used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A SCRAP OF EVIDENCE.
AfricanounUS /ˈæfrəkɑː/
the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The thorns were two or three inches in length, and the ends were turned down into little hooks that were both sharp and strong.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They were as full of thorns as a rosebush.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
the two together, not just one
From this reading The thorns were two or three inches in length, and the ends were turned down into little hooks that were both sharp and strong.
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
catchingnounUS /ˈkætʃɪŋ/
(baseball) playing the position of catcher on a baseball team
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
clothingnounUS /ˈkloʊðɪŋ/
a covering designed to be worn on a person's body
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
continuallyadverbUS /kənˈtɪnjuːəli/
seemingly without interruption
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The thorns were two or three inches in length, and the ends were turned down into little hooks that were both sharp and strong.
Dutchmen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
plural of “end” — either extremity of something that has length
From this reading The thorns were two or three inches in length, and the ends were turned down into little hooks that were both sharp and strong.
your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief
From this reading A SCRAP OF EVIDENCE.
extricateverbUS /ˈekstrəkeɪt/
release from entanglement of difficulty
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
fitnessnounUS /ˈfɪtnəs/
the quality of being suitable
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading They were as full of thorns as a rosebush.
hold firmly
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
hooksnounUS /hʊks/
large strong hand (as of a fighter)
From this reading The thorns were two or three inches in length, and the ends were turned down into little hooks that were both sharp and strong.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
plural of “inch” — a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading The thorns were two or three inches in length, and the ends were turned down into little hooks that were both sharp and strong.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The thorns were two or three inches in length, and the ends were turned down into little hooks that were both sharp and strong.
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading The thorns were two or three inches in length, and the ends were turned down into little hooks that were both sharp and strong.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The thorns were two or three inches in length, and the ends were turned down into little hooks that were both sharp and strong.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A SCRAP OF EVIDENCE.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
many times at short intervals
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The thorns were two or three inches in length, and the ends were turned down into little hooks that were both sharp and strong.
OscarnounUS /ˈɔːskər/
an annual award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievements in motion picture production and performance
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
the act of pulling; applying force to move something toward or with you
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
rosebushnounUS /ˈroʊzbʊʃ/
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading They were as full of thorns as a rosebush.
SCRAPnounUS /skræp/
a small fragment of something broken off from the whole
From this reading A SCRAP OF EVIDENCE.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading The thorns were two or three inches in length, and the ends were turned down into little hooks that were both sharp and strong.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading The thorns were two or three inches in length, and the ends were turned down into little hooks that were both sharp and strong.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
thornsnounUS /θɔːrnz/
plural of “thorn” — something that causes irritation and annoyance
From this reading They were as full of thorns as a rosebush.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading The thorns were two or three inches in length, and the ends were turned down into little hooks that were both sharp and strong.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
moved around an axis or center
From this reading The thorns were two or three inches in length, and the ends were turned down into little hooks that were both sharp and strong.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The thorns were two or three inches in length, and the ends were turned down into little hooks that were both sharp and strong.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
wait-a-bits
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They were continually pulling off his hat or catching in his clothing, and then he was obliged to "wait a bit" before he could extricate himself from their grasp.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were as full of thorns as a rosebush.
at the time that
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
which person or people
From this reading Oscar had often told himself that the Dutchmen who first settled in Africa must have had a keen sense of the fitness of things when they named these bushes "wait-a-bits."
