used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
activitiesnounUS /ækˈtɪvətiz/
plural of “activity” — any specific behavior
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
aliveadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/
possessing life
From this reading This they proved themselves, by coming up smiling and chuckling and very much alive at the foot of the stairs.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading This they proved themselves, by coming up smiling and chuckling and very much alive at the foot of the stairs.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
behaveverbUS /bɪˈheɪv/
behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself
From this reading Why will you not behave yourselves?
Billette
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading This they proved themselves, by coming up smiling and chuckling and very much alive at the foot of the stairs.
taking care or paying attention
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
chucklingverbUS /ˈtʃʌklɪŋ/
-ing form of “chuckle” — laugh quietly or with restraint
From this reading This they proved themselves, by coming up smiling and chuckling and very much alive at the foot of the stairs.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading This they proved themselves, by coming up smiling and chuckling and very much alive at the foot of the stairs.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading “I shall die of heart failure, if nothing else.
DodonounUS /ˈdoʊdoʊ/
someone whose style is out of fashion
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
downstairsadverbUS /ˈdaʊnˈsterz/
on a floor below
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I shall die of heart failure, if nothing else.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
an act that fails
From this reading “I shall die of heart failure, if nothing else.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading This they proved themselves, by coming up smiling and chuckling and very much alive at the foot of the stairs.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading “I shall die of heart failure, if nothing else.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I shall die of heart failure, if nothing else.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “I shall die of heart failure, if nothing else.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
li'l
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
engage in
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
moanedverbUS /moʊnd/
past form of “moan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading This they proved themselves, by coming up smiling and chuckling and very much alive at the foot of the stairs.
not any; not one
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Why will you not behave yourselves?
not one thing; not anything
From this reading “I shall die of heart failure, if nothing else.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
United States feminist (1885-1977)
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
pickingnounUS /ˈpɪkɪŋ/
the quantity of a crop that is harvested
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
established beyond doubt
From this reading This they proved themselves, by coming up smiling and chuckling and very much alive at the foot of the stairs.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
rascalsnounUS /ˈræskəlz/
plural of “rascal” — a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading “I shall die of heart failure, if nothing else.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading This they proved themselves, by coming up smiling and chuckling and very much alive at the foot of the stairs.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading This they proved themselves, by coming up smiling and chuckling and very much alive at the foot of the stairs.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
carry out
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading This they proved themselves, by coming up smiling and chuckling and very much alive at the foot of the stairs.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading This they proved themselves, by coming up smiling and chuckling and very much alive at the foot of the stairs.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This they proved themselves, by coming up smiling and chuckling and very much alive at the foot of the stairs.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading This they proved themselves, by coming up smiling and chuckling and very much alive at the foot of the stairs.
precisely as stated
From this reading This they proved themselves, by coming up smiling and chuckling and very much alive at the foot of the stairs.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why will you not behave yourselves?
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading MORE PLANS But it would take more than a mere matter of falling downstairs to put an end to the activities of Dodo and Paul.
but in spite of that
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Oh, you will be the death of me yet, you li’l rascals,” moaned Mrs. Billette, picking them up and feeling carefully over their small bodies to make sure that there were no bones broken.
yourselvespronounUS /jʊrˈselvz/
used when the people spoken to are both doing and receiving the action
From this reading Why will you not behave yourselves?
