used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
aghastadjectiveUS /əˈɡæst/
struck with fear, dread, or consternation
From this reading Then up got Alfred, with his horn, And blew so long a blast, That it made Gillian and her groom, In bed, full sore aghast.
AlfrednounUS /ˈælfrəd/
king of Wessex; defeated the Vikings and encouraged writing in English (849-899)
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The cackling hens and geese kept roost, And perched at his side; Where, at the last, the watchful cock Made known the morning tide.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
blastverbUS /blæst/
make a strident sound
From this reading Then up got Alfred, with his horn, And blew so long a blast, That it made Gillian and her groom, In bed, full sore aghast.
inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard
From this reading Then up got Alfred, with his horn, And blew so long a blast, That it made Gillian and her groom, In bed, full sore aghast.
breaksnounUS /breɪks/
plural of “break” — some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
of short duration or distance
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
cacklingverbUS /ˈkækəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “cackle” — talk or utter in a cackling manner
From this reading The cackling hens and geese kept roost, And perched at his side; Where, at the last, the watchful cock Made known the morning tide.
cockverbUS /kɑːk/
tilt or slant to one side
From this reading The cackling hens and geese kept roost, And perched at his side; Where, at the last, the watchful cock Made known the morning tide.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
fellsnounUS /felz/
plural of “fell” — the dressed skin of an animal (especially a large animal)
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading Then up got Alfred, with his horn, And blew so long a blast, That it made Gillian and her groom, In bed, full sore aghast.
geesenounUS /ɡiːs/
plural of “goose” — web-footed long-necked typically gregarious migratory aquatic birds usually larger and less aquatic than ducks
From this reading The cackling hens and geese kept roost, And perched at his side; Where, at the last, the watchful cock Made known the morning tide.
Gillian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then up got Alfred, with his horn, And blew so long a blast, That it made Gillian and her groom, In bed, full sore aghast.
destroyed or killed
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Then up got Alfred, with his horn, And blew so long a blast, That it made Gillian and her groom, In bed, full sore aghast.
groomverbUS /ɡruːm/
educate for a future role or function
From this reading Then up got Alfred, with his horn, And blew so long a blast, That it made Gillian and her groom, In bed, full sore aghast.
guisenounUS /ɡaɪz/
an artful or simulated semblance
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
hangedverbUS /hæŋd/
past form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
for this reason
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
hensnounUS /henz/
plural of “hen” — adult female chicken
From this reading The cackling hens and geese kept roost, And perched at his side; Where, at the last, the watchful cock Made known the morning tide.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Then up got Alfred, with his horn, And blew so long a blast, That it made Gillian and her groom, In bed, full sore aghast.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
hornnounUS /hɔːrn/
a noisemaker (as at parties or games) that makes a loud noise when you blow through it
From this reading Then up got Alfred, with his horn, And blew so long a blast, That it made Gillian and her groom, In bed, full sore aghast.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then up got Alfred, with his horn, And blew so long a blast, That it made Gillian and her groom, In bed, full sore aghast.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading The cackling hens and geese kept roost, And perched at his side; Where, at the last, the watchful cock Made known the morning tide.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
apprehended with certainty
From this reading The cackling hens and geese kept roost, And perched at his side; Where, at the last, the watchful cock Made known the morning tide.
set down according to a plan
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
immediately past
From this reading The cackling hens and geese kept roost, And perched at his side; Where, at the last, the watchful cock Made known the morning tide.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
lodgingnounUS /ˈlɑːdʒɪŋ/
structures collectively in which people are housed
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
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 Then up got Alfred, with his horn, And blew so long a blast, That it made Gillian and her groom, In bed, full sore aghast.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The cackling hens and geese kept roost, And perched at his side; Where, at the last, the watchful cock Made known the morning tide.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The cackling hens and geese kept roost, And perched at his side; Where, at the last, the watchful cock Made known the morning tide.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
New-pulled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
o'eradverb
throughout a period of time
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
peepingverbUS /ˈpiːpɪŋ/
-ing form of “peep” — look furtively
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
perchedverbUS /pɜːrtʃt/
past form of “perch” — sit, as on a branch
From this reading The cackling hens and geese kept roost, And perched at his side; Where, at the last, the watchful cock Made known the morning tide.
roostverbUS /ruːst/
sit, as on a branch
From this reading The cackling hens and geese kept roost, And perched at his side; Where, at the last, the watchful cock Made known the morning tide.
sheep'snounUS /ʃiːps/
possessive form of “sheep” — woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading The cackling hens and geese kept roost, And perched at his side; Where, at the last, the watchful cock Made known the morning tide.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Then up got Alfred, with his horn, And blew so long a blast, That it made Gillian and her groom, In bed, full sore aghast.
in the near future
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
hurting
From this reading Then up got Alfred, with his horn, And blew so long a blast, That it made Gillian and her groom, In bed, full sore aghast.
spidersnounUS /ˈspaɪdərz/
plural of “spider” — predatory arachnid with eight legs, two poison fangs, two feelers, and usually two silk-spinning organs at the back end of the body; they spin silk to make cocoons for eggs or traps for prey
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
tannedadjectiveUS /tænd/
(of skin) having a tan color from exposure to the sun
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Then up got Alfred, with his horn, And blew so long a blast, That it made Gillian and her groom, In bed, full sore aghast.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon
From this reading The cackling hens and geese kept roost, And perched at his side; Where, at the last, the watchful cock Made known the morning tide.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Then up got Alfred, with his horn, And blew so long a blast, That it made Gillian and her groom, In bed, full sore aghast.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
watchfuladjectiveUS /ˈwɑːtʃfəl/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading The cackling hens and geese kept roost, And perched at his side; Where, at the last, the watchful cock Made known the morning tide.
websnounUS /webz/
plural of “web” — an intricate network suggesting something that was formed by weaving or interweaving
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
in or at the place that
From this reading The cackling hens and geese kept roost, And perched at his side; Where, at the last, the watchful cock Made known the morning tide.
a Caucasian
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading But, to be brief, to bed they went The old man and his wife; But never such a lodging had King Alfred in his life!
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “Is this the country guise?” thought he, “Then here I will not stay, But hence be gone, as soon as breaks The peeping of next day!”
in the company of; together with
From this reading Then up got Alfred, with his horn, And blew so long a blast, That it made Gillian and her groom, In bed, full sore aghast.
woolnounUS /wʊl/
a fabric made from the hair of sheep
From this reading For he was laid in white sheep’s wool, New-pulled from tanned fells; And o’er his head hanged spiders’ webs As if they had been bells.
