used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
in the past
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
AlfrednounUS /ˈælfrəd/
king of Wessex; defeated the Vikings and encouraged writing in English (849-899)
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
(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 But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
declared publicly; made widely known
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It’s simply bare-faced fortune hunting; but there you are—she is her own mistress, and she’s married him.”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The fellow must be at least twenty years younger than she is!
bare-faced
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It’s simply bare-faced fortune hunting; but there you are—she is her own mistress, and she’s married him.”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The fellow must be at least twenty years younger than she is!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading “It must be a difficult situation for you all.”
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading No doubt the fellow was very useful to her.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
having ones attention or mind or energy engaged
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
featherverbUS /ˈfeðər/
join tongue and groove, in carpentry
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
a boy or man
From this reading No doubt the fellow was very useful to her.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “It must be a difficult situation for you all.”
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading It’s simply bare-faced fortune hunting; but there you are—she is her own mistress, and she’s married him.”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading No doubt the fellow was very useful to her.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It’s simply bare-faced fortune hunting; but there you are—she is her own mistress, and she’s married him.”
the pursuit and killing or capture of wild animals regarded as a sport
From this reading It’s simply bare-faced fortune hunting; but there you are—she is her own mistress, and she’s married him.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The fellow must be at least twenty years younger than she is!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It must be a difficult situation for you all.”
It's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It’s simply bare-faced fortune hunting; but there you are—she is her own mistress, and she’s married him.”
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading The fellow must be at least twenty years younger than she is!
joined in matrimony
From this reading It’s simply bare-faced fortune hunting; but there you are—she is her own mistress, and she’s married him.”
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading It’s simply bare-faced fortune hunting; but there you are—she is her own mistress, and she’s married him.”
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading The fellow must be at least twenty years younger than she is!
not any; not one
From this reading No doubt the fellow was very useful to her.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading It’s simply bare-faced fortune hunting; but there you are—she is her own mistress, and she’s married him.”
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
she's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It’s simply bare-faced fortune hunting; but there you are—she is her own mistress, and she’s married him.”
and nothing more
From this reading It’s simply bare-faced fortune hunting; but there you are—she is her own mistress, and she’s married him.”
the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
From this reading “It must be a difficult situation for you all.”
happening unexpectedly
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The fellow must be at least twenty years younger than she is!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading No doubt the fellow was very useful to her.
in or at that place or location
From this reading It’s simply bare-faced fortune hunting; but there you are—she is her own mistress, and she’s married him.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading No doubt the fellow was very useful to her.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading The fellow must be at least twenty years younger than she is!
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
being of use or service
From this reading No doubt the fellow was very useful to her.
precisely as stated
From this reading No doubt the fellow was very useful to her.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading No doubt the fellow was very useful to her.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
at the time that
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
in the company of; together with
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
a late time of life
From this reading The fellow must be at least twenty years younger than she is!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged!
used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father
From this reading The fellow must be at least twenty years younger than she is!
