used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He plumbed his brain for a story to tell them or a little play to act out.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading He plumbed his brain for a story to tell them or a little play to act out.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading The youngsters hadn't anyone except one another to play with and they always looked forward to his arrival.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading The youngsters hadn't anyone except one another to play with and they always looked forward to his arrival.
any person at all
From this reading The youngsters hadn't anyone except one another to play with and they always looked forward to his arrival.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Your horses are trampling everything in the house and I won't have it.
accomplishment of an objective
From this reading The youngsters hadn't anyone except one another to play with and they always looked forward to his arrival.
Barbara's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
bracedadjectiveUS /breɪst/
positioned so as to be ready for confrontation or danger
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading He plumbed his brain for a story to tell them or a little play to act out.
to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
Emma
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Emma turned from the stove and spoke to the children:
all things; all of a situation
From this reading "Your horses are trampling everything in the house and I won't have it.
apart from; not including
From this reading The youngsters hadn't anyone except one another to play with and they always looked forward to his arrival.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He plumbed his brain for a story to tell them or a little play to act out.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading The youngsters hadn't anyone except one another to play with and they always looked forward to his arrival.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Then Emma turned from the stove and spoke to the children:
hadn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The youngsters hadn't anyone except one another to play with and they always looked forward to his arrival.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Your horses are trampling everything in the house and I won't have it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The youngsters hadn't anyone except one another to play with and they always looked forward to his arrival.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading "Your horses are trampling everything in the house and I won't have it.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading "Your horses are trampling everything in the house and I won't have it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Your horses are trampling everything in the house and I won't have it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Your horses are trampling everything in the house and I won't have it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Your horses are trampling everything in the house and I won't have it.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He plumbed his brain for a story to tell them or a little play to act out.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The youngsters hadn't anyone except one another to play with and they always looked forward to his arrival.
come together
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The youngsters hadn't anyone except one another to play with and they always looked forward to his arrival.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He plumbed his brain for a story to tell them or a little play to act out.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He plumbed his brain for a story to tell them or a little play to act out.
participate in games or sport
From this reading The youngsters hadn't anyone except one another to play with and they always looked forward to his arrival.
plumbedverbUS /plʌmd/
past form of “plumb” — measure the depth of something
From this reading He plumbed his brain for a story to tell them or a little play to act out.
done under pressure
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading Then Emma turned from the stove and spoke to the children:
stainedadjectiveUS /steɪnd/
marked or dyed or discolored with foreign matter
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading He plumbed his brain for a story to tell them or a little play to act out.
stovenounUS /stoʊv/
a kitchen appliance used for cooking food
From this reading Then Emma turned from the stove and spoke to the children:
express in words
From this reading He plumbed his brain for a story to tell them or a little play to act out.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading He plumbed his brain for a story to tell them or a little play to act out.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then Emma turned from the stove and spoke to the children:
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The youngsters hadn't anyone except one another to play with and they always looked forward to his arrival.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
tramplingnounUS /ˈtræmplɪŋ/
the sound of heavy treading or stomping
From this reading "Your horses are trampling everything in the house and I won't have it.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Then Emma turned from the stove and spoke to the children:
in the company of; together with
From this reading The youngsters hadn't anyone except one another to play with and they always looked forward to his arrival.
won't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Your horses are trampling everything in the house and I won't have it.
used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father
From this reading The four younger children, their hands stained like Barbara's, rushed toward him and he braced himself to meet their charge.
youngstersnounUS /ˈjʌŋstərz/
plural of “youngster” — a young person of either sex
From this reading The youngsters hadn't anyone except one another to play with and they always looked forward to his arrival.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Your horses are trampling everything in the house and I won't have it.
