used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
(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 _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading You get old Dame Trueman to charm it away for you.”
awfullyadverbUS /ˈɑːfli/
used as intensifiers
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
BeckettnounUS /ˈbekɪt/
a playwright and novelist (born in Ireland) who lived in France; wrote plays for the theater of the absurd (1906-1989)
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
any cognitive content held as true
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
BoardsnounUS /bɔːrdz/
(used in the plural) the stage of a theater
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
brought into existence
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates
From this reading You get old Dame Trueman to charm it away for you.”
charmsnounUS /tʃɑːrmz/
plural of “charm” — attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
cureverbUS /kjʊr/
provide a cure for, make healthy again
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
DamenounUS /deɪm/
informal terms for a (young) woman
From this reading You get old Dame Trueman to charm it away for you.”
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
divisible by two
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
exceptionnounUS /ɪkˈsepʃən/
a deliberate act of omission
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
farriernounUS /ˈferiər/
a person who shoes horses
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
your parents
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
arousing or provoking laughter
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
usually; as a rule
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading You get old Dame Trueman to charm it away for you.”
GravesnounUS /ɡreɪvz/
English writer known for his interest in mythology and in the classics (1895-1985)
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
hasn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
I'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
plural of “inhabitant” — a person who inhabits a particular place
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading You get old Dame Trueman to charm it away for you.”
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
new-fangledadjective
(of a new kind or fashion) gratuitously new
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
not any; not one
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
notionsnounUS /ˈnoʊʃənz/
plural of “notion” — a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
railwaynounUS /ˈreɪlweɪ/
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
express in words
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
an educational institution
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
in a serious manner
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
move or cause to move back and forth
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
not in physical motion
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
lacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
carry out
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
express in words
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
Trueman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You get old Dame Trueman to charm it away for you.”
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
wartsnounUS /wɔːrts/
plural of “wart” — any small rounded protuberance (as on certain plants or animals)
From this reading In our village there are still no end of old people who believe in charms, especially for warts; and one day that I had one come on my hand, Graves, the farrier, said quite seriously, “I’ll tell you how you can cure that, Mrs. Beckett.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
at the time that
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Even the railway, which has done a lot to take stupid ideas out of country people, hasn’t made our village folks quite as sharp as they should be.
which person or people
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
WITCHnounUS /wɪtʃ/
a female sorcerer or magician
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading _THE VILLAGE WITCH._ People who have lived all their lives in London, when they come to live in a country place generally find the inhabitants what is called “behind the world,” and the village that our hotel is in is no exception to the rule.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading The old people--those who were born before School Boards and all the new-fangled ideas--have some awfully funny notions, and nothing you can say will shake their belief in them.
