used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
(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 Life's but a half holiday, lent us to stare; We wander and wonder in vanity's fair, All, baby-like, bawling for each bawble there:
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We take, or are in all our turns, taken in; The world to be sure--'tis a shame and a sin,-- Might soon be much better--but who will begin?”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
baby-likeadverb
like a baby
From this reading Life's but a half holiday, lent us to stare; We wander and wonder in vanity's fair, All, baby-like, bawling for each bawble there:
bawble
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Life's but a half holiday, lent us to stare; We wander and wonder in vanity's fair, All, baby-like, bawling for each bawble there:
bawlingnoun
loud cries made while weeping
From this reading Life's but a half holiday, lent us to stare; We wander and wonder in vanity's fair, All, baby-like, bawling for each bawble there:
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading We take, or are in all our turns, taken in; The world to be sure--'tis a shame and a sin,-- Might soon be much better--but who will begin?”
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading We take, or are in all our turns, taken in; The world to be sure--'tis a shame and a sin,-- Might soon be much better--but who will begin?”
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading We take, or are in all our turns, taken in; The world to be sure--'tis a shame and a sin,-- Might soon be much better--but who will begin?”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading We, children like, covet the glitter of gay things, Make racket for ribbands, and such sort of play-things, Which we cannot have tho'--without we can say things.
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We, children like, covet the glitter of gay things, Make racket for ribbands, and such sort of play-things, Which we cannot have tho'--without we can say things.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading We, children like, covet the glitter of gay things, Make racket for ribbands, and such sort of play-things, Which we cannot have tho'--without we can say things.
covetverbUS /ˈkʌvət/
wish, long, or crave for (something, especially the property of another person)
From this reading We, children like, covet the glitter of gay things, Make racket for ribbands, and such sort of play-things, Which we cannot have tho'--without we can say things.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Life's but a half holiday, lent us to stare; We wander and wonder in vanity's fair, All, baby-like, bawling for each bawble there:
encorenounUS /ˈɑːnkɔːr/
an extra or repeated performance; usually given in response to audience demand
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading Life's but a half holiday, lent us to stare; We wander and wonder in vanity's fair, All, baby-like, bawling for each bawble there:
to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
fool'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Life's but a half holiday, lent us to stare; We wander and wonder in vanity's fair, All, baby-like, bawling for each bawble there:
forefathersnounUS /ˈfɔːrfɑːðərz/
plural of “forefather” — the founder of a family
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading We, children like, covet the glitter of gay things, Make racket for ribbands, and such sort of play-things, Which we cannot have tho'--without we can say things.
glitternounUS /ˈɡlɪtər/
the quality of shining with a bright reflected light
From this reading We, children like, covet the glitter of gay things, Make racket for ribbands, and such sort of play-things, Which we cannot have tho'--without we can say things.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Life's but a half holiday, lent us to stare; We wander and wonder in vanity's fair, All, baby-like, bawling for each bawble there:
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading We, children like, covet the glitter of gay things, Make racket for ribbands, and such sort of play-things, Which we cannot have tho'--without we can say things.
holidaynounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪ/
leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading Life's but a half holiday, lent us to stare; We wander and wonder in vanity's fair, All, baby-like, bawling for each bawble there:
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
lentnounUS /lent/
a period of 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday
From this reading Life's but a half holiday, lent us to stare; We wander and wonder in vanity's fair, All, baby-like, bawling for each bawble there:
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
Life'snounUS /laɪfs/
possessive form of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading We, children like, covet the glitter of gay things, Make racket for ribbands, and such sort of play-things, Which we cannot have tho'--without we can say things.
engage in
From this reading We, children like, covet the glitter of gay things, Make racket for ribbands, and such sort of play-things, Which we cannot have tho'--without we can say things.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading We take, or are in all our turns, taken in; The world to be sure--'tis a shame and a sin,-- Might soon be much better--but who will begin?”
to a great degree or extent
From this reading We take, or are in all our turns, taken in; The world to be sure--'tis a shame and a sin,-- Might soon be much better--but who will begin?”
not one thing; not anything
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
o'eradverb
throughout a period of time
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We, children like, covet the glitter of gay things, Make racket for ribbands, and such sort of play-things, Which we cannot have tho'--without we can say things.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading We take, or are in all our turns, taken in; The world to be sure--'tis a shame and a sin,-- Might soon be much better--but who will begin?”
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
play-things
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We, children like, covet the glitter of gay things, Make racket for ribbands, and such sort of play-things, Which we cannot have tho'--without we can say things.
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
practiseverbUS /ˈpræktɪs/
engage in a rehearsal
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
racketnounUS /ˈrækɪt/
a loud and disturbing noise
From this reading We, children like, covet the glitter of gay things, Make racket for ribbands, and such sort of play-things, Which we cannot have tho'--without we can say things.
ribbands
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We, children like, covet the glitter of gay things, Make racket for ribbands, and such sort of play-things, Which we cannot have tho'--without we can say things.
a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
Identical; not different.
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
express in words
From this reading We, children like, covet the glitter of gay things, Make racket for ribbands, and such sort of play-things, Which we cannot have tho'--without we can say things.
an educational institution
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt
From this reading We take, or are in all our turns, taken in; The world to be sure--'tis a shame and a sin,-- Might soon be much better--but who will begin?”
estrangement from god
From this reading We take, or are in all our turns, taken in; The world to be sure--'tis a shame and a sin,-- Might soon be much better--but who will begin?”
SinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
plural of “son” — a male human offspring
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
in the near future
From this reading We take, or are in all our turns, taken in; The world to be sure--'tis a shame and a sin,-- Might soon be much better--but who will begin?”
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading We, children like, covet the glitter of gay things, Make racket for ribbands, and such sort of play-things, Which we cannot have tho'--without we can say things.
stareverbUS /ster/
look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Life's but a half holiday, lent us to stare; We wander and wonder in vanity's fair, All, baby-like, bawling for each bawble there:
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading We, children like, covet the glitter of gay things, Make racket for ribbands, and such sort of play-things, Which we cannot have tho'--without we can say things.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading We take, or are in all our turns, taken in; The world to be sure--'tis a shame and a sin,-- Might soon be much better--but who will begin?”
carry out
From this reading We take, or are in all our turns, taken in; The world to be sure--'tis a shame and a sin,-- Might soon be much better--but who will begin?”
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading We take, or are in all our turns, taken in; The world to be sure--'tis a shame and a sin,-- Might soon be much better--but who will begin?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Life's but a half holiday, lent us to stare; We wander and wonder in vanity's fair, All, baby-like, bawling for each bawble there:
There's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
thonounUS /ðoʊ/
a branch of the Tai languages
From this reading We, children like, covet the glitter of gay things, Make racket for ribbands, and such sort of play-things, Which we cannot have tho'--without we can say things.
plural of “ti” — a light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong lightweight alloys (as for airplane parts); the main sources are rutile and ilmenite
From this reading We take, or are in all our turns, taken in; The world to be sure--'tis a shame and a sin,-- Might soon be much better--but who will begin?”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Life's but a half holiday, lent us to stare; We wander and wonder in vanity's fair, All, baby-like, bawling for each bawble there:
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
plural of “turn” — a circular segment of a curve
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
vanity's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Life's but a half holiday, lent us to stare; We wander and wonder in vanity's fair, All, baby-like, bawling for each bawble there:
wanderverbUS /ˈwɑːndər/
move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading Life's but a half holiday, lent us to stare; We wander and wonder in vanity's fair, All, baby-like, bawling for each bawble there:
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
(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 “Since Life's but a jest, let us follow the rule, There's nothing so pleasant as playing the fool, In town we may practise, as well as at school.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
which person or people
From this reading We take, or are in all our turns, taken in; The world to be sure--'tis a shame and a sin,-- Might soon be much better--but who will begin?”
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading We, children like, covet the glitter of gay things, Make racket for ribbands, and such sort of play-things, Which we cannot have tho'--without we can say things.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading Life's but a half holiday, lent us to stare; We wander and wonder in vanity's fair, All, baby-like, bawling for each bawble there:
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading The world turns about the same things o'er and o'er; We fool it--our forefathers fool'd it before; They did what we do, which our sons will encore.
