used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
barknounUS /bɑːrk/
tough protective covering of the woody stems and roots of trees and other woody plants
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
for the reason that
From this reading We had nicknamed him Little John because of his great size and unwieldy proportions.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
commencesverbUS /kəˈmensəz/
third-person singular of “commence” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
DecembernounUS /dɪˈsembər/
the last (12th) month of the year
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
double-mound
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
let fall to the ground
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
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 Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
a person who operates a farm
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
having an (over)abundance of flesh
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
feedingnounUS /ˈfiːdɪŋ/
the act of consuming food
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
ferretverbUS /ˈferət/
hound or harry relentlessly
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
FERRETINGverbUS /ˈferətɪŋ/
-ing form of “ferret” — hound or harry relentlessly
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
many times at short intervals
From this reading Little John was a labourer—one of those frequently working at odd times for Luke, the Rabbit-Contractor.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
frostsnounUS /frɔːsts/
plural of “frost” — ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading We had nicknamed him Little John because of his great size and unwieldy proportions.
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading We had nicknamed him Little John because of his great size and unwieldy proportions.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was the most useful man we knew for such work; his heart was so thoroughly in it.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading He was the most useful man we knew for such work; his heart was so thoroughly in it.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading We had nicknamed him Little John because of his great size and unwieldy proportions.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading We had nicknamed him Little John because of his great size and unwieldy proportions.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was the most useful man we knew for such work; his heart was so thoroughly in it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He was the most useful man we knew for such work; his heart was so thoroughly in it.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He was the most useful man we knew for such work; his heart was so thoroughly in it.
labourernoun
someone who works with their hands; someone engaged in manual labor
From this reading Little John was a labourer—one of those frequently working at odd times for Luke, the Rabbit-Contractor.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
LukenounUS /luːk/
(New Testament) the Apostle closely associated with St. Paul and traditionally assumed to be the author of the third Gospel
From this reading Little John was a labourer—one of those frequently working at odd times for Luke, the Rabbit-Contractor.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
used to form the superlative
From this reading He was the most useful man we knew for such work; his heart was so thoroughly in it.
nicknamedverbUS /ˈnɪkneɪmd/
past form of “nickname” — give a nickname to
From this reading We had nicknamed him Little John because of his great size and unwieldy proportions.
not divisible by two
From this reading Little John was a labourer—one of those frequently working at odd times for Luke, the Rabbit-Contractor.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Little John was a labourer—one of those frequently working at odd times for Luke, the Rabbit-Contractor.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
OrionnounUS /oʊˈraɪən/
(Greek mythology) a giant Boeotian hunter who pursued the Pleiades and was eventually slain by Artemis; was then placed in the sky as a constellation
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
proportionsnounUS /prəˈpɔːrʃənz/
plural of “proportion” — the quotient obtained when the magnitude of a part is divided by the magnitude of the whole
From this reading We had nicknamed him Little John because of his great size and unwieldy proportions.
Rabbit-Contractor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Little John was a labourer—one of those frequently working at odd times for Luke, the Rabbit-Contractor.
RABBIT-HUNTER
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
rabbitsnounUS /ˈræbəts/
plural of “rabbit” — any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
Redcote
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)
From this reading We had nicknamed him Little John because of his great size and unwieldy proportions.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He was the most useful man we knew for such work; his heart was so thoroughly in it.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading He was the most useful man we knew for such work; his heart was so thoroughly in it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
in an exhaustive manner
From this reading He was the most useful man we knew for such work; his heart was so thoroughly in it.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Little John was a labourer—one of those frequently working at odd times for Luke, the Rabbit-Contractor.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Little John was a labourer—one of those frequently working at odd times for Luke, the Rabbit-Contractor.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
unwieldyadjectiveUS /ənˈwiːldi/
difficult to use or handle or manage because of size or weight or shape
From this reading We had nicknamed him Little John because of his great size and unwieldy proportions.
being of use or service
From this reading He was the most useful man we knew for such work; his heart was so thoroughly in it.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Little John was a labourer—one of those frequently working at odd times for Luke, the Rabbit-Contractor.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We had nicknamed him Little John because of his great size and unwieldy proportions.
at the time that
From this reading FERRETING: A RABBIT-HUNTER The ferreting season commences when the frosts have caused the leaves to drop, and the rabbits grow fat from feeding on bark.
Willum
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Early one December morning, Orion and I started, with our man Little John, to ferret a double-mound for our old friend Farmer “Willum” at Redcote.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading He was the most useful man we knew for such work; his heart was so thoroughly in it.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading Little John was a labourer—one of those frequently working at odd times for Luke, the Rabbit-Contractor.
