used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Hildegarde Grahame--she is Hildegarde Merryweather now, but I cannot realise it yet--has been a very dear friend of ours for several years.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
(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 Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "Hildegarde Grahame--she is Hildegarde Merryweather now, but I cannot realise it yet--has been a very dear friend of ours for several years.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "To begin with, girls, this is Fluffy's idea, not mine!
BELLSnounUS /belz/
plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading WEDDING BELLS.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading We think there is no one like her in the world; I'll show you a picture of her by and by.
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Hildegarde Grahame--she is Hildegarde Merryweather now, but I cannot realise it yet--has been a very dear friend of ours for several years.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
dearly loved
From this reading "Hildegarde Grahame--she is Hildegarde Merryweather now, but I cannot realise it yet--has been a very dear friend of ours for several years.
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
at any time
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
feathersnounUS /ˈfeðərz/
plural of “feather” — the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
FluffyadjectiveUS /ˈflʌfi/
like down or as soft as down
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
Fluffy's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "To begin with, girls, this is Fluffy's idea, not mine!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Hildegarde Grahame--she is Hildegarde Merryweather now, but I cannot realise it yet--has been a very dear friend of ours for several years.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading "Hildegarde Grahame--she is Hildegarde Merryweather now, but I cannot realise it yet--has been a very dear friend of ours for several years.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading "To begin with, girls, this is Fluffy's idea, not mine!
Grahamenoun
English writer (born in Scotland) of children's stories (1859-1932)
From this reading "Hildegarde Grahame--she is Hildegarde Merryweather now, but I cannot realise it yet--has been a very dear friend of ours for several years.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Hildegarde Grahame--she is Hildegarde Merryweather now, but I cannot realise it yet--has been a very dear friend of ours for several years.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading We think there is no one like her in the world; I'll show you a picture of her by and by.
Hildegarde
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
I'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We think there is no one like her in the world; I'll show you a picture of her by and by.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "To begin with, girls, this is Fluffy's idea, not mine!
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We think there is no one like her in the world; I'll show you a picture of her by and by.
arousing or holding the attention
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "To begin with, girls, this is Fluffy's idea, not mine!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
plural of “kind” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
immediately past
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading We think there is no one like her in the world; I'll show you a picture of her by and by.
Merryweather
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Hildegarde Grahame--she is Hildegarde Merryweather now, but I cannot realise it yet--has been a very dear friend of ours for several years.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "To begin with, girls, this is Fluffy's idea, not mine!
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
not any; not one
From this reading We think there is no one like her in the world; I'll show you a picture of her by and by.
not one, and not any
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "To begin with, girls, this is Fluffy's idea, not mine!
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Hildegarde Grahame--she is Hildegarde Merryweather now, but I cannot realise it yet--has been a very dear friend of ours for several years.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading We think there is no one like her in the world; I'll show you a picture of her by and by.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
the one or ones belonging to us
From this reading "Hildegarde Grahame--she is Hildegarde Merryweather now, but I cannot realise it yet--has been a very dear friend of ours for several years.
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading We think there is no one like her in the world; I'll show you a picture of her by and by.
cause to move by pulling
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
realiseverbUS /ˈriːəlaɪz/
earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
From this reading "Hildegarde Grahame--she is Hildegarde Merryweather now, but I cannot realise it yet--has been a very dear friend of ours for several years.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
cut with a saw
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
selfishadjectiveUS /ˈselfɪʃ/
concerned chiefly or only with yourself and your advantage to the exclusion of others
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading "Hildegarde Grahame--she is Hildegarde Merryweather now, but I cannot realise it yet--has been a very dear friend of ours for several years.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading We think there is no one like her in the world; I'll show you a picture of her by and by.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
express a supposition
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
in or at that place or location
From this reading We think there is no one like her in the world; I'll show you a picture of her by and by.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading We think there is no one like her in the world; I'll show you a picture of her by and by.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "To begin with, girls, this is Fluffy's idea, not mine!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "To begin with, girls, this is Fluffy's idea, not mine!
precisely as stated
From this reading "Hildegarde Grahame--she is Hildegarde Merryweather now, but I cannot realise it yet--has been a very dear friend of ours for several years.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We think there is no one like her in the world; I'll show you a picture of her by and by.
the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed
From this reading WEDDING BELLS.
at the time that
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "To begin with, girls, this is Fluffy's idea, not mine!
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading We think there is no one like her in the world; I'll show you a picture of her by and by.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
a late time of life
From this reading "Hildegarde Grahame--she is Hildegarde Merryweather now, but I cannot realise it yet--has been a very dear friend of ours for several years.
but in spite of that
From this reading "Hildegarde Grahame--she is Hildegarde Merryweather now, but I cannot realise it yet--has been a very dear friend of ours for several years.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Of course none of you ever saw our Hildegarde, so I didn't suppose you would care particularly; but when I was telling the Fluffy last night, she said it was selfish and all kinds of things to keep it to ourselves, and that you must all hear about it; so if you don't find it interesting, pull out the Fluffy's feathers, not mine.
