used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading She was a very sedate and serious animal; she might almost have been an old lady dog.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She was a very sedate and serious animal; she might almost have been an old lady dog.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading She was a very sedate and serious animal; she might almost have been an old lady dog.
Ann
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The fact was Ruth was making up poetry herself, and when we are thinking hard of any subject we are inclined to imagine other people are, too.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The fact was Ruth was making up poetry herself, and when we are thinking hard of any subject we are inclined to imagine other people are, too.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading She was a very sedate and serious animal; she might almost have been an old lady dog.
birthdaynounUS /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/
an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading You would have thought by the look of her she was wrapped in deep thought and that if only she could have spoken it would have been about very clever things.
showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others
From this reading You would have thought by the look of her she was wrapped in deep thought and that if only she could have spoken it would have been about very clever things.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading You would have thought by the look of her she was wrapped in deep thought and that if only she could have spoken it would have been about very clever things.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading You would have thought by the look of her she was wrapped in deep thought and that if only she could have spoken it would have been about very clever things.
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
to or in any or all places
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading The fact was Ruth was making up poetry herself, and when we are thinking hard of any subject we are inclined to imagine other people are, too.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
having or displaying warmth or affection
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading The fact was Ruth was making up poetry herself, and when we are thinking hard of any subject we are inclined to imagine other people are, too.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading She was a very sedate and serious animal; she might almost have been an old lady dog.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading You would have thought by the look of her she was wrapped in deep thought and that if only she could have spoken it would have been about very clever things.
form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading The fact was Ruth was making up poetry herself, and when we are thinking hard of any subject we are inclined to imagine other people are, too.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading You would have thought by the look of her she was wrapped in deep thought and that if only she could have spoken it would have been about very clever things.
(often followed by “to”) having a preference, disposition, or tendency
From this reading The fact was Ruth was making up poetry herself, and when we are thinking hard of any subject we are inclined to imagine other people are, too.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading You would have thought by the look of her she was wrapped in deep thought and that if only she could have spoken it would have been about very clever things.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading She was a very sedate and serious animal; she might almost have been an old lady dog.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading You would have thought by the look of her she was wrapped in deep thought and that if only she could have spoken it would have been about very clever things.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading Ruth would have it she was making up poetry.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading She was a very sedate and serious animal; she might almost have been an old lady dog.
not any; not one
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading She was a very sedate and serious animal; she might almost have been an old lady dog.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
and nothing more
From this reading You would have thought by the look of her she was wrapped in deep thought and that if only she could have spoken it would have been about very clever things.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The fact was Ruth was making up poetry herself, and when we are thinking hard of any subject we are inclined to imagine other people are, too.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading The fact was Ruth was making up poetry herself, and when we are thinking hard of any subject we are inclined to imagine other people are, too.
a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
literature in metrical form
From this reading Ruth would have it she was making up poetry.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
sedateadjectiveUS /sɪˈdeɪt/
characterized by dignity and propriety
From this reading She was a very sedate and serious animal; she might almost have been an old lady dog.
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading She was a very sedate and serious animal; she might almost have been an old lady dog.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading You would have thought by the look of her she was wrapped in deep thought and that if only she could have spoken it would have been about very clever things.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading The fact was Ruth was making up poetry herself, and when we are thinking hard of any subject we are inclined to imagine other people are, too.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading You would have thought by the look of her she was wrapped in deep thought and that if only she could have spoken it would have been about very clever things.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading The fact was Ruth was making up poetry herself, and when we are thinking hard of any subject we are inclined to imagine other people are, too.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading You would have thought by the look of her she was wrapped in deep thought and that if only she could have spoken it would have been about very clever things.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading The fact was Ruth was making up poetry herself, and when we are thinking hard of any subject we are inclined to imagine other people are, too.
truthfuladjectiveUS /ˈtruːθfəl/
expressing or given to expressing the truth
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
precisely as stated
From this reading She was a very sedate and serious animal; she might almost have been an old lady dog.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading The fact was Ruth was making up poetry herself, and when we are thinking hard of any subject we are inclined to imagine other people are, too.
at the time that
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading THE POET DOG When Ann grew up she was given to Ruth as a birthday present; or to be quite truthful, she gave herself, for she was so fond of Ruth that she followed her about everywhere, and would stay with no one else.
covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak
From this reading You would have thought by the look of her she was wrapped in deep thought and that if only she could have spoken it would have been about very clever things.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You would have thought by the look of her she was wrapped in deep thought and that if only she could have spoken it would have been about very clever things.
