used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "I guess we'd better go up a little farther--this didn't come out all by itself."
(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 "I guess we'd better go up a little farther--this didn't come out all by itself."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The geologist was looking at it closely and then began to weigh it with his hand.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading "I guess we'd better go up a little farther--this didn't come out all by itself."
a youthful male person
From this reading The boy dug Mavis sharply in the shoulder.
boy'snounUS /bɔɪz/
possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "I guess we'd better go up a little farther--this didn't come out all by itself."
move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
in a close relation or position in time or space
From this reading The geologist was looking at it closely and then began to weigh it with his hand.
coalnounUS /koʊl/
fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading "This is pretty good-looking coal," he said, and he laughed.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "I guess we'd better go up a little farther--this didn't come out all by itself."
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I guess we'd better go up a little farther--this didn't come out all by itself."
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
dugnounUS /dʌɡ/
an udder or breast or teat
From this reading The boy dug Mavis sharply in the shoulder.
more distant in especially space or time
From this reading "I guess we'd better go up a little farther--this didn't come out all by itself."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
geologistnounUS /dʒiˈɑːlədʒəst/
a specialist in geology
From this reading The geologist was looking at it closely and then began to weigh it with his hand.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "I guess we'd better go up a little farther--this didn't come out all by itself."
good-lookingadjectiveUS /ˈɡʊdlʊkɪŋ/
pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion
From this reading "This is pretty good-looking coal," he said, and he laughed.
the father of your father or mother
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading "I guess we'd better go up a little farther--this didn't come out all by itself."
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading The geologist was looking at it closely and then began to weigh it with his hand.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I guess we'd better go up a little farther--this didn't come out all by itself."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The boy dug Mavis sharply in the shoulder.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "This is pretty good-looking coal," he said, and he laughed.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading "I guess we'd better go up a little farther--this didn't come out all by itself."
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading "This is pretty good-looking coal," he said, and he laughed.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "I guess we'd better go up a little farther--this didn't come out all by itself."
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading The geologist was looking at it closely and then began to weigh it with his hand.
lumpnounUS /lʌmp/
a compact mass
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
MavisnounUS /ˈmeɪvɪs/
common Old World thrush noted for its song
From this reading The boy dug Mavis sharply in the shoulder.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
on one occasion
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "I guess we'd better go up a little farther--this didn't come out all by itself."
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading "This is pretty good-looking coal," he said, and he laughed.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "This is pretty good-looking coal," he said, and he laughed.
in an aggressive manner
From this reading The boy dug Mavis sharply in the shoulder.
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading The boy dug Mavis sharply in the shoulder.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The geologist was looking at it closely and then began to weigh it with his hand.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "This is pretty good-looking coal," he said, and he laughed.
thoughtlesslyadverb
in a thoughtless manner
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
throbverbUS /θrɑːb/
pulsate or pound with abnormal force
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "I guess we'd better go up a little farther--this didn't come out all by itself."
precisely as stated
From this reading The boy's heart began to throb, for once he had started to carry that very lump to his grandfather, had changed his mind, and thoughtlessly dropped it there.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The geologist was looking at it closely and then began to weigh it with his hand.
we'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I guess we'd better go up a little farther--this didn't come out all by itself."
weighverbUS /weɪ/
have a certain weight
From this reading The geologist was looking at it closely and then began to weigh it with his hand.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The geologist was looking at it closely and then began to weigh it with his hand.
