used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Now my secret is out, and you know what we have to do.--Well, Manning, what is it?"
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "But these sweet-smelling flowers, something like small lilac, are not the blossoms of the trees, are they?" said Perry.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
bitsnounUS /bɪts/
plural of “bit” — a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
blossomsnounUS /ˈblɑːsəmz/
plural of “blossom” — reproductive organ of angiosperm plants especially one having showy or colorful parts
From this reading "But these sweet-smelling flowers, something like small lilac, are not the blossoms of the trees, are they?" said Perry.
bonenounUS /boʊn/
rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But these sweet-smelling flowers, something like small lilac, are not the blossoms of the trees, are they?" said Perry.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading "Yes, those are they," said the colonel.
the activity of selecting the scenes to be shown and putting them together to create a film
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Now my secret is out, and you know what we have to do.--Well, Manning, what is it?"
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading "But these sweet-smelling flowers, something like small lilac, are not the blossoms of the trees, are they?" said Perry.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Now my secret is out, and you know what we have to do.--Well, Manning, what is it?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Now my secret is out, and you know what we have to do.--Well, Manning, what is it?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Now my secret is out, and you know what we have to do.--Well, Manning, what is it?"
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "Now my secret is out, and you know what we have to do.--Well, Manning, what is it?"
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "But these sweet-smelling flowers, something like small lilac, are not the blossoms of the trees, are they?" said Perry.
lilacnounUS /ˈlaɪlæk/
any of various plants of the genus Syringa having large panicles of usually fragrant flowers
From this reading "But these sweet-smelling flowers, something like small lilac, are not the blossoms of the trees, are they?" said Perry.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
ManningverbUS /ˈmænɪŋ/
inflected form of “man” — take charge of a certain job; occupy a certain work place
From this reading "Now my secret is out, and you know what we have to do.--Well, Manning, what is it?"
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Now my secret is out, and you know what we have to do.--Well, Manning, what is it?"
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "But these sweet-smelling flowers, something like small lilac, are not the blossoms of the trees, are they?" said Perry.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Now my secret is out, and you know what we have to do.--Well, Manning, what is it?"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "But these sweet-smelling flowers, something like small lilac, are not the blossoms of the trees, are they?" said Perry.
many times at short intervals
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Now my secret is out, and you know what we have to do.--Well, Manning, what is it?"
PerrynounUS /ˈperi/
United States philosopher (1876-1957)
From this reading "But these sweet-smelling flowers, something like small lilac, are not the blossoms of the trees, are they?" said Perry.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
rootsnounUS /ruːts/
the condition of belonging to a particular place or group by virtue of social or ethnic or cultural lineage
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "But these sweet-smelling flowers, something like small lilac, are not the blossoms of the trees, are they?" said Perry.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading "Now my secret is out, and you know what we have to do.--Well, Manning, what is it?"
shrubsnounUS /ʃrʌbz/
plural of “shrub” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
term of address for a man
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "But these sweet-smelling flowers, something like small lilac, are not the blossoms of the trees, are they?" said Perry.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading "But these sweet-smelling flowers, something like small lilac, are not the blossoms of the trees, are they?" said Perry.
sweet-smellingadjective
having a natural fragrance
From this reading "But these sweet-smelling flowers, something like small lilac, are not the blossoms of the trees, are they?" said Perry.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "But these sweet-smelling flowers, something like small lilac, are not the blossoms of the trees, are they?" said Perry.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading "But these sweet-smelling flowers, something like small lilac, are not the blossoms of the trees, are they?" said Perry.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "But these sweet-smelling flowers, something like small lilac, are not the blossoms of the trees, are they?" said Perry.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading "Yes, those are they," said the colonel.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Now my secret is out, and you know what we have to do.--Well, Manning, what is it?"
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading "But these sweet-smelling flowers, something like small lilac, are not the blossoms of the trees, are they?" said Perry.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "Now my secret is out, and you know what we have to do.--Well, Manning, what is it?"
(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 "Now my secret is out, and you know what we have to do.--Well, Manning, what is it?"
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Now my secret is out, and you know what we have to do.--Well, Manning, what is it?"
at the time that
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "My old father had a garden, sir, and he used to grow little shrubs by cutting up roots in little bits, which were often dry as a bone when he put them in, but they used to grow."
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes, those are they," said the colonel.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Now my secret is out, and you know what we have to do.--Well, Manning, what is it?"
