used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading To Phœbe, Uncle Bob took on a new and intense interest.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
adoringadjectiveUS /əˈdɔːrɪŋ/
showing adoration
From this reading And Phœbe forgot his stoutness and his baldness in remembering that he was the adoring, yet unhappy, lover.
(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 But now all at once he seemed different.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading To Phœbe, Uncle Bob took on a new and intense interest.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
baldnessnounUS /ˈbɔːldnəs/
the condition of having no hair on the top of the head
From this reading And Phœbe forgot his stoutness and his baldness in remembering that he was the adoring, yet unhappy, lover.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading To Phœbe, Uncle Bob took on a new and intense interest.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But now all at once he seemed different.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
chicken-coop
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading But now all at once he seemed different.
discoveringverbUS /dɪˈskʌvərɪŋ/
-ing form of “discover” — discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
plural of “duty” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
divisible by two
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
opinion or judgment
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading And Phœbe forgot his stoutness and his baldness in remembering that he was the adoring, yet unhappy, lover.
gardeningnounUS /ˈɡɑːrdənɪŋ/
the cultivation of plants
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
hammeredadjectiveUS /ˈhæmərd/
shaped or worked with a hammer and often showing hammer marks
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
HeretoforeadverbUS /ˌhɪrtəˈfɔːr/
used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
homelyadjectiveUS /ˈhoʊmli/
lacking in physical beauty or proportion
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
the pursuit and killing or capture of wild animals regarded as a sport
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And Phœbe forgot his stoutness and his baldness in remembering that he was the adoring, yet unhappy, lover.
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading To Phœbe, Uncle Bob took on a new and intense interest.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading To Phœbe, Uncle Bob took on a new and intense interest.
jollyadjectiveUS /ˈdʒɑːli/
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
and nothing more
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
a person who loves someone or is loved by someone
From this reading And Phœbe forgot his stoutness and his baldness in remembering that he was the adoring, yet unhappy, lover.
feeling or showing love and affection
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading To Phœbe, Uncle Bob took on a new and intense interest.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading But now all at once he seemed different.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading To Phœbe, Uncle Bob took on a new and intense interest.
on one occasion
From this reading But now all at once he seemed different.
pastimesnounUS /ˈpæstaɪmz/
plural of “pastime” — a diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually pleasantly)
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
Phœbe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To Phœbe, Uncle Bob took on a new and intense interest.
putteringverbUS /ˈpʌtərɪŋ/
-ing form of “putter” — work lightly
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
rememberingnounUS /rɪˈmembərɪŋ/
the cognitive processes whereby past experience is remembered
From this reading And Phœbe forgot his stoutness and his baldness in remembering that he was the adoring, yet unhappy, lover.
sadnessnounUS /ˈsædnəs/
emotions experienced when not in a state of well-being
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading But now all at once he seemed different.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
stableadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪbəl/
resistant to change of position or condition
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
dependable
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
stoutnessnounUS /ˈstaʊtnəs/
the property of being strong and resolute
From this reading And Phœbe forgot his stoutness and his baldness in remembering that he was the adoring, yet unhappy, lover.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
a state of acute pain
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And Phœbe forgot his stoutness and his baldness in remembering that he was the adoring, yet unhappy, lover.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To Phœbe, Uncle Bob took on a new and intense interest.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading To Phœbe, Uncle Bob took on a new and intense interest.
tunesnounUS /tuːnz/
plural of “tune” — a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading To Phœbe, Uncle Bob took on a new and intense interest.
experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent
From this reading And Phœbe forgot his stoutness and his baldness in remembering that he was the adoring, yet unhappy, lover.
not known
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And Phœbe forgot his stoutness and his baldness in remembering that he was the adoring, yet unhappy, lover.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
whistledverbUS /ˈwɪsəld/
past form of “whistle” — make whistling sounds
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
wormsnounUS /wɜːrmz/
plural of “worm” — any of numerous relatively small elongated soft-bodied animals especially of the phyla Annelida and Chaetognatha and Nematoda and Nemertea and Platyhelminthes; also many insect larvae
From this reading Heretofore, he had been just Uncle Bob, stout and jolly and loving, with certain unknown duties at the Court House, and his various homely pastimes at home, such as gardening and puttering about the stable, and hunting worms.
yearningnounUS /ˈjɜːrnɪŋ/
prolonged unfulfilled desire or need
From this reading And just as she had watched her father’s face for signs of suffering, she now watched this uncle, discovering sadness in his smiling blue eyes, and yearning even in his whistled tunes as he hammered away at the chicken-coop.
but in spite of that
From this reading And Phœbe forgot his stoutness and his baldness in remembering that he was the adoring, yet unhappy, lover.
