used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “I can tell more about that when I’ve had time to make their acquaintance,” she answered dryly.
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading “I can tell more about that when I’ve had time to make their acquaintance,” she answered dryly.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
a strong emotion; a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “I can tell more about that when I’ve had time to make their acquaintance,” she answered dryly.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
bowlnounUS /boʊl/
a round vessel that is open at the top; used chiefly for holding food or liquids
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
boy'snounUS /bɔɪz/
possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “I can tell more about that when I’ve had time to make their acquaintance,” she answered dryly.
candynounUS /ˈkændi/
a rich sweet made of flavored sugar and often combined with fruit or nuts
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
chargesnounUS /ˈtʃɑːrdʒəz/
plural of “charge” — an impetuous rush toward someone or something
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
From this reading She listened in silence and with a look of growing contempt.
(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
Coote
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
diningnounUS /ˈdaɪnɪŋ/
the act of eating dinner
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
drylyadverbUS /ˈdraɪli/
in a dry laconic manner
From this reading “I can tell more about that when I’ve had time to make their acquaintance,” she answered dryly.
elaborateadjectiveUS /ɪˈlæbrət/
marked by complexity and richness of detail
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
enquiring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading She listened in silence and with a look of growing contempt.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
helpingnounUS /ˈhelpɪŋ/
an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I can tell more about that when I’ve had time to make their acquaintance,” she answered dryly.
I've
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I can tell more about that when I’ve had time to make their acquaintance,” she answered dryly.
impudentadjective
marked by casual disrespect
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
past form of “listen” — hear with intention
From this reading She listened in silence and with a look of growing contempt.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
engage in
From this reading “I can tell more about that when I’ve had time to make their acquaintance,” she answered dryly.
the food served and eaten at one time
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
the time between one event, process, or period and another
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
a form of address for a man
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
partaking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
queriedverbUS /ˈkwɪrid/
inflected form of “query” — pose a question
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
rascalnounUS /ˈræskəl/
a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
the act of physically reaching or thrusting out
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
reddening
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
past form of “remark” — make mention of
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I can tell more about that when I’ve had time to make their acquaintance,” she answered dryly.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading She listened in silence and with a look of growing contempt.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
spoonfulnounUS /ˈspuːnfʊl/
as much as a spoon will hold
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
stirringnounUS /ˈstɜːrɪŋ/
agitating a liquid with an implement
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
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 “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
sugarnounUS /ˈʃʊɡər/
a white crystalline carbohydrate used as a sweetener and preservative
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
tastingnounUS /ˈteɪstɪŋ/
a small amount (especially of food or wine)
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
express in words
From this reading “I can tell more about that when I’ve had time to make their acquaintance,” she answered dryly.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “I can tell more about that when I’ve had time to make their acquaintance,” she answered dryly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading “I can tell more about that when I’ve had time to make their acquaintance,” she answered dryly.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
(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 “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
at the time that
From this reading “I can tell more about that when I’ve had time to make their acquaintance,” she answered dryly.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “The boy’s an impudent little rascal,” remarked her husband, reddening with anger as he spoke; then, in reply to her enquiring look, he went on to tell the story of the candy.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Well, what do you think of them?” queried Coote, stirring and tasting his tea, then reaching for the sugar bowl and helping himself to another spoonful of its contents.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Coote were in the dining room, partaking of a much more elaborate meal than had been given to their young charges.
