used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading PRUDY IN A NEW LIGHT.
(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 It was all very well for a lady boarder to loll on an ottoman, play with her rings, and find fault.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was all very well for a lady boarder to loll on an ottoman, play with her rings, and find fault.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mother Hubbard was heated, and tired, and hungry, and cross.
boardernounUS /ˈbɔːrdər/
a tenant in someone's house
From this reading It was all very well for a lady boarder to loll on an ottoman, play with her rings, and find fault.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was all very well for a gentleman boarder to fire poor jokes; but they couldn't either of them know how every word cut like a lash.
carelesslyadverbUS /ˈkerləsli/
without care or concern
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
cooksnounUS /kʊks/
plural of “cook” — someone who cooks food
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
couldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was all very well for a gentleman boarder to fire poor jokes; but they couldn't either of them know how every word cut like a lash.
travel across or pass over
From this reading Mother Hubbard was heated, and tired, and hungry, and cross.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading It was all very well for a gentleman boarder to fire poor jokes; but they couldn't either of them know how every word cut like a lash.
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
the act of consuming food
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
one or the other of two
From this reading It was all very well for a gentleman boarder to fire poor jokes; but they couldn't either of them know how every word cut like a lash.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading It was all very well for a gentleman boarder to fire poor jokes; but they couldn't either of them know how every word cut like a lash.
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading It was all very well for a lady boarder to loll on an ottoman, play with her rings, and find fault.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading It was all very well for a lady boarder to loll on an ottoman, play with her rings, and find fault.
start firing a weapon
From this reading It was all very well for a gentleman boarder to fire poor jokes; but they couldn't either of them know how every word cut like a lash.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was all very well for a lady boarder to loll on an ottoman, play with her rings, and find fault.
a man of refinement
From this reading It was all very well for a gentleman boarder to fire poor jokes; but they couldn't either of them know how every word cut like a lash.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
heatedadjectiveUS /ˈhiːtəd/
made warm or hot (“het” is a dialectal variant of “heated”)
From this reading Mother Hubbard was heated, and tired, and hungry, and cross.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It was all very well for a lady boarder to loll on an ottoman, play with her rings, and find fault.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was all very well for a gentleman boarder to fire poor jokes; but they couldn't either of them know how every word cut like a lash.
HubbardnounUS /ˈhʌbərd/
a United States writer of science fiction and founder of Scientology (1911-1986)
From this reading Mother Hubbard was heated, and tired, and hungry, and cross.
feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food
From this reading Mother Hubbard was heated, and tired, and hungry, and cross.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading PRUDY IN A NEW LIGHT.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was all very well for a lady boarder to loll on an ottoman, play with her rings, and find fault.
jokesnounUS /dʒoʊks/
plural of “joke” — a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading It was all very well for a gentleman boarder to fire poor jokes; but they couldn't either of them know how every word cut like a lash.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading It was all very well for a gentleman boarder to fire poor jokes; but they couldn't either of them know how every word cut like a lash.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading It was all very well for a lady boarder to loll on an ottoman, play with her rings, and find fault.
lashverbUS /læʃ/
beat severely with a whip or rod
From this reading It was all very well for a gentleman boarder to fire poor jokes; but they couldn't either of them know how every word cut like a lash.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading PRUDY IN A NEW LIGHT.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It was all very well for a gentleman boarder to fire poor jokes; but they couldn't either of them know how every word cut like a lash.
lollverbUS /lɑːl/
hang loosely or laxly
From this reading It was all very well for a lady boarder to loll on an ottoman, play with her rings, and find fault.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Mother Hubbard was heated, and tired, and hungry, and cross.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading PRUDY IN A NEW LIGHT.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was all very well for a gentleman boarder to fire poor jokes; but they couldn't either of them know how every word cut like a lash.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It was all very well for a lady boarder to loll on an ottoman, play with her rings, and find fault.
ottomannounUS /ˈɑːtəmən/
a Turk (especially a Turk who is a member of the tribe of Osman I)
From this reading It was all very well for a lady boarder to loll on an ottoman, play with her rings, and find fault.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
pinverbUS /pɪn/
to hold fast or prevent from moving
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
participate in games or sport
From this reading It was all very well for a lady boarder to loll on an ottoman, play with her rings, and find fault.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading It was all very well for a gentleman boarder to fire poor jokes; but they couldn't either of them know how every word cut like a lash.
any factual evidence that helps to establish the truth of something
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
PRUDY
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PRUDY IN A NEW LIGHT.
pudding's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
ringsnounUS /rɪŋz/
gymnastic apparatus consisting of a pair of heavy metal circles (usually covered with leather) suspended by ropes; used for gymnastic exercises
From this reading It was all very well for a lady boarder to loll on an ottoman, play with her rings, and find fault.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It was all very well for a gentleman boarder to fire poor jokes; but they couldn't either of them know how every word cut like a lash.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was all very well for a gentleman boarder to fire poor jokes; but they couldn't either of them know how every word cut like a lash.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading Mother Hubbard was heated, and tired, and hungry, and cross.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was all very well for a lady boarder to loll on an ottoman, play with her rings, and find fault.
precisely as stated
From this reading It was all very well for a lady boarder to loll on an ottoman, play with her rings, and find fault.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mother Hubbard was heated, and tired, and hungry, and cross.
(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 It was all very well for a lady boarder to loll on an ottoman, play with her rings, and find fault.
at the time that
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading When the doctor said, carelessly, "Some people think themselves great cooks, my lady; but the proof of the pudding's in the eating," why, that speech was "the pin in the end of the lash."
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was all very well for a lady boarder to loll on an ottoman, play with her rings, and find fault.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading It was all very well for a gentleman boarder to fire poor jokes; but they couldn't either of them know how every word cut like a lash.
