used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading "Billy always wakes everybody up crying for his breakfast," explained thoughtful little Bettie.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Bob's spending a week at the Ormsbees' camp, so I have to get up to feed Billy so father can sleep."
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Taking the short cut through the Tuckers' back yard she found Bettie feeding Billy, the seagull, one of Bob's numerous pets.
Bettie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Taking the short cut through the Tuckers' back yard she found Bettie feeding Billy, the seagull, one of Bob's numerous pets.
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading Taking the short cut through the Tuckers' back yard she found Bettie feeding Billy, the seagull, one of Bob's numerous pets.
Bob'snounUS /bɑːbz/
possessive form of “bob” — a former monetary unit in Great Britain
From this reading Taking the short cut through the Tuckers' back yard she found Bettie feeding Billy, the seagull, one of Bob's numerous pets.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading "Why don't the other boys do it?"
eat an early morning meal
From this reading "Billy always wakes everybody up crying for his breakfast," explained thoughtful little Bettie.
buttonnounUS /ˈbʌtən/
a round fastener sewn to shirts and coats etc to fit through buttonholes
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading "Bob's spending a week at the Ormsbees' camp, so I have to get up to feed Billy so father can sleep."
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "Bob's spending a week at the Ormsbees' camp, so I have to get up to feed Billy so father can sleep."
a small house with a single story
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
demanding attention
From this reading "Billy always wakes everybody up crying for his breakfast," explained thoughtful little Bettie.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading Taking the short cut through the Tuckers' back yard she found Bettie feeding Billy, the seagull, one of Bob's numerous pets.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Why don't the other boys do it?"
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why don't the other boys do it?"
EARLYadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
every person
From this reading "Billy always wakes everybody up crying for his breakfast," explained thoughtful little Bettie.
past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading "Billy always wakes everybody up crying for his breakfast," explained thoughtful little Bettie.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading "Bob's spending a week at the Ormsbees' camp, so I have to get up to feed Billy so father can sleep."
provide as food
From this reading "Bob's spending a week at the Ormsbees' camp, so I have to get up to feed Billy so father can sleep."
feedingnounUS /ˈfiːdɪŋ/
the act of consuming food
From this reading Taking the short cut through the Tuckers' back yard she found Bettie feeding Billy, the seagull, one of Bob's numerous pets.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Billy always wakes everybody up crying for his breakfast," explained thoughtful little Bettie.
set up or found
From this reading Taking the short cut through the Tuckers' back yard she found Bettie feeding Billy, the seagull, one of Bob's numerous pets.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Bob's spending a week at the Ormsbees' camp, so I have to get up to feed Billy so father can sleep."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Billy always wakes everybody up crying for his breakfast," explained thoughtful little Bettie.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Bob's spending a week at the Ormsbees' camp, so I have to get up to feed Billy so father can sleep."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Billy always wakes everybody up crying for his breakfast," explained thoughtful little Bettie.
Marie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
absolutely essential
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
needingverbUS /ˈniːdɪŋ/
-ing form of “need” — require as useful, just, or proper
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
amounting to a large indefinite number
From this reading Taking the short cut through the Tuckers' back yard she found Bettie feeding Billy, the seagull, one of Bob's numerous pets.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Taking the short cut through the Tuckers' back yard she found Bettie feeding Billy, the seagull, one of Bob's numerous pets.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Taking the short cut through the Tuckers' back yard she found Bettie feeding Billy, the seagull, one of Bob's numerous pets.
Ormsbees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Bob's spending a week at the Ormsbees' camp, so I have to get up to feed Billy so father can sleep."
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading "Why don't the other boys do it?"
petsnounUS /pets/
plural of “pet” — a domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusement
From this reading Taking the short cut through the Tuckers' back yard she found Bettie feeding Billy, the seagull, one of Bob's numerous pets.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
tending to return to an earlier state
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
RosanounUS /ˈroʊzə/
large genus of erect or climbing prickly shrubs including roses
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
seagullnounUS /ˈsiːɡʌl/
mostly white aquatic bird having long pointed wings and short legs
From this reading Taking the short cut through the Tuckers' back yard she found Bettie feeding Billy, the seagull, one of Bob's numerous pets.
sewverbUS /soʊ/
fasten by sewing; do needlework
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Taking the short cut through the Tuckers' back yard she found Bettie feeding Billy, the seagull, one of Bob's numerous pets.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading Taking the short cut through the Tuckers' back yard she found Bettie feeding Billy, the seagull, one of Bob's numerous pets.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading "Bob's spending a week at the Ormsbees' camp, so I have to get up to feed Billy so father can sleep."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Bob's spending a week at the Ormsbees' camp, so I have to get up to feed Billy so father can sleep."
spendingnounUS /ˈspendɪŋ/
the act of spending or disbursing money
From this reading "Bob's spending a week at the Ormsbees' camp, so I have to get up to feed Billy so father can sleep."
supposedlyadverbUS /səˈpoʊzədli/
believed or reputed to be the case
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading Taking the short cut through the Tuckers' back yard she found Bettie feeding Billy, the seagull, one of Bob's numerous pets.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
thimblenounUS /ˈθɪmbəl/
as much as a thimble will hold
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
thoughtfuladjectiveUS /ˈθɔːtfəl/
having intellectual depth
From this reading "Billy always wakes everybody up crying for his breakfast," explained thoughtful little Bettie.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Taking the short cut through the Tuckers' back yard she found Bettie feeding Billy, the seagull, one of Bob's numerous pets.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
Tuckers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Taking the short cut through the Tuckers' back yard she found Bettie feeding Billy, the seagull, one of Bob's numerous pets.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "Billy always wakes everybody up crying for his breakfast," explained thoughtful little Bettie.
vitallyadverbUS /ˈvaɪtəli/
to a vital degree
From this reading Returning Rosa Marie EARLY the next morning, Jean, needing her thimble to sew on a vitally necessary button, ran to the supposedly empty cottage to get it.
wakesnounUS /weɪks/
plural of “wake” — the consequences of an event (especially a catastrophic event)
From this reading "Billy always wakes everybody up crying for his breakfast," explained thoughtful little Bettie.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading "Bob's spending a week at the Ormsbees' camp, so I have to get up to feed Billy so father can sleep."
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why don't the other boys do it?"
a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading Taking the short cut through the Tuckers' back yard she found Bettie feeding Billy, the seagull, one of Bob's numerous pets.
