used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
experiencing a sudden sense of danger
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading "He can't get me while I'm up here, I don't believe," said Bert to himself.
Bert
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
Bobbsey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
the lower side of anything
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But I can't stay here very long, or I'll be snowed under.
can't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He can't get me while I'm up here, I don't believe," said Bert to himself.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading What shall I do?"
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He can't get me while I'm up here, I don't believe," said Bert to himself.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
compelled forcibly by an outside agency
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
divisible by two
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
made afraid
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "He can't get me while I'm up here, I don't believe," said Bert to himself.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "He can't get me while I'm up here, I don't believe," said Bert to himself.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading "He can't get me while I'm up here, I don't believe," said Bert to himself.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "He can't get me while I'm up here, I don't believe," said Bert to himself.
I'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But I can't stay here very long, or I'll be snowed under.
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He can't get me while I'm up here, I don't believe," said Bert to himself.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
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 "But I can't stay here very long, or I'll be snowed under.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "He can't get me while I'm up here, I don't believe," said Bert to himself.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "But I can't stay here very long, or I'll be snowed under.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "He can't get me while I'm up here, I don't believe," said Bert to himself.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading What shall I do?"
sniffingverbUS /ˈsnɪfɪŋ/
-ing form of “sniff” — perceive by inhaling through the nose
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
snowballsnounUS /ˈsnoʊbɔːlz/
plural of “snowball” — plant having heads of fragrant white trumpet-shaped flowers; grows in sandy arid regions
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
snowedverbUS /snoʊd/
past form of “snow” — fall as snow
From this reading "But I can't stay here very long, or I'll be snowed under.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading "But I can't stay here very long, or I'll be snowed under.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
propel through the air
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading "But I can't stay here very long, or I'll be snowed under.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "He can't get me while I'm up here, I don't believe," said Bert to himself.
precisely as stated
From this reading "But I can't stay here very long, or I'll be snowed under.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What shall I do?"
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading "He can't get me while I'm up here, I don't believe," said Bert to himself.
wildcatnounUS /ˈwaɪldkæt/
an exploratory oil well drilled in land not known to be an oil field
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in the storm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He could not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and, even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safe for him to come down off the big stone.
