used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In fact she was looking as ugly and disagreeable a cat as you can imagine.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In fact she was looking as ugly and disagreeable a cat as you can imagine.
any thing at all
From this reading THE RETURN VISIT When Tompkins got back, however, Salome was looking anything but beautiful.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading In fact she was looking as ugly and disagreeable a cat as you can imagine.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading This time she was worse than usual, for her long fur had got tangled, and as the comb pulled, she turned round and spat at it.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading THE RETURN VISIT When Tompkins got back, however, Salome was looking anything but beautiful.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
to a severe or serious degree
From this reading You see, she wanted brushing very badly and she simply hated it.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading THE RETURN VISIT When Tompkins got back, however, Salome was looking anything but beautiful.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
brushverbUS /brʌʃ/
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
brushingnounUS /ˈbrʌʃɪŋ/
the act of brushing your teeth
From this reading You see, she wanted brushing very badly and she simply hated it.
bunchnounUS /bʌntʃ/
a grouping of a number of similar things
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading THE RETURN VISIT When Tompkins got back, however, Salome was looking anything but beautiful.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading In fact she was looking as ugly and disagreeable a cat as you can imagine.
feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats
From this reading In fact she was looking as ugly and disagreeable a cat as you can imagine.
combverbUS /koʊm/
straighten with a comb
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
disagreeableadjectiveUS /ˌdɪsəˈɡriːəbəl/
not to your liking
From this reading In fact she was looking as ugly and disagreeable a cat as you can imagine.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading In fact she was looking as ugly and disagreeable a cat as you can imagine.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading This time she was worse than usual, for her long fur had got tangled, and as the comb pulled, she turned round and spat at it.
the dressed hairy coat of a mammal
From this reading This time she was worse than usual, for her long fur had got tangled, and as the comb pulled, she turned round and spat at it.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading THE RETURN VISIT When Tompkins got back, however, Salome was looking anything but beautiful.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading This time she was worse than usual, for her long fur had got tangled, and as the comb pulled, she turned round and spat at it.
hatedadjectiveUS /ˈheɪtəd/
treated with dislike or contempt
From this reading You see, she wanted brushing very badly and she simply hated it.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading THE RETURN VISIT When Tompkins got back, however, Salome was looking anything but beautiful.
humpverbUS /hʌmp/
round one's back by bending forward and drawing the shoulders forward
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading In fact she was looking as ugly and disagreeable a cat as you can imagine.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In fact she was looking as ugly and disagreeable a cat as you can imagine.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading You see, she wanted brushing very badly and she simply hated it.
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 This time she was worse than usual, for her long fur had got tangled, and as the comb pulled, she turned round and spat at it.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading THE RETURN VISIT When Tompkins got back, however, Salome was looking anything but beautiful.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading This time she was worse than usual, for her long fur had got tangled, and as the comb pulled, she turned round and spat at it.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading THE RETURN VISIT When Tompkins got back, however, Salome was looking anything but beautiful.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading This time she was worse than usual, for her long fur had got tangled, and as the comb pulled, she turned round and spat at it.
SalomenounUS /səˈloʊmi/
woman whose dancing beguiled Herod into giving her the head of John the Baptist
From this reading THE RETURN VISIT When Tompkins got back, however, Salome was looking anything but beautiful.
cut with a saw
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading You see, she wanted brushing very badly and she simply hated it.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In fact she was looking as ugly and disagreeable a cat as you can imagine.
and nothing more
From this reading You see, she wanted brushing very badly and she simply hated it.
in the near future
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
spatverbUS /spæt/
come down like raindrops
From this reading This time she was worse than usual, for her long fur had got tangled, and as the comb pulled, she turned round and spat at it.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
tangledadjectiveUS /ˈtæŋɡəld/
in a confused mass
From this reading This time she was worse than usual, for her long fur had got tangled, and as the comb pulled, she turned round and spat at it.
a sudden outburst of anger
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading This time she was worse than usual, for her long fur had got tangled, and as the comb pulled, she turned round and spat at it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE RETURN VISIT When Tompkins got back, however, Salome was looking anything but beautiful.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This time she was worse than usual, for her long fur had got tangled, and as the comb pulled, she turned round and spat at it.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading This time she was worse than usual, for her long fur had got tangled, and as the comb pulled, she turned round and spat at it.
Tompkins
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE RETURN VISIT When Tompkins got back, however, Salome was looking anything but beautiful.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading This time she was worse than usual, for her long fur had got tangled, and as the comb pulled, she turned round and spat at it.
displeasing to the senses
From this reading In fact she was looking as ugly and disagreeable a cat as you can imagine.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading This time she was worse than usual, for her long fur had got tangled, and as the comb pulled, she turned round and spat at it.
precisely as stated
From this reading You see, she wanted brushing very badly and she simply hated it.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading THE RETURN VISIT When Tompkins got back, however, Salome was looking anything but beautiful.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading You see, she wanted brushing very badly and she simply hated it.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE RETURN VISIT When Tompkins got back, however, Salome was looking anything but beautiful.
at the time that
From this reading THE RETURN VISIT When Tompkins got back, however, Salome was looking anything but beautiful.
in the company of; together with
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading This time she was worse than usual, for her long fur had got tangled, and as the comb pulled, she turned round and spat at it.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading As soon as she saw her own special brush and comb being brought out, she would hump herself up with her ears back, and look a perfect bunch of bad temper.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading In fact she was looking as ugly and disagreeable a cat as you can imagine.
