used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Bay Boy Writes About Paris--Tells About the Trip Across the English Channel--Dad Feeds a Dog and Gets Arrested.
AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The Bay Boy Writes About Paris--Tells About the Trip Across the English Channel--Dad Feeds a Dog and Gets Arrested.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading The Bay Boy Writes About Paris--Tells About the Trip Across the English Channel--Dad Feeds a Dog and Gets Arrested.
(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 We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Bay Boy Writes About Paris--Tells About the Trip Across the English Channel--Dad Feeds a Dog and Gets Arrested.
ArrestedverbUS /ərˈestɪd/
past form of “arrest” — take into custody
From this reading The Bay Boy Writes About Paris--Tells About the Trip Across the English Channel--Dad Feeds a Dog and Gets Arrested.
awfuladjectiveUS /ˈɑːfəl/
exceptionally bad or displeasing
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading The Bay Boy Writes About Paris--Tells About the Trip Across the English Channel--Dad Feeds a Dog and Gets Arrested.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading This is the first time dad and I have been in a place where nobody understood our language.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Ordinarily we would take pleasure in teaching people to speak the English language, but in coming across the English channel dad and I both got something we never got on the water before.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Ordinarily we would take pleasure in teaching people to speak the English language, but in coming across the English channel dad and I both got something we never got on the water before.
a youthful male person
From this reading The Bay Boy Writes About Paris--Tells About the Trip Across the English Channel--Dad Feeds a Dog and Gets Arrested.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Ordinarily we would take pleasure in teaching people to speak the English language, but in coming across the English channel dad and I both got something we never got on the water before.
ChannelnounUS /ˈtʃænəl/
a path over which electrical signals can pass
From this reading The Bay Boy Writes About Paris--Tells About the Trip Across the English Channel--Dad Feeds a Dog and Gets Arrested.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Ordinarily we would take pleasure in teaching people to speak the English language, but in coming across the English channel dad and I both got something we never got on the water before.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
couldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
DadnounUS /dæd/
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading The Bay Boy Writes About Paris--Tells About the Trip Across the English Channel--Dad Feeds a Dog and Gets Arrested.
dearly loved
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
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 The Bay Boy Writes About Paris--Tells About the Trip Across the English Channel--Dad Feeds a Dog and Gets Arrested.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading The Bay Boy Writes About Paris--Tells About the Trip Across the English Channel--Dad Feeds a Dog and Gets Arrested.
apart from; not including
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
EzranounUS /ˈezrə/
a Jewish priest and scribe sent by the Persian king to restore Jewish law and worship in Jerusalem
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
FeedsnounUS /fiːdz/
plural of “feed” — food for domestic livestock
From this reading The Bay Boy Writes About Paris--Tells About the Trip Across the English Channel--Dad Feeds a Dog and Gets Arrested.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading This is the first time dad and I have been in a place where nobody understood our language.
a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
plural of “get” — a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent
From this reading The Bay Boy Writes About Paris--Tells About the Trip Across the English Channel--Dad Feeds a Dog and Gets Arrested.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Ordinarily we would take pleasure in teaching people to speak the English language, but in coming across the English channel dad and I both got something we never got on the water before.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading This is the first time dad and I have been in a place where nobody understood our language.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
interpretverbUS /ˌɪnˈtɜːrprət/
make sense of; assign a meaning to
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading This is the first time dad and I have been in a place where nobody understood our language.
engage in
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
motionsnounUS /ˈmoʊʃənz/
plural of “motion” — the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Ordinarily we would take pleasure in teaching people to speak the English language, but in coming across the English channel dad and I both got something we never got on the water before.
no person; not anyone
From this reading This is the first time dad and I have been in a place where nobody understood our language.
noisesnounUS /ˈnɔɪzɪz/
plural of “noise” — sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Ordinarily we would take pleasure in teaching people to speak the English language, but in coming across the English channel dad and I both got something we never got on the water before.
OrdinarilyadverbUS /ˌɔːrdəˈnerəli/
under normal conditions
From this reading Ordinarily we would take pleasure in teaching people to speak the English language, but in coming across the English channel dad and I both got something we never got on the water before.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading This is the first time dad and I have been in a place where nobody understood our language.
paralyzedadjectiveUS /ˈperəlaɪzd/
affected with paralysis
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce
From this reading The Bay Boy Writes About Paris--Tells About the Trip Across the English Channel--Dad Feeds a Dog and Gets Arrested.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading This is the first time dad and I have been in a place where nobody understood our language.
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading Ordinarily we would take pleasure in teaching people to speak the English language, but in coming across the English channel dad and I both got something we never got on the water before.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Ordinarily we would take pleasure in teaching people to speak the English language, but in coming across the English channel dad and I both got something we never got on the water before.
express in speech
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
carry out
From this reading Ordinarily we would take pleasure in teaching people to speak the English language, but in coming across the English channel dad and I both got something we never got on the water before.
teachingnounUS /ˈtiːtʃɪŋ/
the profession of a teacher
From this reading Ordinarily we would take pleasure in teaching people to speak the English language, but in coming across the English channel dad and I both got something we never got on the water before.
plural of “tell” — a Swiss patriot who lived in the early 14th century and who was renowned for his skill as an archer
From this reading The Bay Boy Writes About Paris--Tells About the Trip Across the English Channel--Dad Feeds a Dog and Gets Arrested.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Bay Boy Writes About Paris--Tells About the Trip Across the English Channel--Dad Feeds a Dog and Gets Arrested.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading This is the first time dad and I have been in a place where nobody understood our language.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
a journey for some purpose (usually including the return)
From this reading The Bay Boy Writes About Paris--Tells About the Trip Across the English Channel--Dad Feeds a Dog and Gets Arrested.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading This is the first time dad and I have been in a place where nobody understood our language.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading Ordinarily we would take pleasure in teaching people to speak the English language, but in coming across the English channel dad and I both got something we never got on the water before.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We struck this town all in a heap, and the people seemed to be paralyzed so they couldn't speak, except to make motions and make noises that we could not interpret.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
in or at the place that
From this reading This is the first time dad and I have been in a place where nobody understood our language.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Paris, France.--My Dear Uncle Ezra: Dad is in an awful state here, and I do not know what to do with him.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Ordinarily we would take pleasure in teaching people to speak the English language, but in coming across the English channel dad and I both got something we never got on the water before.
WritesverbUS /raɪts/
third-person singular of “write” — produce a literary work
From this reading The Bay Boy Writes About Paris--Tells About the Trip Across the English Channel--Dad Feeds a Dog and Gets Arrested.
