used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading "Mamma always makes a cake for our birthdays," she told the children, plaintively.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "Last year mine was choc'late, and year before that, jelly.
BirthdaynounUS /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/
an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
birthdaysnounUS /ˈbɜːrθdeɪz/
plural of “birthday” — an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)
From this reading "Mamma always makes a cake for our birthdays," she told the children, plaintively.
cakenounUS /keɪk/
a block of solid substance (such as soap or wax)
From this reading "Mamma always makes a cake for our birthdays," she told the children, plaintively.
can't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now I can't have no cake or nothin', 'count o' this old hip!" and she pouted discontentedly.
celebrationnounUS /ˌseləˈbreɪʃən/
a joyful occasion for special festivities to mark some happy event
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading "Mamma always makes a cake for our birthdays," she told the children, plaintively.
choc'late
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Last year mine was choc'late, and year before that, jelly.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
determine the number or amount of
From this reading Now I can't have no cake or nothin', 'count o' this old hip!" and she pouted discontentedly.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Mamma said next time she'd have it orange, same's she did Ida's.
dischargedadjectiveUS /dɪsˈtʃɑːrdʒd/
having lost your job
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
discontentedlyadverbUS /ˌdɪskənˈtentɪdli/
with discontent; in a discontented manner
From this reading Now I can't have no cake or nothin', 'count o' this old hip!" and she pouted discontentedly.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
Elsie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
Elsie's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Mamma said next time she'd have it orange, same's she did Ida's.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
hipnounUS /hɪp/
either side of the body below the waist and above the thigh
From this reading Now I can't have no cake or nothin', 'count o' this old hip!" and she pouted discontentedly.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Now I can't have no cake or nothin', 'count o' this old hip!" and she pouted discontentedly.
Ida's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mamma said next time she'd have it orange, same's she did Ida's.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Mamma said next time she'd have it orange, same's she did Ida's.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
jellynounUS /ˈdʒeli/
an edible jelly (sweet or pungent) made with gelatin and used as a dessert or salad base or a coating for foods
From this reading "Last year mine was choc'late, and year before that, jelly.
immediately past
From this reading "Last year mine was choc'late, and year before that, jelly.
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading "Mamma always makes a cake for our birthdays," she told the children, plaintively.
informal terms for a mother
From this reading "Mamma always makes a cake for our birthdays," she told the children, plaintively.
Meyers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Last year mine was choc'late, and year before that, jelly.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Mamma said next time she'd have it orange, same's she did Ida's.
not any; not one
From this reading Now I can't have no cake or nothin', 'count o' this old hip!" and she pouted discontentedly.
nothin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now I can't have no cake or nothin', 'count o' this old hip!" and she pouted discontentedly.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now I can't have no cake or nothin', 'count o' this old hip!" and she pouted discontentedly.
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 Now I can't have no cake or nothin', 'count o' this old hip!" and she pouted discontentedly.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Now I can't have no cake or nothin', 'count o' this old hip!" and she pouted discontentedly.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Now I can't have no cake or nothin', 'count o' this old hip!" and she pouted discontentedly.
orangenounUS /ˈɔːrəndʒ/
round yellow to orange fruit of any of several citrus trees
From this reading Mamma said next time she'd have it orange, same's she did Ida's.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "Mamma always makes a cake for our birthdays," she told the children, plaintively.
plaintivelyadverbUS /ˈpleɪntaɪvli/
in a plaintive manner
From this reading "Mamma always makes a cake for our birthdays," she told the children, plaintively.
poutedverbUS /ˈpaʊtɪd/
past form of “pout” — be in a huff and display one's displeasure
From this reading Now I can't have no cake or nothin', 'count o' this old hip!" and she pouted discontentedly.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Mamma said next time she'd have it orange, same's she did Ida's.
same'snounUS /seɪmz/
possessive form of “same” — a member of an indigenous nomadic people living in northern Scandinavia and herding reindeer
From this reading Mamma said next time she'd have it orange, same's she did Ida's.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
she'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mamma said next time she'd have it orange, same's she did Ida's.
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Mamma always makes a cake for our birthdays," she told the children, plaintively.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Now I can't have no cake or nothin', 'count o' this old hip!" and she pouted discontentedly.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Mamma said next time she'd have it orange, same's she did Ida's.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading "Mamma always makes a cake for our birthdays," she told the children, plaintively.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Last year mine was choc'late, and year before that, jelly.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
wishingnounUS /ˈwɪʃɪŋ/
a specific feeling of desire
From this reading Elsie's Birthday For a week Elsie Meyers had been talking about her coming birthday, and half wishing that she could be discharged early enough to allow its celebration at home.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading "Last year mine was choc'late, and year before that, jelly.
