Chapter IV

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

in the past

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading “Yes, there was a girl,” he began, “an’ the handsomest one ever I saw.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading “Yes, there was a girl,” he began, “an’ the handsomest one ever I saw.

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Let me begin the story for thee.”

financial assistance in time of need

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “Oh, lass,” interrupted her father, “don’t ye say that.

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 Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

at any time

From this reading “Yes, there was a girl,” he began, “an’ the handsomest one ever I saw.

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading “Oh, lass,” interrupted her father, “don’t ye say that.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Let me begin the story for thee.”

a young female

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “Yes, there was a girl,” he began, “an’ the handsomest one ever I saw.

only a very short time before

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “Yes, there was a girl,” he began, “an’ the handsomest one ever I saw.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading “Yes, there was a girl,” he began, “an’ the handsomest one ever I saw.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

discontinued temporarily

From this reading “Oh, lass,” interrupted her father, “don’t ye say that.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

a girl or young woman who is unmarried

From this reading “Oh, lass,” interrupted her father, “don’t ye say that.

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Let me begin the story for thee.”

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Let me begin the story for thee.”

plural of “miner” — laborer who works in a mine

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

not any; not one

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading “Oh, lass,” interrupted her father, “don’t ye say that.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

comparative of “plain” — clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

plural of “reader” — a person who enjoys reading

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

cut with a saw

From this reading “Yes, there was a girl,” he began, “an’ the handsomest one ever I saw.

express in words

From this reading “Oh, lass,” interrupted her father, “don’t ye say that.

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

be standing; be upright

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

a sudden outburst of anger

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Let me begin the story for thee.”

an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person

From this reading Let me begin the story for thee.”

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

in or at that place or location

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

precisely as stated

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Mag’s Story “Long ago, aye, very long ago, it seems now, there was a girl with a temper so bad that no one could stand her ways.”

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Then the old man took it up in the dialect of the miners, which to the readers of this would hardly seem like English, and for their benefit must be put into plainer language.

an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person

From this reading “Oh, lass,” interrupted her father, “don’t ye say that.

an affirmative

From this reading “Yes, there was a girl,” he began, “an’ the handsomest one ever I saw.