — a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
housefulnounUS /ˈhaʊsfəl/
as many as a house will accommodate
From this reading We had been to church and Sunday-school in the forenoon, and we had a houseful of company for dinner.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We had been to church and Sunday-school in the forenoon, and we had a houseful of company for dinner.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was Sunday after dinner.
killingnounUS /ˈkɪlɪŋ/
an event that causes someone to die
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
Laddienoun
a male child (a familiar term of address to a boy)
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
leavesnounUS /liːvz/
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
LeonnounUS /ˈliːɑːn/
a historical area and former kingdom in northwestern Spain
From this reading "'Mad frenzy fires him now,'" quoted Leon.
MadadjectiveUS /mæd/
roused to anger
From this reading "'Mad frenzy fires him now,'" quoted Leon.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Watch me take the plunge!" said Laddie.
nipsnounUS /nɪps/
plural of “nip” — a small drink of liquor
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "'Mad frenzy fires him now,'" quoted Leon.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
PlungeverbUS /plʌndʒ/
thrust or throw into
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
putsnounUS /pʊts/
plural of “put” — the option to sell a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
quotedverbUS /ˈkwoʊtɪd/
past form of “quote” — repeat a passage from
From this reading "'Mad frenzy fires him now,'" quoted Leon.
rootnounUS /ruːt/
(botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Watch me take the plunge!" said Laddie.
statenounUS /steɪt/
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
SundaynounUS /ˈsʌndeɪ/
first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians
From this reading It was Sunday after dinner.
Sunday-school
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We had been to church and Sunday-school in the forenoon, and we had a houseful of company for dinner.
surelyadverbUS /ˈʃʊrli/
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
takeverbUS /teɪk/
carry out
From this reading "Watch me take the plunge!" said Laddie.
TakesnounUS /teɪks/
plural of “take” — the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
tenderadjectiveUS /ˈtendər/
given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
thickadjectiveUS /θɪk/
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
thinksnounUS /θɪŋks/
plural of “think” — an instance of deliberate thinking
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
thirdnounUS /θɜːrd/
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We had been to church and Sunday-school in the forenoon, and we had a houseful of company for dinner.
to-day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
to-morrow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was Sunday after dinner.
WatchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/
look attentively
From this reading "Watch me take the plunge!" said Laddie.
WepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We had been to church and Sunday-school in the forenoon, and we had a houseful of company for dinner.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading Laddie Takes the Plunge "This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And, when he thinks, good, easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do."
