used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading “I said there was some strange animal--maybe more than one of them--in our car!”
plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading “That is, unless you call the twins animals, and they are--in a way.”
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “That is, unless you call the twins animals, and they are--in a way.”
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Now what is it?” he asked, turning back to look at his wife.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Now what is it?” he asked, turning back to look at his wife.
autoists
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading “Now what is it?” he asked, turning back to look at his wife.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
Bobbsey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “How could there be?” asked Mr. Bobbsey with a laugh.
Bobbsey's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
brakesnounUS /breɪks/
a braking device consisting of a combination of interacting parts that work to slow a motor vehicle
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
small room on a ship or boat where people sleep
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading “That is, unless you call the twins animals, and they are--in a way.”
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “How could there be?” asked Mr. Bobbsey with a laugh.
characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
grindingnounUS /ˈɡraɪndɪŋ/
material resulting from the process of grinding
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
guidingadjectiveUS /ˈɡaɪdɪŋ/
exerting control or influence
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “Now what is it?” he asked, turning back to look at his wife.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “How could there be?” asked Mr. Bobbsey with a laugh.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I said there was some strange animal--maybe more than one of them--in our car!”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Now what is it?” he asked, turning back to look at his wife.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
the sound of laughing
From this reading “How could there be?” asked Mr. Bobbsey with a laugh.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “Now what is it?” he asked, turning back to look at his wife.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
by chance
From this reading “I said there was some strange animal--maybe more than one of them--in our car!”
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading “I said there was some strange animal--maybe more than one of them--in our car!”
a form of address for a man
From this reading “How could there be?” asked Mr. Bobbsey with a laugh.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
not any; not one
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “Now what is it?” he asked, turning back to look at his wife.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “I said there was some strange animal--maybe more than one of them--in our car!”
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “I said there was some strange animal--maybe more than one of them--in our car!”
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I said there was some strange animal--maybe more than one of them--in our car!”
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading “I said there was some strange animal--maybe more than one of them--in our car!”
squeakingadjectiveUS /ˈskwiːkɪŋ/
having or making a high-pitched sound such as that made by a mouse or a rusty hinge
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
come to a halt, stop moving
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading “I said there was some strange animal--maybe more than one of them--in our car!”
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “I said there was some strange animal--maybe more than one of them--in our car!”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading “I said there was some strange animal--maybe more than one of them--in our car!”
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “I said there was some strange animal--maybe more than one of them--in our car!”
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “That is, unless you call the twins animals, and they are--in a way.”
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading “Now what is it?” he asked, turning back to look at his wife.
twinsnounUS /twɪnz/
(mineralogy) two interwoven crystals that are mirror images on each other
From this reading “That is, unless you call the twins animals, and they are--in a way.”
except if; if not
From this reading “That is, unless you call the twins animals, and they are--in a way.”
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “Now what is it?” he asked, turning back to look at his wife.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading “Now what is it?” he asked, turning back to look at his wife.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE LONELY CABIN Mrs. Bobbsey’s voice showed that she was in earnest, so her husband lost no time in guiding the car to the side of the road, to be out of the way of passing autoists, and then he brought it to a quick stop with a grinding and squeaking of the brakes.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “That is, unless you call the twins animals, and they are--in a way.”
