used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
(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 Oh, crooked is he, but strong enough To handle the tallest mast; From the royal barque to the slaver dark, He buries them all at last.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
balladsnounUS /ˈbælədz/
plural of “ballad” — a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
barquenoun
a sailing ship with 3 (or more) masts
From this reading Oh, crooked is he, but strong enough To handle the tallest mast; From the royal barque to the slaver dark, He buries them all at last.
beckonsverbUS /ˈbekənz/
third-person singular of “beckon” — signal with the hands or nod
From this reading And sweet, they say, is her kiss to those She greets to his border home; And softer than sleep her hand’s first sweep That beckons, and they come.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
bideverbUS /baɪd/
dwell
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
bleachingverbUS /ˈbliːtʃɪŋ/
-ing form of “bleach” — remove color from
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
bordernounUS /ˈbɔːrdər/
a line that indicates a boundary
From this reading And sweet, they say, is her kiss to those She greets to his border home; And softer than sleep her hand’s first sweep That beckons, and they come.
a woman who has recently been married
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
an onerous or difficult concern
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
buriesverbUS /ˈberiz/
third-person singular of “bury” — cover from sight
From this reading Oh, crooked is he, but strong enough To handle the tallest mast; From the royal barque to the slaver dark, He buries them all at last.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading And sweet, they say, is her kiss to those She greets to his border home; And softer than sleep her hand’s first sweep That beckons, and they come.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
crookedadjectiveUS /ˈkrʊkəd/
having or marked by bends or angles; not straight or aligned
From this reading Oh, crooked is he, but strong enough To handle the tallest mast; From the royal barque to the slaver dark, He buries them all at last.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Oh, crooked is he, but strong enough To handle the tallest mast; From the royal barque to the slaver dark, He buries them all at last.
the first light of day
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
eldnoun
a late time of life
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Oh, crooked is he, but strong enough To handle the tallest mast; From the royal barque to the slaver dark, He buries them all at last.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
death of a person
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
greetsverbUS /ɡriːts/
third-person singular of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading And sweet, they say, is her kiss to those She greets to his border home; And softer than sleep her hand’s first sweep That beckons, and they come.
gruesomeadjectiveUS /ˈɡruːsəm/
shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
hand'snounUS /hændz/
possessive form of “hand” — the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading And sweet, they say, is her kiss to those She greets to his border home; And softer than sleep her hand’s first sweep That beckons, and they come.
be in charge of, act on, or dispose of
From this reading Oh, crooked is he, but strong enough To handle the tallest mast; From the royal barque to the slaver dark, He buries them all at last.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
he'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading And sweet, they say, is her kiss to those She greets to his border home; And softer than sleep her hand’s first sweep That beckons, and they come.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
hipnounUS /hɪp/
either side of the body below the waist and above the thigh
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading And sweet, they say, is her kiss to those She greets to his border home; And softer than sleep her hand’s first sweep That beckons, and they come.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
hoynounUS /hɔɪ/
a flatbottom boat for carrying heavy loads (especially on canals)
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)
From this reading And sweet, they say, is her kiss to those She greets to his border home; And softer than sleep her hand’s first sweep That beckons, and they come.
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
immediately past
From this reading Oh, crooked is he, but strong enough To handle the tallest mast; From the royal barque to the slaver dark, He buries them all at last.
having or showing profound knowledge
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
mastnounUS /mæst/
a vertical spar for supporting sails
From this reading Oh, crooked is he, but strong enough To handle the tallest mast; From the royal barque to the slaver dark, He buries them all at last.
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
not any; not one
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
on one occasion
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
ripverbUS /rɪp/
tear or be torn violently
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
uttered with a trill
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
royaladjectiveUS /ˈrɔɪəl/
of or relating to or indicative of or issued or performed by a king or queen or other monarch
From this reading Oh, crooked is he, but strong enough To handle the tallest mast; From the royal barque to the slaver dark, He buries them all at last.
except for; apart from
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
express in words
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
cause to go somewhere
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
transport commercially
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
slaververb
let saliva drivel from the mouth
From this reading Oh, crooked is he, but strong enough To handle the tallest mast; From the royal barque to the slaver dark, He buries them all at last.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading And sweet, they say, is her kiss to those She greets to his border home; And softer than sleep her hand’s first sweep That beckons, and they come.
softeradjectiveUS /ˈsɑːftər/
comparative of “soft” — yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading And sweet, they say, is her kiss to those She greets to his border home; And softer than sleep her hand’s first sweep That beckons, and they come.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading Oh, crooked is he, but strong enough To handle the tallest mast; From the royal barque to the slaver dark, He buries them all at last.
sungnounUS /sʌŋ/
the imperial dynasty of China from 960 to 1279; noted for art and literature and philosophy
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
sweepverbUS /swiːp/
sweep across or over
From this reading And sweet, they say, is her kiss to those She greets to his border home; And softer than sleep her hand’s first sweep That beckons, and they come.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading And sweet, they say, is her kiss to those She greets to his border home; And softer than sleep her hand’s first sweep That beckons, and they come.
tallestadjectiveUS /ˈtɔːlɪst/
superlative of “tall” — great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading Oh, crooked is he, but strong enough To handle the tallest mast; From the royal barque to the slaver dark, He buries them all at last.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading And sweet, they say, is her kiss to those She greets to his border home; And softer than sleep her hand’s first sweep That beckons, and they come.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Oh, crooked is he, but strong enough To handle the tallest mast; From the royal barque to the slaver dark, He buries them all at last.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading And sweet, they say, is her kiss to those She greets to his border home; And softer than sleep her hand’s first sweep That beckons, and they come.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
at the time that
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
in or at the place that
From this reading He learned it once in his father’s house, Where the ballads of eld were sung; And merry enough is the burden rough, But no man knows the tongue.
which person or people
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
wilfuladjective
done by design
From this reading Oh, fair, they say, was his bride to see, And wilful she must have been, That she could bide at his gruesome side When the first red dawn came in.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
in the company of; together with
From this reading _Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore; And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more; But some he’ll save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore,— Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore._
