Chapter IV

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The Black Fox Pen A grand morning awaited the four boys as they hurriedly dressed, and then stepped outdoors.

on foot; walking

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading Just beyond the boys were delighted to find a pen of beautiful imported pheasants with magnificent plumage of almost every color of the rainbow.

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The Black Fox Pen A grand morning awaited the four boys as they hurriedly dressed, and then stepped outdoors.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The Black Fox Pen A grand morning awaited the four boys as they hurriedly dressed, and then stepped outdoors.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

playing or singing with instrumental or vocal accompaniment

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

expected hopefully

From this reading The Black Fox Pen A grand morning awaited the four boys as they hurriedly dressed, and then stepped outdoors.

plural of “barn” — an outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading Just beyond the boys were delighted to find a pen of beautiful imported pheasants with magnificent plumage of almost every color of the rainbow.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “But try as we would,” confessed Ralph, “we’ve never been very successful in raising many of those birds.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

on the far side of; further than

From this reading Just beyond the boys were delighted to find a pen of beautiful imported pheasants with magnificent plumage of almost every color of the rainbow.

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading “But try as we would,” confessed Ralph, “we’ve never been very successful in raising many of those birds.

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading The Black Fox Pen A grand morning awaited the four boys as they hurriedly dressed, and then stepped outdoors.

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading The Black Fox Pen A grand morning awaited the four boys as they hurriedly dressed, and then stepped outdoors.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “But try as we would,” confessed Ralph, “we’ve never been very successful in raising many of those birds.

domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

plural of “chore” — a specific piece of work required to be done as a duty or for a specific fee

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect

From this reading Just beyond the boys were delighted to find a pen of beautiful imported pheasants with magnificent plumage of almost every color of the rainbow.

past form of “confess” — confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure

From this reading “But try as we would,” confessed Ralph, “we’ve never been very successful in raising many of those birds.

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

the best people or things in a group

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

greatly pleased

From this reading Just beyond the boys were delighted to find a pen of beautiful imported pheasants with magnificent plumage of almost every color of the rainbow.

zealous in devotion or affection

From this reading Then there was a series of houses and yards devoted to poultry, mostly of the Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn varieties.

dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination

From this reading The Black Fox Pen A grand morning awaited the four boys as they hurriedly dressed, and then stepped outdoors.

past form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

divisible by two

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Just beyond the boys were delighted to find a pen of beautiful imported pheasants with magnificent plumage of almost every color of the rainbow.

something many people believe that is false

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

having an (over)abundance of flesh

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Just beyond the boys were delighted to find a pen of beautiful imported pheasants with magnificent plumage of almost every color of the rainbow.

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading The Black Fox Pen A grand morning awaited the four boys as they hurriedly dressed, and then stepped outdoors.

alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs

From this reading The Black Fox Pen A grand morning awaited the four boys as they hurriedly dressed, and then stepped outdoors.

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

plural of “goat” — any of numerous agile ruminants related to sheep but having a beard and straight horns

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope

From this reading The Black Fox Pen A grand morning awaited the four boys as they hurriedly dressed, and then stepped outdoors.

-ing form of “grunt” — issue a grunting, low, animal-like noise

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

having a high price

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

plural of “hog” — a person regarded as greedy and pig-like

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Then there was a series of houses and yards devoted to poultry, mostly of the Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn varieties.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

in a hurried or hasty manner

From this reading The Black Fox Pen A grand morning awaited the four boys as they hurriedly dressed, and then stepped outdoors.

used of especially merchandise brought from a foreign source

From this reading Just beyond the boys were delighted to find a pen of beautiful imported pheasants with magnificent plumage of almost every color of the rainbow.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading “But try as we would,” confessed Ralph, “we’ve never been very successful in raising many of those birds.

a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water

From this reading Then there was a series of houses and yards devoted to poultry, mostly of the Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn varieties.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

and nothing more

From this reading Just beyond the boys were delighted to find a pen of beautiful imported pheasants with magnificent plumage of almost every color of the rainbow.

a stiff hat made of straw with a flat crown

From this reading Then there was a series of houses and yards devoted to poultry, mostly of the Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn varieties.

-ing form of “low” — make a low noise, characteristic of bovines

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

characterized by grandeur

From this reading Just beyond the boys were delighted to find a pen of beautiful imported pheasants with magnificent plumage of almost every color of the rainbow.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading “But try as we would,” confessed Ralph, “we’ve never been very successful in raising many of those birds.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading The Black Fox Pen A grand morning awaited the four boys as they hurriedly dressed, and then stepped outdoors.

in large part; mainly or chiefly

From this reading Then there was a series of houses and yards devoted to poultry, mostly of the Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn varieties.

a form of address for a man

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

close at hand

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading “But try as we would,” confessed Ralph, “we’ve never been very successful in raising many of those birds.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

outside a building

From this reading The Black Fox Pen A grand morning awaited the four boys as they hurriedly dressed, and then stepped outdoors.

a writing implement with a point from which ink flows

From this reading The Black Fox Pen A grand morning awaited the four boys as they hurriedly dressed, and then stepped outdoors.

plural of “pheasant” — large long-tailed gallinaceous bird native to the Old World but introduced elsewhere

From this reading Just beyond the boys were delighted to find a pen of beautiful imported pheasants with magnificent plumage of almost every color of the rainbow.

plural of “pig” — domestic swine

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

plural of “pleasure” — a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds

From this reading Just beyond the boys were delighted to find a pen of beautiful imported pheasants with magnificent plumage of almost every color of the rainbow.

a domesticated gallinaceous bird thought to be descended from the red jungle fowl

From this reading Then there was a series of houses and yards devoted to poultry, mostly of the Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn varieties.

an arc of colored light in the sky caused by refraction of the sun's rays by rain

From this reading Just beyond the boys were delighted to find a pen of beautiful imported pheasants with magnificent plumage of almost every color of the rainbow.

the event of something being raised upward

From this reading “But try as we would,” confessed Ralph, “we’ve never been very successful in raising many of those birds.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading Then there was a series of houses and yards devoted to poultry, mostly of the Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn varieties.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then there was a series of houses and yards devoted to poultry, mostly of the Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn varieties.

possessing material wealth

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

similar things placed in order or happening one after another

From this reading Then there was a series of houses and yards devoted to poultry, mostly of the Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn varieties.

woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

small or little relative to something else

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

having or making a high-pitched sound such as that made by a mouse or a rusty hinge

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step

From this reading The Black Fox Pen A grand morning awaited the four boys as they hurriedly dressed, and then stepped outdoors.

having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome

From this reading “But try as we would,” confessed Ralph, “we’ve never been very successful in raising many of those birds.

a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The Black Fox Pen A grand morning awaited the four boys as they hurriedly dressed, and then stepped outdoors.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading The Black Fox Pen A grand morning awaited the four boys as they hurriedly dressed, and then stepped outdoors.

in or at that place or location

From this reading Then there was a series of houses and yards devoted to poultry, mostly of the Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn varieties.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The Black Fox Pen A grand morning awaited the four boys as they hurriedly dressed, and then stepped outdoors.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading “But try as we would,” confessed Ralph, “we’ve never been very successful in raising many of those birds.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

make an effort or attempt

From this reading “But try as we would,” confessed Ralph, “we’ve never been very successful in raising many of those birds.

plural of “variety” — a collection containing a variety of sorts of things

From this reading Then there was a series of houses and yards devoted to poultry, mostly of the Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn varieties.

precisely as stated

From this reading “But try as we would,” confessed Ralph, “we’ve never been very successful in raising many of those birds.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “But try as we would,” confessed Ralph, “we’ve never been very successful in raising many of those birds.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “But try as we would,” confessed Ralph, “we’ve never been very successful in raising many of those birds.

(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 Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Just beyond the boys were delighted to find a pen of beautiful imported pheasants with magnificent plumage of almost every color of the rainbow.

in or at the place that

From this reading Ralph was already afoot, as he had a few chores to be attended to at the nearby barns, where the grunting of fat hogs and squealing of smaller pigs, the lowing of fancy cattle that gave the rich cream they had enjoyed the night before at supper, as well as horses, sheep, and even some high-priced goats told how Mr. Jeffords took his country pleasures.

a Caucasian

From this reading Then there was a series of houses and yards devoted to poultry, mostly of the Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn varieties.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Just beyond the boys were delighted to find a pen of beautiful imported pheasants with magnificent plumage of almost every color of the rainbow.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “But try as we would,” confessed Ralph, “we’ve never been very successful in raising many of those birds.

plural of “yard” — 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 Then there was a series of houses and yards devoted to poultry, mostly of the Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn varieties.