adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
accomplishverbUS /əˈkɑːmplɪʃ/
put in effect
From this reading Until then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to accomplish the task.
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Until then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to accomplish the task.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
assaultnounUS /əˈsɔːlt/
close fighting during the culmination of a military attack
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
backedadjectiveUS /bækt/
having a back or backing, usually of a specified type
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Until then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to accomplish the task.
beesnounUS /biːz/
plural of “bee” — any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species
From this reading Until then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to accomplish the task.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It was noon before Ben and Gershom dared to commence the process of cutting and splitting the tree, in order to obtain the honey.
BennounUS /ben/
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading It was noon before Ben and Gershom dared to commence the process of cutting and splitting the tree, in order to obtain the honey.
betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/
on the far side of; further than
From this reading Until then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to accomplish the task.
bordersnounUS /ˈbɔːrdərz/
plural of “border” — a line that indicates a boundary
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
Bourdonnoun
a pipe of the bagpipe that is tuned to produce a single continuous tone
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
butterflyverbUS /ˈbʌtərflaɪ/
flutter like a butterfly
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
columnnounUS /ˈkɑːləm/
a line of units following one after another
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
commenceverbUS /kəˈmens/
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading It was noon before Ben and Gershom dared to commence the process of cutting and splitting the tree, in order to obtain the honey.
counselsnounUS /ˈkaʊnsəlz/
plural of “counsel” — a lawyer who pleads cases in court
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
cuttingnounUS /ˈkʌtɪŋ/
the activity of selecting the scenes to be shown and putting them together to create a film
From this reading It was noon before Ben and Gershom dared to commence the process of cutting and splitting the tree, in order to obtain the honey.
dangerousadjectiveUS /ˈdeɪndʒərəs/
involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm
From this reading Until then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to accomplish the task.
daredverbUS /derd/
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading It was noon before Ben and Gershom dared to commence the process of cutting and splitting the tree, in order to obtain the honey.
dartsnounUS /dɑːrts/
a game in which small pointed missiles are thrown at a dartboard
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/
dearly loved
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
denseadjectiveUS /dens/
permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
disposedadjectiveUS /dɪˈspoʊzd/
having made preparations
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
driveverbUS /draɪv/
operate or control a vehicle
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading Until then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to accomplish the task.
fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/
start firing a weapon
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
flightnounUS /flaɪt/
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
freeverbUS /friː/
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
Gershom
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was noon before Ben and Gershom dared to commence the process of cutting and splitting the tree, in order to obtain the honey.
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Until then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to accomplish the task.
heatnounUS /hiːt/
a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
From this reading Until then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to accomplish the task.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
hivenounUS /haɪv/
a teeming multitude
From this reading Until then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to accomplish the task.
honeynounUS /ˈhʌni/
a sweet yellow liquid produced by bees
From this reading It was noon before Ben and Gershom dared to commence the process of cutting and splitting the tree, in order to obtain the honey.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was noon before Ben and Gershom dared to commence the process of cutting and splitting the tree, in order to obtain the honey.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was noon before Ben and Gershom dared to commence the process of cutting and splitting the tree, in order to obtain the honey.
lackered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
lenounUS /lə/
a chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints)
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
lessadverbUS /les/
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
lingeredverbUS /ˈlɪŋɡərd/
past form of “linger” — remain present although waning or gradually dying
From this reading Until then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to accomplish the task.
lodgingsnounUS /ˈlɑːdʒɪŋz/
temporary living quarters
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
noonnounUS /nuːn/
the middle of the day
From this reading It was noon before Ben and Gershom dared to commence the process of cutting and splitting the tree, in order to obtain the honey.
obtainverbUS /əbˈteɪn/
come into possession of
From this reading It was noon before Ben and Gershom dared to commence the process of cutting and splitting the tree, in order to obtain the honey.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was noon before Ben and Gershom dared to commence the process of cutting and splitting the tree, in order to obtain the honey.
offadverbUS /ɔːf/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
offerverbUS /ˈɔːfər/
make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading It was noon before Ben and Gershom dared to commence the process of cutting and splitting the tree, in order to obtain the honey.
possessedadjectiveUS /pəˈzest/
influenced or controlled by a powerful force such as a strong emotion
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
processverbUS /ˈprɑːses/
subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition
From this reading It was noon before Ben and Gershom dared to commence the process of cutting and splitting the tree, in order to obtain the honey.
quicklyadverbUS /ˈkwɪkli/
with speed
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
sadadjectiveUS /sæd/
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
scenenounUS /siːn/
the place where some action occurs
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
secretsnounUS /ˈsiːkrəts/
plural of “secret” — something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on)
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
severaladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
SIMMS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SIMMS.
smokenounUS /smoʊk/
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading Until then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to accomplish the task.
speedverbUS /spiːd/
move hurridly
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
splittingadjectiveUS /ˈsplɪtɪŋ/
resembling a sound of violent tearing as of something ripped apart or lightning splitting a tree
From this reading It was noon before Ben and Gershom dared to commence the process of cutting and splitting the tree, in order to obtain the honey.
sweetadjectiveUS /swiːt/
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
tasknounUS /tæsk/
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading Until then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to accomplish the task.
ThanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Until then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to accomplish the task.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Until then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to accomplish the task.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
to-night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
treenounUS /triː/
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading It was noon before Ben and Gershom dared to commence the process of cutting and splitting the tree, in order to obtain the honey.
trueadjectiveUS /truː/
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
UntilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Until then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to accomplish the task.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
vapornounUS /ˈveɪpər/
a visible suspension in the air of particles of some substance
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
venturenounUS /ˈventʃər/
any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome
From this reading Until then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to accomplish the task.
virtuenounUS /ˈvɝː.tʃuː/
Moral excellence and goodness of character; the highest human attainment in Stoic philosophy.
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was noon before Ben and Gershom dared to commence the process of cutting and splitting the tree, in order to obtain the honey.
WavingnounUS /ˈweɪvɪŋ/
the act of signaling by a movement of the hand
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading It is true, le Bourdon possessed several secrets, of more or less virtue, to drive off the bees when disposed to assault him, but no one that was as certain as a good fire, backed by a dense column of vapor.
wingsnounUS /wɪŋz/
a means of flight or ascent
From this reading The sad butterfly, Waving his lackered wings, darts quickly on, And, by his free flight, counsels us to speed For better lodgings, and a scene more sweet, Than these dear borders offer us to-night.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Until then, the bees lingered around their fallen hive, and it would have been dangerous to venture beyond the smoke and heat, in order to accomplish the task.
