used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
at or in or to any place
From this reading He was asked everywhere that was anywhere and he went, too.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading He was asked everywhere that was anywhere and he went, too.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
blurtverbUS /blɜːrt/
utter impulsively
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point
From this reading And Bob had such a wide circle of friends, too, which would make his task the harder; the handsome dog was popular.
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
commodorenounUS /ˈkɑːmədɔːr/
a commissioned naval officer who ranks above a captain and below a rear admiral; the lowest grade of admiral
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
contractverbUS /ˈkɑːntrækt/
enter into a contractual arrangement
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
contractedadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːntræktəd/
reduced in size or pulled together
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading And Bob had such a wide circle of friends, too, which would make his task the harder; the handsome dog was popular.
electrocutedverbUS /ˌɪˈlektrəkjuːtɪd/
past form of “electrocute” — kill by electric shock
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
to or in any or all places
From this reading He was asked everywhere that was anywhere and he went, too.
feathersnounUS /ˈfeðərz/
plural of “feather” — the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
make full, also in a metaphorical sense
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading And Bob had such a wide circle of friends, too, which would make his task the harder; the handsome dog was popular.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading He would certainly “get his.”
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion
From this reading And Bob had such a wide circle of friends, too, which would make his task the harder; the handsome dog was popular.
harderadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdər/
comparative of “hard” — with effort or force or vigor
From this reading And Bob had such a wide circle of friends, too, which would make his task the harder; the handsome dog was popular.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was asked everywhere that was anywhere and he went, too.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And Bob had such a wide circle of friends, too, which would make his task the harder; the handsome dog was popular.
engage in
From this reading And Bob had such a wide circle of friends, too, which would make his task the harder; the handsome dog was popular.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public
From this reading And Bob had such a wide circle of friends, too, which would make his task the harder; the handsome dog was popular.
railnounUS /reɪl/
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
get something; come into possession of
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
riddenverbUS /ˈrɪdən/
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading And Bob had such a wide circle of friends, too, which would make his task the harder; the handsome dog was popular.
tarnounUS /tɑːr/
any of various dark heavy viscid substances obtained as a residue
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading And Bob had such a wide circle of friends, too, which would make his task the harder; the handsome dog was popular.
express in words
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He was asked everywhere that was anywhere and he went, too.
that's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading And Bob had such a wide circle of friends, too, which would make his task the harder; the handsome dog was popular.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And Bob had such a wide circle of friends, too, which would make his task the harder; the handsome dog was popular.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He was asked everywhere that was anywhere and he went, too.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading And Bob had such a wide circle of friends, too, which would make his task the harder; the handsome dog was popular.
which person or people
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading To tell the truth—to blurt out nothing but the truth to every one, and on every occasion, for three whole weeks—that’s what Bob had contracted to do.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading And Bob had such a wide circle of friends, too, which would make his task the harder; the handsome dog was popular.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading From the point of view of the commodore and the others, the man who tried to fill this contract would certainly be shot, or electrocuted, or ridden out of town on a rail, or receive a coat of tar and feathers.
