used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
adjustverbUS /əˈdʒʌst/
alter or regulate so as to achieve accuracy or conform to a standard
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
Agatha's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Aunt Agatha's voice startled me with its reproachful irritability.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading Aunt Agatha's voice startled me with its reproachful irritability.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Well, I had deserved that little sarcasm for I must confess that I had been reading very carelessly.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
carelesslyadverbUS /ˈkerləsli/
without care or concern
From this reading Well, I had deserved that little sarcasm for I must confess that I had been reading very carelessly.
confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading Well, I had deserved that little sarcasm for I must confess that I had been reading very carelessly.
determine the number or amount of
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
deservedadjectiveUS /dɪˈzɜːrvd/
properly deserved
From this reading Well, I had deserved that little sarcasm for I must confess that I had been reading very carelessly.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading My favourite motto was ringing in my ears, "_Laborare est orare_."
estnounUS /est/
standard time in the 5th time zone west of Greenwich, reckoned at the 75th meridian; used in the eastern United States
From this reading My favourite motto was ringing in my ears, "_Laborare est orare_."
a competitor thought likely to win
From this reading My favourite motto was ringing in my ears, "_Laborare est orare_."
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
people in general (often used in the plural)
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Well, I had deserved that little sarcasm for I must confess that I had been reading very carelessly.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Well, I had deserved that little sarcasm for I must confess that I had been reading very carelessly.
harmonynounUS /ˈhɑːrməni/
compatibility in opinion and action
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
HUMILIATIONnounUS /hjuːˌmɪliˈeɪʃən/
state of disgrace or loss of self-respect
From this reading THE VALLEY OF HUMILIATION.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
irritabilitynounUS /ˌɪrɪtəˈbɪləti/
an irritable petulant feeling
From this reading Aunt Agatha's voice startled me with its reproachful irritability.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Aunt Agatha's voice startled me with its reproachful irritability.
Laborare
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My favourite motto was ringing in my ears, "_Laborare est orare_."
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Aunt Agatha's voice startled me with its reproachful irritability.
MerlenounUS /mɜːrl/
common black European thrush
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
middle-agedadjectiveUS /ˈmɪdəleɪɡd/
being roughly between 45 and 65 years old
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
mottonounUS /ˈmɑːtoʊ/
a favorite saying of a sect or political group
From this reading My favourite motto was ringing in my ears, "_Laborare est orare_."
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Well, I had deserved that little sarcasm for I must confess that I had been reading very carelessly.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
notionsnounUS /ˈnoʊʃənz/
plural of “notion” — a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE VALLEY OF HUMILIATION.
old-fashionedadjectiveUS /ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd/
out of fashion
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
orare
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My favourite motto was ringing in my ears, "_Laborare est orare_."
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading Well, I had deserved that little sarcasm for I must confess that I had been reading very carelessly.
reproachfuladjective
expressing reproof or reproach especially as a corrective
From this reading Aunt Agatha's voice startled me with its reproachful irritability.
ringingnounUS /ˈrɪŋɪŋ/
the sound of a bell ringing
From this reading My favourite motto was ringing in my ears, "_Laborare est orare_."
sarcasmnounUS /ˈsɑːrkæzəm/
witty language used to convey insults or scorn
From this reading Well, I had deserved that little sarcasm for I must confess that I had been reading very carelessly.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading Aunt Agatha's voice startled me with its reproachful irritability.
come to a halt, stop moving
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Well, I had deserved that little sarcasm for I must confess that I had been reading very carelessly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE VALLEY OF HUMILIATION.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading THE VALLEY OF HUMILIATION.
precisely as stated
From this reading Well, I had deserved that little sarcasm for I must confess that I had been reading very carelessly.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Aunt Agatha's voice startled me with its reproachful irritability.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading My favourite motto was ringing in my ears, "_Laborare est orare_."
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
(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 Well, I had deserved that little sarcasm for I must confess that I had been reading very carelessly.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading "Merle, I may be a little old-fashioned in my notions; middle-aged people never adjust their ideas quite in harmony with you young folk, but in my day we never paused to count fifty at a full stop."
