used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
a-gley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
aftadverbUS /æft/
at or near or toward the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
backwardadverbUS /ˈbækwərd/
at or to or toward the back or rear
From this reading I backward cast my e’e On prospects drear!
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
best-laid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
blestadjectiveUS /blest/
highly favored or fortunate (as e.g. by divine grace)
From this reading Still thou art blest, compared wi’ me!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
put or send forth
From this reading I backward cast my e’e On prospects drear!
cauld
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of
From this reading Still thou art blest, compared wi’ me!
cranreuch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
drearadjective
causing dejection
From this reading I backward cast my e’e On prospects drear!
dribbleverbUS /ˈdrɪbəl/
run or flow slowly, as in drops or in an unsteady stream
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
e'e
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I backward cast my e’e On prospects drear!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
foresightnounUS /ˈfɔːrsaɪt/
providence by virtue of planning prudently for the future
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
GangnounUS /ɡæŋ/
an association of criminals
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
hald
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I backward cast my e’e On prospects drear!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
a narrow way or road
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
lea'e
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Still thou art blest, compared wi’ me!
the force of workers available
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
micenounUS /maɪs/
plural of “mouse” — any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
Mousie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I backward cast my e’e On prospects drear!
naughtnounUS /nɔːt/
a quantity of no importance
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
not any; not one
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
och
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The present only toucheth thee: But, och!
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I backward cast my e’e On prospects drear!
and nothing more
From this reading The present only toucheth thee: But, och!
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The present only toucheth thee: But, och!
past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
prospectsnounUS /ˈprɑːspekts/
plural of “prospect” — the possibility of future success
From this reading I backward cast my e’e On prospects drear!
provingverbUS /ˈpruːvɪŋ/
-ing form of “prove” — be shown or be found to be
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
schemesnounUS /skiːmz/
plural of “scheme” — an elaborate and systematic plan of action
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
sleetyadjective
consisting of or of the nature of frozen or partially frozen rain
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
not in physical motion
From this reading Still thou art blest, compared wi’ me!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person
From this reading The present only toucheth thee: But, och!
tholenounUS /θoʊl/
a holder attached to the gunwale of a boat that holds the oar in place and acts as a fulcrum for rowing
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
thou's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
an old word for “your”, speaking to one person
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
toucheth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The present only toucheth thee: But, och!
a source of difficulty
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy.
winoun
a midwestern state in north central United States
From this reading Still thou art blest, compared wi’ me!
winter'snounUS /ˈwɪntərz/
possessive form of “winter” — the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading Now thou’s turned out for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, And cranreuch cauld!
