used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He wasn’t waiting for a mouse to come and nibble his bread--they’d learned it wasn’t safe to do that.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading All night he watched those mice scuttling about the floor with his mouth just watering.
(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 WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He wasn’t waiting for a mouse to come and nibble his bread--they’d learned it wasn’t safe to do that.
food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked
From this reading He wasn’t waiting for a mouse to come and nibble his bread--they’d learned it wasn’t safe to do that.
bunnynounUS /ˈbʌni/
a young waitress in a nightclub whose costume includes the tail and ears of a rabbit
From this reading He was trying not to wake Nibble Rabbit’s poor little bunny.
cagenounUS /keɪdʒ/
an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept
From this reading WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
cellarnounUS /ˈselər/
the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
From this reading WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He wasn’t waiting for a mouse to come and nibble his bread--they’d learned it wasn’t safe to do that.
CoonnounUS /kuːn/
an eccentric or undignified rustic
From this reading WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading He wasn’t waiting for a mouse to come and nibble his bread--they’d learned it wasn’t safe to do that.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
dreadfullyadverbUS /ˈdredfəli/
of a dreadful kind
From this reading He was so dreadfully hungry.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading All night he watched those mice scuttling about the floor with his mouth just watering.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He wasn’t waiting for a mouse to come and nibble his bread--they’d learned it wasn’t safe to do that.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He wasn’t waiting for a mouse to come and nibble his bread--they’d learned it wasn’t safe to do that.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food
From this reading He was so dreadfully hungry.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He wasn’t waiting for a mouse to come and nibble his bread--they’d learned it wasn’t safe to do that.
and nothing more
From this reading All night he watched those mice scuttling about the floor with his mouth just watering.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
having or showing profound knowledge
From this reading He wasn’t waiting for a mouse to come and nibble his bread--they’d learned it wasn’t safe to do that.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He was trying not to wake Nibble Rabbit’s poor little bunny.
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 WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
LOUIE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
micenounUS /maɪs/
plural of “mouse” — any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails
From this reading All night he watched those mice scuttling about the floor with his mouth just watering.
mousenounUS /maʊs/
any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails
From this reading He wasn’t waiting for a mouse to come and nibble his bread--they’d learned it wasn’t safe to do that.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading All night he watched those mice scuttling about the floor with his mouth just watering.
nibbleverbUS /ˈnɪbəl/
bite off very small pieces
From this reading He wasn’t waiting for a mouse to come and nibble his bread--they’d learned it wasn’t safe to do that.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He was trying not to wake Nibble Rabbit’s poor little bunny.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading He was trying not to wake Nibble Rabbit’s poor little bunny.
Rabbit's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was trying not to wake Nibble Rabbit’s poor little bunny.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading He wasn’t waiting for a mouse to come and nibble his bread--they’d learned it wasn’t safe to do that.
scuttlingverbUS /ˈskʌtəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “scuttle” — to move about or proceed hurriedly
From this reading All night he watched those mice scuttling about the floor with his mouth just watering.
smellyadjectiveUS /ˈsmeli/
offensively malodorous
From this reading WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He was so dreadfully hungry.
not in physical motion
From this reading WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
TadnounUS /tæd/
a slight amount or degree of difference
From this reading WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He wasn’t waiting for a mouse to come and nibble his bread--they’d learned it wasn’t safe to do that.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
they'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He wasn’t waiting for a mouse to come and nibble his bread--they’d learned it wasn’t safe to do that.
THOMSONnounUS /ˈtɑːmsən/
United States composer who collaborated with Gertrude Stein (1896-1989)
From this reading WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading All night he watched those mice scuttling about the floor with his mouth just watering.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He wasn’t waiting for a mouse to come and nibble his bread--they’d learned it wasn’t safe to do that.
hard to endure
From this reading He was trying not to wake Nibble Rabbit’s poor little bunny.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading He wasn’t waiting for a mouse to come and nibble his bread--they’d learned it wasn’t safe to do that.
be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading He was trying not to wake Nibble Rabbit’s poor little bunny.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was trying not to wake Nibble Rabbit’s poor little bunny.
wasn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He wasn’t waiting for a mouse to come and nibble his bread--they’d learned it wasn’t safe to do that.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading All night he watched those mice scuttling about the floor with his mouth just watering.
wateringnounUS /ˈwɔːtərɪŋ/
shedding tears
From this reading All night he watched those mice scuttling about the floor with his mouth just watering.
WHISTLEDverbUS /ˈwɪsəld/
past form of “whistle” — make whistling sounds
From this reading WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading WHY LOUIE THOMSON WHISTLED All night long Tad Coon kept still in his cage down in the dark, smelly cellar.
in the company of; together with
From this reading All night he watched those mice scuttling about the floor with his mouth just watering.
