used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “It has been a dreadful night,” said the girl, “but it is nobody’s fault.”
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “Of course it is somebody’s fault,” answered Geoffrey.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “It must be.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “It has been a dreadful night,” said the girl, “but it is nobody’s fault.”
put or pin the blame on
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “It has been a dreadful night,” said the girl, “but it is nobody’s fault.”
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading “Of course it is somebody’s fault,” answered Geoffrey.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading “It has been a dreadful night,” said the girl, “but it is nobody’s fault.”
extraordinarilyadverbUS /ekˌstrɔːrdəˈnerəli/
extremely
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading “It has been a dreadful night,” said the girl, “but it is nobody’s fault.”
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
fendernounUS /ˈfendər/
a barrier that surrounds the wheels of a vehicle to block splashing water or mud
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
Geoffrey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Of course it is somebody’s fault,” answered Geoffrey.
a young female
From this reading “It has been a dreadful night,” said the girl, “but it is nobody’s fault.”
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “It has been a dreadful night,” said the girl, “but it is nobody’s fault.”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading “I wish to Heaven we might,” returned Geoffrey, and meant it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “It has been a dreadful night,” said the girl, “but it is nobody’s fault.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It has been a dreadful night,” said the girl, “but it is nobody’s fault.”
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading “I wish to Heaven we might,” returned Geoffrey, and meant it.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “It must be.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading “It has been a dreadful night,” said the girl, “but it is nobody’s fault.”
not any; not one
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
nobody'snounUS /ˈnoʊbɑːdiːz/
possessive form of “nobody” — a person of no influence
From this reading “It has been a dreadful night,” said the girl, “but it is nobody’s fault.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Of course it is somebody’s fault,” answered Geoffrey.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading “I wish to Heaven we might,” returned Geoffrey, and meant it.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “It has been a dreadful night,” said the girl, “but it is nobody’s fault.”
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
somebody'snounUS /ˈsʌmbɑːdiz/
possessive form of “somebody” — a human being
From this reading “Of course it is somebody’s fault,” answered Geoffrey.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
express in words
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “It has been a dreadful night,” said the girl, “but it is nobody’s fault.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
at the time that
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
hope for; have a wish
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
in the company of; together with
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Do you mean to tell me no one is to blame when I have been sitting all night with my feet on the fender, and you—” “Certainly,” said she with an extraordinarily wide, sweet smile, “I could wish we might have changed places.”
