used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
in the past
From this reading “They have no dog in the house; their gardener, whom I took care to employ a few days ago, told me so.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading “If those women always have that dog to guard them, it will be rather hard.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
any thing at all
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was a mere chance that there was one in their house last night.--But this young man coming this way--it is Edmond!
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading “They have no dog in the house; their gardener, whom I took care to employ a few days ago, told me so.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading It was a mere chance that there was one in their house last night.--But this young man coming this way--it is Edmond!
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading It was a mere chance that there was one in their house last night.--But this young man coming this way--it is Edmond!
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading “They have no dog in the house; their gardener, whom I took care to employ a few days ago, told me so.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
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 “If those women always have that dog to guard them, it will be rather hard.”
plural of “dog” — 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 “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
Edmond
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a mere chance that there was one in their house last night.--But this young man coming this way--it is Edmond!
being one more than ten
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
employverbUS /emˈplɔɪ/
put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose
From this reading “They have no dog in the house; their gardener, whom I took care to employ a few days ago, told me so.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading “They have no dog in the house; their gardener, whom I took care to employ a few days ago, told me so.
gardenernounUS /ˈɡɑːrdənər/
someone who takes care of a garden
From this reading “They have no dog in the house; their gardener, whom I took care to employ a few days ago, told me so.
a young female
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading “If those women always have that dog to guard them, it will be rather hard.”
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading “If those women always have that dog to guard them, it will be rather hard.”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
he'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading “They have no dog in the house; their gardener, whom I took care to employ a few days ago, told me so.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “If those women always have that dog to guard them, it will be rather hard.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “They have no dog in the house; their gardener, whom I took care to employ a few days ago, told me so.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a mere chance that there was one in their house last night.--But this young man coming this way--it is Edmond!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “If those women always have that dog to guard them, it will be rather hard.”
it's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
immediately past
From this reading It was a mere chance that there was one in their house last night.--But this young man coming this way--it is Edmond!
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
for more time
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading It was a mere chance that there was one in their house last night.--But this young man coming this way--it is Edmond!
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
being nothing more than specified
From this reading It was a mere chance that there was one in their house last night.--But this young man coming this way--it is Edmond!
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
to a great degree or extent
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It was a mere chance that there was one in their house last night.--But this young man coming this way--it is Edmond!
not any; not one
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It was a mere chance that there was one in their house last night.--But this young man coming this way--it is Edmond!
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
on the contrary
From this reading “If those women always have that dog to guard them, it will be rather hard.”
relyverbUS /rɪˈlaɪ/
have faith or confidence in
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading “They have no dog in the house; their gardener, whom I took care to employ a few days ago, told me so.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading “If those women always have that dog to guard them, it will be rather hard.”
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
in or at that place or location
From this reading It was a mere chance that there was one in their house last night.--But this young man coming this way--it is Edmond!
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “They have no dog in the house; their gardener, whom I took care to employ a few days ago, told me so.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading It was a mere chance that there was one in their house last night.--But this young man coming this way--it is Edmond!
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading “If those women always have that dog to guard them, it will be rather hard.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading “They have no dog in the house; their gardener, whom I took care to employ a few days ago, told me so.
undertakeverbUS /ˈʌndərteɪk/
enter upon an activity or enterprise
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
the act of using
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
precisely as stated
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading It was a mere chance that there was one in their house last night.--But this young man coming this way--it is Edmond!
(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, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “They have no dog in the house; their gardener, whom I took care to employ a few days ago, told me so.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “If those women always have that dog to guard them, it will be rather hard.”
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading “If those women always have that dog to guard them, it will be rather hard.”
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading “Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
