used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading TO read the old Nursery Rhymes brings back queer lost memories of a man's own childhood.
in the past
From this reading One seems to see the loose floppy picture-books of long ago, with their boldly coloured pictures.
(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 And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The books were tattered and worn, and my first library consisted of a wooden box full of these volumes.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading TO read the old Nursery Rhymes brings back queer lost memories of a man's own childhood.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
boldlyadverbUS /ˈboʊldli/
with boldness, in a bold manner
From this reading One seems to see the loose floppy picture-books of long ago, with their boldly coloured pictures.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading The books were tattered and worn, and my first library consisted of a wooden box full of these volumes.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading The books were tattered and worn, and my first library consisted of a wooden box full of these volumes.
third-person singular of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading TO read the old Nursery Rhymes brings back queer lost memories of a man's own childhood.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
childhoodnounUS /ˈtʃaɪldhʊd/
the time of person's life when they are a child
From this reading TO read the old Nursery Rhymes brings back queer lost memories of a man's own childhood.
closetnounUS /ˈklɑːzət/
a small room (or recess) or cabinet used for storage space
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
CockverbUS /kɑːk/
tilt or slant to one side
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
colouredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌlərd/
having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination
From this reading One seems to see the loose floppy picture-books of long ago, with their boldly coloured pictures.
consistedverbUS /kənˈsɪstəd/
past form of “consist” — originate
From this reading The books were tattered and worn, and my first library consisted of a wooden box full of these volumes.
(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
(criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
well known or easily recognized
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The books were tattered and worn, and my first library consisted of a wooden box full of these volumes.
floppynounUS /ˈflɑːpi/
a small plastic magnetic disk enclosed in a stiff envelope with a radial slit; used to store data or programs for a microcomputer
From this reading One seems to see the loose floppy picture-books of long ago, with their boldly coloured pictures.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
set up or found
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading The books were tattered and worn, and my first library consisted of a wooden box full of these volumes.
gaolers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
impenitentadjective
not penitent or remorseful
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
imprisonedadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈprɪzənd/
being in captivity
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
having or showing profound knowledge
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
the literary culture
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
a room where books are kept
From this reading The books were tattered and worn, and my first library consisted of a wooden box full of these volumes.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading One seems to see the loose floppy picture-books of long ago, with their boldly coloured pictures.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading One seems to see the loose floppy picture-books of long ago, with their boldly coloured pictures.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading TO read the old Nursery Rhymes brings back queer lost memories of a man's own childhood.
man'snounUS /mænz/
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading TO read the old Nursery Rhymes brings back queer lost memories of a man's own childhood.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
memoriesnounUS /ˈmɛm.ə.riz/
Recollections of past events.
From this reading TO read the old Nursery Rhymes brings back queer lost memories of a man's own childhood.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The books were tattered and worn, and my first library consisted of a wooden box full of these volumes.
NurserynounUS /ˈnɜːrsəri/
a child's room for a baby
From this reading TO read the old Nursery Rhymes brings back queer lost memories of a man's own childhood.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading TO read the old Nursery Rhymes brings back queer lost memories of a man's own childhood.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading TO read the old Nursery Rhymes brings back queer lost memories of a man's own childhood.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One seems to see the loose floppy picture-books of long ago, with their boldly coloured pictures.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading TO read the old Nursery Rhymes brings back queer lost memories of a man's own childhood.
pickingnounUS /ˈpɪkɪŋ/
the quantity of a crop that is harvested
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
picture-books
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One seems to see the loose floppy picture-books of long ago, with their boldly coloured pictures.
plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading One seems to see the loose floppy picture-books of long ago, with their boldly coloured pictures.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading TO read the old Nursery Rhymes brings back queer lost memories of a man's own childhood.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading TO read the old Nursery Rhymes brings back queer lost memories of a man's own childhood.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
To recall to mind.
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
RhymesnounUS /raɪmz/
plural of “rhyme” — correspondence in the sounds of two or more lines (especially final sounds)
From this reading TO read the old Nursery Rhymes brings back queer lost memories of a man's own childhood.
small Old World songbird with a reddish breast
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading One seems to see the loose floppy picture-books of long ago, with their boldly coloured pictures.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading One seems to see the loose floppy picture-books of long ago, with their boldly coloured pictures.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
tatteredadjectiveUS /ˈtætərd/
worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing
From this reading The books were tattered and worn, and my first library consisted of a wooden box full of these volumes.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading TO read the old Nursery Rhymes brings back queer lost memories of a man's own childhood.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading One seems to see the loose floppy picture-books of long ago, with their boldly coloured pictures.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The books were tattered and worn, and my first library consisted of a wooden box full of these volumes.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading TO read the old Nursery Rhymes brings back queer lost memories of a man's own childhood.
volumesnounUS /ˈvɑːljuːmz/
plural of “volume” — the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading The books were tattered and worn, and my first library consisted of a wooden box full of these volumes.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The books were tattered and worn, and my first library consisted of a wooden box full of these volumes.
in or at the place that
From this reading And I can remember being imprisoned for some crime in the closet where the box was, and how my gaolers found me, happy and impenitent, sitting on the box, with its contents all round me, reading.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
which person or people
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
in the company of; together with
From this reading One seems to see the loose floppy picture-books of long ago, with their boldly coloured pictures.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
made or consisting of (entirely or in part) or employing wood
From this reading The books were tattered and worn, and my first library consisted of a wooden box full of these volumes.
the words that are spoken
From this reading There was "Who Killed Cock Robin?" which I knew by heart before I could read, and I learned to read (entirely "without tears") by picking out the letters in the familiar words.
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading The books were tattered and worn, and my first library consisted of a wooden box full of these volumes.
