used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading 'Well, _I_ should be,' said grandmother, 'if I knew I was going away in a few days; why, my dear, I should be frightened out of my wits, I should indeed.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading 'No, grandmother,' said the poor woman, 'I'm not afraid.'
in the past
From this reading 'And so should I have been, two years ago,' said Poppy's mother; 'but I'm not afraid now.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading 'And so should I have been, two years ago,' said Poppy's mother; 'but I'm not afraid now.
aren't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'Polly, my dear,' said grandmother, when she was sitting beside her the next day, 'aren't ye feared to die!'
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading 'Well, _I_ should be,' said grandmother, 'if I knew I was going away in a few days; why, my dear, I should be frightened out of my wits, I should indeed.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading 'Well, _I_ should be,' said grandmother, 'if I knew I was going away in a few days; why, my dear, I should be frightened out of my wits, I should indeed.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading 'And so should I have been, two years ago,' said Poppy's mother; 'but I'm not afraid now.
next to; at the side of
From this reading 'Polly, my dear,' said grandmother, when she was sitting beside her the next day, 'aren't ye feared to die!'
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading 'And so should I have been, two years ago,' said Poppy's mother; 'but I'm not afraid now.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading 'Polly, my dear,' said grandmother, when she was sitting beside her the next day, 'aren't ye feared to die!'
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading 'Well, _I_ should be,' said grandmother, 'if I knew I was going away in a few days; why, my dear, I should be frightened out of my wits, I should indeed.
dearly loved
From this reading 'Polly, my dear,' said grandmother, when she was sitting beside her the next day, 'aren't ye feared to die!'
pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading 'Polly, my dear,' said grandmother, when she was sitting beside her the next day, 'aren't ye feared to die!'
past form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading 'Polly, my dear,' said grandmother, when she was sitting beside her the next day, 'aren't ye feared to die!'
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading 'Well, _I_ should be,' said grandmother, 'if I knew I was going away in a few days; why, my dear, I should be frightened out of my wits, I should indeed.
made afraid
From this reading 'Well, _I_ should be,' said grandmother, 'if I knew I was going away in a few days; why, my dear, I should be frightened out of my wits, I should indeed.
the act of departing
From this reading 'Well, _I_ should be,' said grandmother, 'if I knew I was going away in a few days; why, my dear, I should be frightened out of my wits, I should indeed.
grandmothernounUS /ˈɡrændmʌðər/
the mother of your father or mother
From this reading 'Polly, my dear,' said grandmother, when she was sitting beside her the next day, 'aren't ye feared to die!'
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading 'And so should I have been, two years ago,' said Poppy's mother; 'but I'm not afraid now.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading 'Polly, my dear,' said grandmother, when she was sitting beside her the next day, 'aren't ye feared to die!'
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading 'Well, _I_ should be,' said grandmother, 'if I knew I was going away in a few days; why, my dear, I should be frightened out of my wits, I should indeed.
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'No, grandmother,' said the poor woman, 'I'm not afraid.'
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading 'Well, _I_ should be,' said grandmother, 'if I knew I was going away in a few days; why, my dear, I should be frightened out of my wits, I should indeed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading 'Well, _I_ should be,' said grandmother, 'if I knew I was going away in a few days; why, my dear, I should be frightened out of my wits, I should indeed.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading 'Well, _I_ should be,' said grandmother, 'if I knew I was going away in a few days; why, my dear, I should be frightened out of my wits, I should indeed.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading 'Well, _I_ should be,' said grandmother, 'if I knew I was going away in a few days; why, my dear, I should be frightened out of my wits, I should indeed.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading 'And so should I have been, two years ago,' said Poppy's mother; 'but I'm not afraid now.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading 'Polly, my dear,' said grandmother, when she was sitting beside her the next day, 'aren't ye feared to die!'
immediately following in time or order
From this reading 'Polly, my dear,' said grandmother, when she was sitting beside her the next day, 'aren't ye feared to die!'
not any; not one
From this reading 'No, grandmother,' said the poor woman, 'I'm not afraid.'
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading 'No, grandmother,' said the poor woman, 'I'm not afraid.'
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading 'And so should I have been, two years ago,' said Poppy's mother; 'but I'm not afraid now.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE STORY OF THE RING.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading 'Well, _I_ should be,' said grandmother, 'if I knew I was going away in a few days; why, my dear, I should be frightened out of my wits, I should indeed.
Polly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'Polly, my dear,' said grandmother, when she was sitting beside her the next day, 'aren't ye feared to die!'
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading 'No, grandmother,' said the poor woman, 'I'm not afraid.'
Poppy'snounUS /ˈpɑːpiz/
possessive form of “poppy” — annual or biennial or perennial herbs having showy flowers
From this reading 'And so should I have been, two years ago,' said Poppy's mother; 'but I'm not afraid now.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading THE STORY OF THE RING.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading 'Polly, my dear,' said grandmother, when she was sitting beside her the next day, 'aren't ye feared to die!'
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading 'Polly, my dear,' said grandmother, when she was sitting beside her the next day, 'aren't ye feared to die!'
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading 'Well, _I_ should be,' said grandmother, 'if I knew I was going away in a few days; why, my dear, I should be frightened out of my wits, I should indeed.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading 'Polly, my dear,' said grandmother, when she was sitting beside her the next day, 'aren't ye feared to die!'
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading 'And so should I have been, two years ago,' said Poppy's mother; 'but I'm not afraid now.
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 THE STORY OF THE RING.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE STORY OF THE RING.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading 'Polly, my dear,' said grandmother, when she was sitting beside her the next day, 'aren't ye feared to die!'
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading 'And so should I have been, two years ago,' said Poppy's mother; 'but I'm not afraid now.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading 'Polly, my dear,' said grandmother, when she was sitting beside her the next day, 'aren't ye feared to die!'
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading 'Well, _I_ should be,' said grandmother, 'if I knew I was going away in a few days; why, my dear, I should be frightened out of my wits, I should indeed.
at the time that
From this reading 'Polly, my dear,' said grandmother, when she was sitting beside her the next day, 'aren't ye feared to die!'
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading 'Well, _I_ should be,' said grandmother, 'if I knew I was going away in a few days; why, my dear, I should be frightened out of my wits, I should indeed.
witsnounUS /wɪts/
the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception
From this reading 'Well, _I_ should be,' said grandmother, 'if I knew I was going away in a few days; why, my dear, I should be frightened out of my wits, I should indeed.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading 'No, grandmother,' said the poor woman, 'I'm not afraid.'
an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person
From this reading 'Polly, my dear,' said grandmother, when she was sitting beside her the next day, 'aren't ye feared to die!'
a late time of life
From this reading 'And so should I have been, two years ago,' said Poppy's mother; 'but I'm not afraid now.
