used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading ‘O had ye a stranger here last night, Who drank till the day was dawing?
a-talking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
amang
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ‘I had nae stranger here last night That drank till the day was dawing; But ane that took a pint, and paid it ere he went, And there’s naething to clear o his lawing.’
aneadjectiveUS /eɪn/
used of a single unit or thing; not two or more
From this reading ‘I had nae stranger here last night That drank till the day was dawing; But ane that took a pint, and paid it ere he went, And there’s naething to clear o his lawing.’
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
baith
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They stabbed the house baith but and ben, The curtains they spared nae riving, And for a’ that they did search and ca, For a kiss o the knight they were striving.
bakingnounUS /ˈbeɪkɪŋ/
making bread or cake or pastry etc.
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading They stabbed the house baith but and ben, The curtains they spared nae riving, And for a’ that they did search and ca, For a kiss o the knight they were striving.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading ‘I had nae stranger here last night That drank till the day was dawing; But ane that took a pint, and paid it ere he went, And there’s naething to clear o his lawing.’
canounUS /kʌ/
a white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light; the fifth most abundant element in the earth's crust; an important component of most plants and animals
From this reading They stabbed the house baith but and ben, The curtains they spared nae riving, And for a’ that they did search and ca, For a kiss o the knight they were striving.
a natural or artificial enclosed space
From this reading Come show us the chamber where he lyes in, We’ll shortly clear his lawing.’
rid of obstructions
From this reading Come show us the chamber where he lyes in, We’ll shortly clear his lawing.’
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Come show us the chamber where he lyes in, We’ll shortly clear his lawing.’
curtainsnounUS /ˈkɜːrtənz/
plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading They stabbed the house baith but and ben, The curtains they spared nae riving, And for a’ that they did search and ca, For a kiss o the knight they were striving.
dawing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘O had ye a stranger here last night, Who drank till the day was dawing?
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading ‘O had ye a stranger here last night, Who drank till the day was dawing?
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading They stabbed the house baith but and ben, The curtains they spared nae riving, And for a’ that they did search and ca, For a kiss o the knight they were striving.
inflected form of “drink” — take in liquids
From this reading ‘O had ye a stranger here last night, Who drank till the day was dawing?
an old word for “before”
From this reading ‘I had nae stranger here last night That drank till the day was dawing; But ane that took a pint, and paid it ere he went, And there’s naething to clear o his lawing.’
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They stabbed the house baith but and ben, The curtains they spared nae riving, And for a’ that they did search and ca, For a kiss o the knight they were striving.
gae
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading ‘O had ye a stranger here last night, Who drank till the day was dawing?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Come show us the chamber where he lyes in, We’ll shortly clear his lawing.’
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading ‘O had ye a stranger here last night, Who drank till the day was dawing?
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Come show us the chamber where he lyes in, We’ll shortly clear his lawing.’
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading They stabbed the house baith but and ben, The curtains they spared nae riving, And for a’ that they did search and ca, For a kiss o the knight they were striving.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading ‘I had nae stranger here last night That drank till the day was dawing; But ane that took a pint, and paid it ere he went, And there’s naething to clear o his lawing.’
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Come show us the chamber where he lyes in, We’ll shortly clear his lawing.’
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading ‘I had nae stranger here last night That drank till the day was dawing; But ane that took a pint, and paid it ere he went, And there’s naething to clear o his lawing.’
jiltverbUS /dʒɪlt/
cast aside capriciously or unfeelingly
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
kickverbUS /kɪk/
drive or propel with the foot
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)
From this reading They stabbed the house baith but and ben, The curtains they spared nae riving, And for a’ that they did search and ca, For a kiss o the knight they were striving.
originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
a boy or man
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
immediately past
From this reading ‘O had ye a stranger here last night, Who drank till the day was dawing?
lawing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Come show us the chamber where he lyes in, We’ll shortly clear his lawing.’
lyes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Come show us the chamber where he lyes in, We’ll shortly clear his lawing.’
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
nae
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘I had nae stranger here last night That drank till the day was dawing; But ane that took a pint, and paid it ere he went, And there’s naething to clear o his lawing.’
naething
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘I had nae stranger here last night That drank till the day was dawing; But ane that took a pint, and paid it ere he went, And there’s naething to clear o his lawing.’
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading ‘O had ye a stranger here last night, Who drank till the day was dawing?
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading ‘O had ye a stranger here last night, Who drank till the day was dawing?
marked by the reception of pay
From this reading ‘I had nae stranger here last night That drank till the day was dawing; But ane that took a pint, and paid it ere he went, And there’s naething to clear o his lawing.’
pintnounUS /paɪnt/
a British imperial capacity measure (liquid or dry) equal to 4 gills or 568.26 cubic centimeters
From this reading ‘I had nae stranger here last night That drank till the day was dawing; But ane that took a pint, and paid it ere he went, And there’s naething to clear o his lawing.’
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
riving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They stabbed the house baith but and ben, The curtains they spared nae riving, And for a’ that they did search and ca, For a kiss o the knight they were striving.
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
From this reading They stabbed the house baith but and ben, The curtains they spared nae riving, And for a’ that they did search and ca, For a kiss o the knight they were striving.
for a short time
From this reading Come show us the chamber where he lyes in, We’ll shortly clear his lawing.’
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Come show us the chamber where he lyes in, We’ll shortly clear his lawing.’
sparedverbUS /sperd/
past form of “spare” — refrain from harming
From this reading They stabbed the house baith but and ben, The curtains they spared nae riving, And for a’ that they did search and ca, For a kiss o the knight they were striving.
stabbedverbUS /stæbd/
inflected form of “stab” — use a knife on
From this reading They stabbed the house baith but and ben, The curtains they spared nae riving, And for a’ that they did search and ca, For a kiss o the knight they were striving.
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading ‘O had ye a stranger here last night, Who drank till the day was dawing?
strivingnounUS /ˈstraɪvɪŋ/
an effortful attempt to attain a goal
From this reading They stabbed the house baith but and ben, The curtains they spared nae riving, And for a’ that they did search and ca, For a kiss o the knight they were striving.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ‘I had nae stranger here last night That drank till the day was dawing; But ane that took a pint, and paid it ere he went, And there’s naething to clear o his lawing.’
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ‘O had ye a stranger here last night, Who drank till the day was dawing?
there's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘I had nae stranger here last night That drank till the day was dawing; But ane that took a pint, and paid it ere he went, And there’s naething to clear o his lawing.’
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They stabbed the house baith but and ben, The curtains they spared nae riving, And for a’ that they did search and ca, For a kiss o the knight they were striving.
up to a particular time
From this reading ‘O had ye a stranger here last night, Who drank till the day was dawing?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ‘I had nae stranger here last night That drank till the day was dawing; But ane that took a pint, and paid it ere he went, And there’s naething to clear o his lawing.’
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading ‘I had nae stranger here last night That drank till the day was dawing; But ane that took a pint, and paid it ere he went, And there’s naething to clear o his lawing.’
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Come show us the chamber where he lyes in, We’ll shortly clear his lawing.’
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ‘O had ye a stranger here last night, Who drank till the day was dawing?
We'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Come show us the chamber where he lyes in, We’ll shortly clear his lawing.’
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading ‘I had nae stranger here last night That drank till the day was dawing; But ane that took a pint, and paid it ere he went, And there’s naething to clear o his lawing.’
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They stabbed the house baith but and ben, The curtains they spared nae riving, And for a’ that they did search and ca, For a kiss o the knight they were striving.
in or at the place that
From this reading Come show us the chamber where he lyes in, We’ll shortly clear his lawing.’
which person or people
From this reading ‘O had ye a stranger here last night, Who drank till the day was dawing?
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person
From this reading ‘O had ye a stranger here last night, Who drank till the day was dawing?
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading A lad amang the rest, being o a merry mood, To the young knight fell a-talking; The wife took her foot and gae him a kick, Says, Be busy, ye jilt, at your baking.
