used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “We know more about bears now than we ever did before.”
(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 He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading * * * * * “There!” said Aunt Fanny; “what do you think of Johnny’s story?”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
have
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
bearsnounUS /berz/
plural of “bear” — massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws
From this reading “We know more about bears now than we ever did before.”
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
bewailing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
Bob'snounUS /bɑːbz/
possessive form of “bob” — a former monetary unit in Great Britain
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading “Grand!” cried the children.
clumsyadjectiveUS /ˈklʌmzi/
lacking grace in movement or posture
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “Grand!” cried the children.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “We know more about bears now than we ever did before.”
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading * * * * * “There!” said Aunt Fanny; “what do you think of Johnny’s story?”
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
at any time
From this reading “We know more about bears now than we ever did before.”
a social unit living together
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
FannynounUS /ˈfæni/
the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
From this reading * * * * * “There!” said Aunt Fanny; “what do you think of Johnny’s story?”
a person who operates a farm
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading “Grand!” cried the children.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
Johnny'snounUS /ˈdʒɑːniz/
possessive form of “johnny” — “Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading * * * * * “There!” said Aunt Fanny; “what do you think of Johnny’s story?”
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “We know more about bears now than we ever did before.”
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 He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading “We know more about bears now than we ever did before.”
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “We know more about bears now than we ever did before.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
go across or through
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
petnounUS /pet/
a domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusement
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
on the contrary
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading * * * * * “There!” said Aunt Fanny; “what do you think of Johnny’s story?”
sheddingnounUS /ˈʃedɪŋ/
the process whereby something is shed
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
in the near future
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
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 * * * * * “There!” said Aunt Fanny; “what do you think of Johnny’s story?”
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “We know more about bears now than we ever did before.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
in or at that place or location
From this reading * * * * * “There!” said Aunt Fanny; “what do you think of Johnny’s story?”
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading * * * * * “There!” said Aunt Fanny; “what do you think of Johnny’s story?”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
tragicaladjective
very sad; especially involving grief or death or destruction
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
displeasing to the senses
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He got a new and pretty pet before long; and so it came to pass that the farmer and all his family soon gave up bewailing the tragical end of BROTHER BOB’S BEAR.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “We know more about bears now than we ever did before.”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading * * * * * “There!” said Aunt Fanny; “what do you think of Johnny’s story?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You may be sure, Bob’s mother was rather glad, but, old as he was, Bob could not help shedding a few tears for his clumsy, ugly pet.
