Chapter II

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The little varlets had a way of jeering at the simple old Doctor and his concerts, and mimicking the tones of his bass-viol.

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The little varlets had a way of jeering at the simple old Doctor and his concerts, and mimicking the tones of his bass-viol.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The little varlets had a way of jeering at the simple old Doctor and his concerts, and mimicking the tones of his bass-viol.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The little varlets had a way of jeering at the simple old Doctor and his concerts, and mimicking the tones of his bass-viol.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

wet with dew

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading Poor old Dr. Bullfrog knew nothing of this, however, and was doing his simple best, in peace, when Mother Magpie called in upon him, one morning.

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

cause to be bored

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

a youthful male person

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

largest North American frog; highly aquatic with a deep-pitched voice

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Poor old Dr. Bullfrog knew nothing of this, however, and was doing his simple best, in peace, when Mother Magpie called in upon him, one morning.

to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

a compact mass

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

plural of “concert” — a performance of music by players or singers not involving theatrical staging

From this reading The little varlets had a way of jeering at the simple old Doctor and his concerts, and mimicking the tones of his bass-viol.

corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading The little varlets had a way of jeering at the simple old Doctor and his concerts, and mimicking the tones of his bass-viol.

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading Poor old Dr. Bullfrog knew nothing of this, however, and was doing his simple best, in peace, when Mother Magpie called in upon him, one morning.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Poor old Dr. Bullfrog knew nothing of this, however, and was doing his simple best, in peace, when Mother Magpie called in upon him, one morning.

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The little varlets had a way of jeering at the simple old Doctor and his concerts, and mimicking the tones of his bass-viol.

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Poor old Dr. Bullfrog knew nothing of this, however, and was doing his simple best, in peace, when Mother Magpie called in upon him, one morning.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The little varlets had a way of jeering at the simple old Doctor and his concerts, and mimicking the tones of his bass-viol.

not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading Poor old Dr. Bullfrog knew nothing of this, however, and was doing his simple best, in peace, when Mother Magpie called in upon him, one morning.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

a feeling of righteous anger

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading This was not the worst of it.

showing your contempt by derision

From this reading The little varlets had a way of jeering at the simple old Doctor and his concerts, and mimicking the tones of his bass-viol.

plural of “jeer” — showing your contempt by derision

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

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 Poor old Dr. Bullfrog knew nothing of this, however, and was doing his simple best, in peace, when Mother Magpie called in upon him, one morning.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The little varlets had a way of jeering at the simple old Doctor and his concerts, and mimicking the tones of his bass-viol.

long-tailed black-and-white crow that utters a raucous chattering call

From this reading Poor old Dr. Bullfrog knew nothing of this, however, and was doing his simple best, in peace, when Mother Magpie called in upon him, one morning.

social deportment

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

inflected form of “mimic” — imitate (a person or manner), especially for satirical effect

From this reading The little varlets had a way of jeering at the simple old Doctor and his concerts, and mimicking the tones of his bass-viol.

belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Poor old Dr. Bullfrog knew nothing of this, however, and was doing his simple best, in peace, when Mother Magpie called in upon him, one morning.

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading Poor old Dr. Bullfrog knew nothing of this, however, and was doing his simple best, in peace, when Mother Magpie called in upon him, one morning.

an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading This was not the worst of it.

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Poor old Dr. Bullfrog knew nothing of this, however, and was doing his simple best, in peace, when Mother Magpie called in upon him, one morning.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading This was not the worst of it.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading The little varlets had a way of jeering at the simple old Doctor and his concerts, and mimicking the tones of his bass-viol.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Poor old Dr. Bullfrog knew nothing of this, however, and was doing his simple best, in peace, when Mother Magpie called in upon him, one morning.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

a local church community

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

the state prevailing during the absence of war

From this reading Poor old Dr. Bullfrog knew nothing of this, however, and was doing his simple best, in peace, when Mother Magpie called in upon him, one morning.

an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

plural of “savage” — a member of an uncivilized people

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice (usually denoting characteristic manner of speaking)

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading The little varlets had a way of jeering at the simple old Doctor and his concerts, and mimicking the tones of his bass-viol.

an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

plural of “squirrel” — a kind of arboreal rodent having a long bushy tail

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

express in words

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading This was not the worst of it.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

in or at that place or location

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This was not the worst of it.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice

From this reading The little varlets had a way of jeering at the simple old Doctor and his concerts, and mimicking the tones of his bass-viol.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Poor old Dr. Bullfrog knew nothing of this, however, and was doing his simple best, in peace, when Mother Magpie called in upon him, one morning.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The little varlets had a way of jeering at the simple old Doctor and his concerts, and mimicking the tones of his bass-viol.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading This was not the worst of it.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading The little varlets had a way of jeering at the simple old Doctor and his concerts, and mimicking the tones of his bass-viol.

at the time that

From this reading Poor old Dr. Bullfrog knew nothing of this, however, and was doing his simple best, in peace, when Mother Magpie called in upon him, one morning.

during the time that

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.

in the company of; together with

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

the least favorable outcome

From this reading This was not the worst of it.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “There you go, Paddy-go-donk, Paddy-go-donk—umph—chunk,” some rascal of a boy would shout, while poor old Bullfrog’s yellow spectacles would be bedewed with tears of honest indignation.

used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father

From this reading In time, the jeers of these little savages began to tell on the society in the forest, and to corrupt their simple manners; and it was whispered among the younger and more heavy birds and squirrels, that old Bullfrog was a bore, and that it was time to get up a new style of music in the parish, and to give the charge of it to some more modern performer.