used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading Never had there been an act more thoroughly appreciated than that of Gwen, the Queen, and Johnny, the fat clown.
a person or thing that is a resource that helps make something easier or possible to do
From this reading When, by the aid of the balloons, he rose to the tight wire, when he tripped lightly along it, and returned cakewalking, the spectators howled their approval.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading When, by the aid of the balloons, he rose to the tight wire, when he tripped lightly along it, and returned cakewalking, the spectators howled their approval.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Never had there been an act more thoroughly appreciated than that of Gwen, the Queen, and Johnny, the fat clown.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And never, in the memory of the oldest circus man, had there been a jollier throng.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Johnny had been dressed in inflated rubber clothing until he appeared as fat as a butcher.
appreciatedadjectiveUS /əˈpriːʃieɪtɪd/
fully understood or grasped
From this reading Never had there been an act more thoroughly appreciated than that of Gwen, the Queen, and Johnny, the fat clown.
approvalnounUS /əˈpruːvəl/
the formal act of approving
From this reading When, by the aid of the balloons, he rose to the tight wire, when he tripped lightly along it, and returned cakewalking, the spectators howled their approval.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
balloonsnounUS /bəˈluːnz/
plural of “balloon” — large tough nonrigid bag filled with gas or heated air
From this reading When, by the aid of the balloons, he rose to the tight wire, when he tripped lightly along it, and returned cakewalking, the spectators howled their approval.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
butcherverbUS /ˈbʊtʃər/
kill (animals) usually for food consumption
From this reading Johnny had been dressed in inflated rubber clothing until he appeared as fat as a butcher.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading When, by the aid of the balloons, he rose to the tight wire, when he tripped lightly along it, and returned cakewalking, the spectators howled their approval.
cakewalking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, by the aid of the balloons, he rose to the tight wire, when he tripped lightly along it, and returned cakewalking, the spectators howled their approval.
circusnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəs/
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading And never, in the memory of the oldest circus man, had there been a jollier throng.
clothingnounUS /ˈkloʊðɪŋ/
a covering designed to be worn on a person's body
From this reading Johnny had been dressed in inflated rubber clothing until he appeared as fat as a butcher.
clownnounUS /klaʊn/
a rude or vulgar fool
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
overfilled or compacted or concentrated
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading Johnny had been dressed in inflated rubber clothing until he appeared as fat as a butcher.
having an (over)abundance of flesh
From this reading Never had there been an act more thoroughly appreciated than that of Gwen, the Queen, and Johnny, the fat clown.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
Gwen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Never had there been an act more thoroughly appreciated than that of Gwen, the Queen, and Johnny, the fat clown.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Johnny had been dressed in inflated rubber clothing until he appeared as fat as a butcher.
howledverbUS /haʊld/
past form of “howl” — emit long loud cries
From this reading When, by the aid of the balloons, he rose to the tight wire, when he tripped lightly along it, and returned cakewalking, the spectators howled their approval.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And never, in the memory of the oldest circus man, had there been a jollier throng.
inflatedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈfleɪtɪd/
enlarged beyond truth or reasonableness
From this reading Johnny had been dressed in inflated rubber clothing until he appeared as fat as a butcher.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading Never had there been an act more thoroughly appreciated than that of Gwen, the Queen, and Johnny, the fat clown.
Johnny'snounUS /ˈdʒɑːniz/
possessive form of “johnny” — “Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
jollieradjectiveUS /ˈdʒɑːliər/
comparative of “jolly” — full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading And never, in the memory of the oldest circus man, had there been a jollier throng.
without good reason
From this reading When, by the aid of the balloons, he rose to the tight wire, when he tripped lightly along it, and returned cakewalking, the spectators howled their approval.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading And never, in the memory of the oldest circus man, had there been a jollier throng.
The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.
From this reading And never, in the memory of the oldest circus man, had there been a jollier throng.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
oldestadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldəst/
superlative of “old” — (used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading And never, in the memory of the oldest circus man, had there been a jollier throng.
performancenounUS /pərˈfɔːrməns/
a dramatic or musical entertainment
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs
From this reading Never had there been an act more thoroughly appreciated than that of Gwen, the Queen, and Johnny, the fat clown.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading When, by the aid of the balloons, he rose to the tight wire, when he tripped lightly along it, and returned cakewalking, the spectators howled their approval.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading When, by the aid of the balloons, he rose to the tight wire, when he tripped lightly along it, and returned cakewalking, the spectators howled their approval.
rubbernounUS /ˈrʌbər/
an elastic material obtained from the latex sap of trees (especially trees of the genera Hevea and Ficus) that can be vulcanized and finished into a variety of products
From this reading Johnny had been dressed in inflated rubber clothing until he appeared as fat as a butcher.
spectatorsnounUS /ˈspekteɪtərz/
plural of “spectator” — a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)
From this reading When, by the aid of the balloons, he rose to the tight wire, when he tripped lightly along it, and returned cakewalking, the spectators howled their approval.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Never had there been an act more thoroughly appreciated than that of Gwen, the Queen, and Johnny, the fat clown.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading When, by the aid of the balloons, he rose to the tight wire, when he tripped lightly along it, and returned cakewalking, the spectators howled their approval.
in or at that place or location
From this reading And never, in the memory of the oldest circus man, had there been a jollier throng.
in an exhaustive manner
From this reading Never had there been an act more thoroughly appreciated than that of Gwen, the Queen, and Johnny, the fat clown.
throngnounUS /θrɔːŋ/
a large gathering of people
From this reading And never, in the memory of the oldest circus man, had there been a jollier throng.
closely constrained or constricted or constricting
From this reading When, by the aid of the balloons, he rose to the tight wire, when he tripped lightly along it, and returned cakewalking, the spectators howled their approval.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When, by the aid of the balloons, he rose to the tight wire, when he tripped lightly along it, and returned cakewalking, the spectators howled their approval.
the upper part of anything
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
trippedverbUS /trɪpt/
inflected form of “trip” — miss a step and fall or nearly fall
From this reading When, by the aid of the balloons, he rose to the tight wire, when he tripped lightly along it, and returned cakewalking, the spectators howled their approval.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Johnny had been dressed in inflated rubber clothing until he appeared as fat as a butcher.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny's first performance as a clown.
at the time that
From this reading When, by the aid of the balloons, he rose to the tight wire, when he tripped lightly along it, and returned cakewalking, the spectators howled their approval.
ligament made of metal and used to fasten things or make cages or fences etc
From this reading When, by the aid of the balloons, he rose to the tight wire, when he tripped lightly along it, and returned cakewalking, the spectators howled their approval.
