used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE DIAMOND TREASURE For a moment the others clustered around Betty like bees in a swarm, saying not a word.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "Did you know there was some trick about the box?" demanded Roy.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading THE DIAMOND TREASURE For a moment the others clustered around Betty like bees in a swarm, saying not a word.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "How in the world did you do it, Bet?" asked Will.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
beesnounUS /biːz/
plural of “bee” — any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species
From this reading THE DIAMOND TREASURE For a moment the others clustered around Betty like bees in a swarm, saying not a word.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
maintain with or as if with a bet
From this reading "How in the world did you do it, Bet?" asked Will.
Betty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE DIAMOND TREASURE For a moment the others clustered around Betty like bees in a swarm, saying not a word.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
the lower side of anything
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading The boys were a little more demonstrative.
Captain'snounUS /ˈkæptənz/
possessive form of “captain” — an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
clusteredadjectiveUS /ˈklʌstərd/
growing close together but not in dense mats
From this reading THE DIAMOND TREASURE For a moment the others clustered around Betty like bees in a swarm, saying not a word.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading "Did you know there was some trick about the box?" demanded Roy.
demonstrativenounUS /dɪˈmɑːnstrətɪv/
a pronoun that points out an intended referent
From this reading The boys were a little more demonstrative.
DIAMONDnounUS /ˈdaɪmənd/
a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
From this reading THE DIAMOND TREASURE For a moment the others clustered around Betty like bees in a swarm, saying not a word.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "How in the world did you do it, Bet?" asked Will.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "How in the world did you do it, Bet?" asked Will.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE DIAMOND TREASURE For a moment the others clustered around Betty like bees in a swarm, saying not a word.
gaspnounUS /ɡæsp/
a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
the act of retaining something
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How in the world did you do it, Bet?" asked Will.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE DIAMOND TREASURE For a moment the others clustered around Betty like bees in a swarm, saying not a word.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "How in the world did you do it, Bet?" asked Will.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "Did you know there was some trick about the box?" demanded Roy.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading THE DIAMOND TREASURE For a moment the others clustered around Betty like bees in a swarm, saying not a word.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
a particular point in time
From this reading THE DIAMOND TREASURE For a moment the others clustered around Betty like bees in a swarm, saying not a word.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The boys were a little more demonstrative.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading THE DIAMOND TREASURE For a moment the others clustered around Betty like bees in a swarm, saying not a word.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
and nothing more
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE DIAMOND TREASURE For a moment the others clustered around Betty like bees in a swarm, saying not a word.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
Roy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Did you know there was some trick about the box?" demanded Roy.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading THE DIAMOND TREASURE For a moment the others clustered around Betty like bees in a swarm, saying not a word.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "Did you know there was some trick about the box?" demanded Roy.
swarmnounUS /swɔːrm/
a moving crowd
From this reading THE DIAMOND TREASURE For a moment the others clustered around Betty like bees in a swarm, saying not a word.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE DIAMOND TREASURE For a moment the others clustered around Betty like bees in a swarm, saying not a word.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
accumulated wealth in the form of money or jewels etc.
From this reading THE DIAMOND TREASURE For a moment the others clustered around Betty like bees in a swarm, saying not a word.
a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading "Did you know there was some trick about the box?" demanded Roy.
unexpectedlyadverbUS /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪdli/
in a way that was not expected
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Did you know there was some trick about the box?" demanded Roy.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The boys were a little more demonstrative.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The girls could only gasp their astonishment as they looked over the Little Captain's shoulder, as she sat there, holding the black box, the false bottom of which had so unexpectedly opened before their eyes.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "How in the world did you do it, Bet?" asked Will.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading THE DIAMOND TREASURE For a moment the others clustered around Betty like bees in a swarm, saying not a word.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading "How in the world did you do it, Bet?" asked Will.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "How in the world did you do it, Bet?" asked Will.
