used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading MONSIEUR DE COMMINES EXPLAINS At what length, and in what terms, Monsieur de Commines berated me I need say little.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Epithets flew as thick as snow-flakes in winter, but were neither as cold nor as soft.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading MONSIEUR DE COMMINES EXPLAINS At what length, and in what terms, Monsieur de Commines berated me I need say little.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
beratedverbUS /bɪˈreɪtɪd/
past form of “berate” — censure severely or angrily
From this reading MONSIEUR DE COMMINES EXPLAINS At what length, and in what terms, Monsieur de Commines berated me I need say little.
birchnounUS /bɜːrtʃ/
hard close-grained wood of any of various birch trees; used especially in furniture and interior finishes and plywood
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
blunderingverbUS /ˈblʌndərɪŋ/
-ing form of “blunder” — commit a faux pas or a fault or make a serious mistake
From this reading I was a blundering dolt, a thick-headed fool, a self-seeking, ungrateful pick-thank.
a youthful male person
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading Epithets flew as thick as snow-flakes in winter, but were neither as cold nor as soft.
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
COMMINES
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MONSIEUR DE COMMINES EXPLAINS At what length, and in what terms, Monsieur de Commines berated me I need say little.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading MONSIEUR DE COMMINES EXPLAINS At what length, and in what terms, Monsieur de Commines berated me I need say little.
doltnoun
a person who is not very bright
From this reading I was a blundering dolt, a thick-headed fool, a self-seeking, ungrateful pick-thank.
EpithetsnounUS /ˈepəθets/
plural of “epithet” — a defamatory or abusive word or phrase
From this reading Epithets flew as thick as snow-flakes in winter, but were neither as cold nor as soft.
EXPLAINSverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪnz/
third-person singular of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading MONSIEUR DE COMMINES EXPLAINS At what length, and in what terms, Monsieur de Commines berated me I need say little.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading Epithets flew as thick as snow-flakes in winter, but were neither as cold nor as soft.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading I was a blundering dolt, a thick-headed fool, a self-seeking, ungrateful pick-thank.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But there I stopped him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading MONSIEUR DE COMMINES EXPLAINS At what length, and in what terms, Monsieur de Commines berated me I need say little.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading MONSIEUR DE COMMINES EXPLAINS At what length, and in what terms, Monsieur de Commines berated me I need say little.
determine the result of (a competition)
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
lashedverbUS /læʃt/
past form of “lash” — beat severely with a whip or rod
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading MONSIEUR DE COMMINES EXPLAINS At what length, and in what terms, Monsieur de Commines berated me I need say little.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading MONSIEUR DE COMMINES EXPLAINS At what length, and in what terms, Monsieur de Commines berated me I need say little.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading MONSIEUR DE COMMINES EXPLAINS At what length, and in what terms, Monsieur de Commines berated me I need say little.
used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”
From this reading MONSIEUR DE COMMINES EXPLAINS At what length, and in what terms, Monsieur de Commines berated me I need say little.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading MONSIEUR DE COMMINES EXPLAINS At what length, and in what terms, Monsieur de Commines berated me I need say little.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading Epithets flew as thick as snow-flakes in winter, but were neither as cold nor as soft.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Epithets flew as thick as snow-flakes in winter, but were neither as cold nor as soft.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
pick-thank
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was a blundering dolt, a thick-headed fool, a self-seeking, ungrateful pick-thank.
red-handedadjectiveUS /ˈredˈhændɪd/
in the act of committing a crime or other reprehensible act
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
rodnounUS /rɑːd/
a long thin implement made of metal or wood
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
express in words
From this reading MONSIEUR DE COMMINES EXPLAINS At what length, and in what terms, Monsieur de Commines berated me I need say little.
self-seekingnoun
taking advantage of opportunities without regard for the consequences for others
From this reading I was a blundering dolt, a thick-headed fool, a self-seeking, ungrateful pick-thank.
snow-flakes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Epithets flew as thick as snow-flakes in winter, but were neither as cold nor as soft.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading Epithets flew as thick as snow-flakes in winter, but were neither as cold nor as soft.
sorelyadverbUS /ˈsɔːrli/
to a great degree
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading But there I stopped him.
status with respect to the relations between people or groups
From this reading MONSIEUR DE COMMINES EXPLAINS At what length, and in what terms, Monsieur de Commines berated me I need say little.
in or at that place or location
From this reading But there I stopped him.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading Epithets flew as thick as snow-flakes in winter, but were neither as cold nor as soft.
thick-headed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was a blundering dolt, a thick-headed fool, a self-seeking, ungrateful pick-thank.
thievishadjective
given to thievery
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
ungratefuladjectiveUS /ənˈɡreɪtfəl/
not feeling or showing gratitude
From this reading I was a blundering dolt, a thick-headed fool, a self-seeking, ungrateful pick-thank.
vigorousadjectiveUS /ˈvɪɡərəs/
characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was a blundering dolt, a thick-headed fool, a self-seeking, ungrateful pick-thank.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Epithets flew as thick as snow-flakes in winter, but were neither as cold nor as soft.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading MONSIEUR DE COMMINES EXPLAINS At what length, and in what terms, Monsieur de Commines berated me I need say little.
which person or people
From this reading Those who know his command of vigorous language may judge, but had his tongue been a birch rod, and I a little thievish boy, caught red-handed, I could not have been more sorely lashed.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading Epithets flew as thick as snow-flakes in winter, but were neither as cold nor as soft.
