Chapter XVIII · Wherein King Alfred Becomes a Shepherd

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

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

(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 “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

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

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

an old form of “are”, used with “thou”

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading “For she’s as good a toothless dame As mumbleth on brown bread; Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets, Upon a fresh straw bed.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

a grain of barley

From this reading “Of whig and whey we have good store, And keep good pease-straw fire; And now and then good barley cakes, As better days require.

in a despicable, ignoble manner

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

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

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading “For she’s as good a toothless dame As mumbleth on brown bread; Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets, Upon a fresh straw bed.

a pauper who lives by begging

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

(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 “Of whig and whey we have good store, And keep good pease-straw fire; And now and then good barley cakes, As better days require.

brought into existence

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

comparative of “brave” — possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching

From this reading “But for my master, which is Chief And Lord of Newton-Court, He keeps, I say, his shepherd swains In far more braver sort;

food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked

From this reading “For she’s as good a toothless dame As mumbleth on brown bread; Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets, Upon a fresh straw bed.

an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading “For she’s as good a toothless dame As mumbleth on brown bread; Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets, Upon a fresh straw bed.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

plural of “cake” — a block of solid substance (such as soap or wax)

From this reading “Of whig and whey we have good store, And keep good pease-straw fire; And now and then good barley cakes, As better days require.

a person who is in charge

From this reading “But for my master, which is Chief And Lord of Newton-Court, He keeps, I say, his shepherd swains In far more braver sort;

informal terms for a (young) woman

From this reading “For she’s as good a toothless dame As mumbleth on brown bread; Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets, Upon a fresh straw bed.

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading “Of whig and whey we have good store, And keep good pease-straw fire; And now and then good barley cakes, As better days require.

(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading “But for my master, which is Chief And Lord of Newton-Court, He keeps, I say, his shepherd swains In far more braver sort;

start firing a weapon

From this reading “Of whig and whey we have good store, And keep good pease-straw fire; And now and then good barley cakes, As better days require.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “For she’s as good a toothless dame As mumbleth on brown bread; Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets, Upon a fresh straw bed.

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading “For she’s as good a toothless dame As mumbleth on brown bread; Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets, Upon a fresh straw bed.

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

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

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

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

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

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading “For she’s as good a toothless dame As mumbleth on brown bread; Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets, Upon a fresh straw bed.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “Of whig and whey we have good store, And keep good pease-straw fire; And now and then good barley cakes, As better days require.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “But for my master, which is Chief And Lord of Newton-Court, He keeps, I say, his shepherd swains In far more braver sort;

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

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

From this reading “But for my master, which is Chief And Lord of Newton-Court, He keeps, I say, his shepherd swains In far more braver sort;

where you live at a particular time

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

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

From this reading “For she’s as good a toothless dame As mumbleth on brown bread; Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets, Upon a fresh straw bed.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

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

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

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

From this reading “But for my master, which is Chief And Lord of Newton-Court, He keeps, I say, his shepherd swains In far more braver sort;

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading “Of whig and whey we have good store, And keep good pease-straw fire; And now and then good barley cakes, As better days require.

plural of “keep” — the financial means whereby one lives

From this reading “But for my master, which is Chief And Lord of Newton-Court, He keeps, I say, his shepherd swains In far more braver sort;

be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position

From this reading “For she’s as good a toothless dame As mumbleth on brown bread; Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets, Upon a fresh straw bed.

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading “But for my master, which is Chief And Lord of Newton-Court, He keeps, I say, his shepherd swains In far more braver sort;

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading “But for my master, which is Chief And Lord of Newton-Court, He keeps, I say, his shepherd swains In far more braver sort;

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

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

From this reading “But for my master, which is Chief And Lord of Newton-Court, He keeps, I say, his shepherd swains In far more braver sort;

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

From this reading “For she’s as good a toothless dame As mumbleth on brown bread; Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets, Upon a fresh straw bed.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

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

From this reading “But for my master, which is Chief And Lord of Newton-Court, He keeps, I say, his shepherd swains In far more braver sort;

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading “Of whig and whey we have good store, And keep good pease-straw fire; And now and then good barley cakes, As better days require.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “Of whig and whey we have good store, And keep good pease-straw fire; And now and then good barley cakes, As better days require.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading “For she’s as good a toothless dame As mumbleth on brown bread; Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets, Upon a fresh straw bed.

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

From this reading “Of whig and whey we have good store, And keep good pease-straw fire; And now and then good barley cakes, As better days require.

plural of “rag” — a small piece of cloth or paper

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

on the contrary

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

require as useful, just, or proper

From this reading “Of whig and whey we have good store, And keep good pease-straw fire; And now and then good barley cakes, As better days require.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

express in words

From this reading “But for my master, which is Chief And Lord of Newton-Court, He keeps, I say, his shepherd swains In far more braver sort;

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

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

an old form of “shall”, used with “thou”

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

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

From this reading “For she’s as good a toothless dame As mumbleth on brown bread; Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets, Upon a fresh straw bed.

plural of “sheet” — any broad thin expanse or surface

From this reading “For she’s as good a toothless dame As mumbleth on brown bread; Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets, Upon a fresh straw bed.

a clergyman who watches over a group of people

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

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

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading “But for my master, which is Chief And Lord of Newton-Court, He keeps, I say, his shepherd swains In far more braver sort;

a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services

From this reading “Of whig and whey we have good store, And keep good pease-straw fire; And now and then good barley cakes, As better days require.

plant fiber used e.g. for making baskets and hats or as fodder

From this reading “For she’s as good a toothless dame As mumbleth on brown bread; Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets, Upon a fresh straw bed.

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

From this reading “But for my master, which is Chief And Lord of Newton-Court, He keeps, I say, his shepherd swains In far more braver sort;

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

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

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading “Of whig and whey we have good store, And keep good pease-straw fire; And now and then good barley cakes, As better days require.

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

an old word for “your”, speaking to one person

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

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

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

lacking teeth

From this reading “For she’s as good a toothless dame As mumbleth on brown bread; Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets, Upon a fresh straw bed.

having edges that are jagged from injury

From this reading “The Devil thou art!” the Shepherd said, “Thou go’st in rags all torn; Thou rather seem’st, I think, to be Some beggar basely born.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “For she’s as good a toothless dame As mumbleth on brown bread; Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets, Upon a fresh straw bed.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “Of whig and whey we have good store, And keep good pease-straw fire; And now and then good barley cakes, As better days require.

in or at the place that

From this reading “For she’s as good a toothless dame As mumbleth on brown bread; Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets, Upon a fresh straw bed.

the serum or watery part of milk that is separated from the curd in making cheese

From this reading “Of whig and whey we have good store, And keep good pease-straw fire; And now and then good barley cakes, As better days require.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading “But for my master, which is Chief And Lord of Newton-Court, He keeps, I say, his shepherd swains In far more braver sort;

a member of the political party that urged social reform in 18th and 19th century England; was the opposition party to the Tories

From this reading “Of whig and whey we have good store, And keep good pease-straw fire; And now and then good barley cakes, As better days require.

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

an old form of “will”, used with “thou”

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me:

in the company of; together with

From this reading “But if thou wilt mend thy estate, And here a shepherd be; At night, to Gillian, my sweet wife, Thou shalt go home with me: