used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was a great change in the old one, it seemed to me, when I was seeing her.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
ay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It iss the growing-pains, in her old legs, and in the top of her oxters--wild, bad, ay, terrible bad."
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading "It iss the growing-pains, in her old legs, and in the top of her oxters--wild, bad, ay, terrible bad."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
BETTY
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN WHICH BETTY COMPLAINS OF GROWING-PAINS.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading There was a great change in the old one, it seemed to me, when I was seeing her.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
COMPLAINSverbUS /kəmˈpleɪnz/
third-person singular of “complain” — express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness
From this reading IN WHICH BETTY COMPLAINS OF GROWING-PAINS.
complaintnounUS /kəmˈpleɪnt/
an often persistent bodily disorder or disease; a cause for complaining
From this reading "What is her complaint?" said I.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading There was a great change in the old one, it seemed to me, when I was seeing her.
GROWING-PAINS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN WHICH BETTY COMPLAINS OF GROWING-PAINS.
Halflin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN WHICH BETTY COMPLAINS OF GROWING-PAINS.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What is her complaint?" said I.
iss
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It iss the growing-pains, in her old legs, and in the top of her oxters--wild, bad, ay, terrible bad."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
staying power
From this reading "It iss the growing-pains, in her old legs, and in the top of her oxters--wild, bad, ay, terrible bad."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading IN WHICH BETTY COMPLAINS OF GROWING-PAINS.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "It iss the growing-pains, in her old legs, and in the top of her oxters--wild, bad, ay, terrible bad."
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading There was a great change in the old one, it seemed to me, when I was seeing her.
oxters
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It iss the growing-pains, in her old legs, and in the top of her oxters--wild, bad, ay, terrible bad."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "What is her complaint?" said I.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading There was a great change in the old one, it seemed to me, when I was seeing her.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading There was a great change in the old one, it seemed to me, when I was seeing her.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading "It iss the growing-pains, in her old legs, and in the top of her oxters--wild, bad, ay, terrible bad."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a great change in the old one, it seemed to me, when I was seeing her.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
the upper part of anything
From this reading "It iss the growing-pains, in her old legs, and in the top of her oxters--wild, bad, ay, terrible bad."
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
(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 It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What is her complaint?" said I.
at the time that
From this reading There was a great change in the old one, it seemed to me, when I was seeing her.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading IN WHICH BETTY COMPLAINS OF GROWING-PAINS.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading "It iss the growing-pains, in her old legs, and in the top of her oxters--wild, bad, ay, terrible bad."
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It was the Halflin that brought me word that Betty was not so well, and would I be coming to see her.
