used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They are like a lot of sheep for a while, following me around, and dodging at their father’s heels the same way.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There were so many things to see and talk about, so much ground to cover.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There were so many things to see and talk about, so much ground to cover.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They are like a lot of sheep for a while, following me around, and dodging at their father’s heels the same way.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading They are like a lot of sheep for a while, following me around, and dodging at their father’s heels the same way.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
bairns
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It is the same with my own bairns when they come home for the summer vacation.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “It is sure to be like this for the first few days,” Mrs. Murray told them, smilingly.
CHANTverbUS /tʃænt/
recite with musical intonation; recite as a chant or a psalm
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “It is the same with my own bairns when they come home for the summer vacation.
provide with a covering or cause to be covered
From this reading There were so many things to see and talk about, so much ground to cover.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading “It is sure to be like this for the first few days,” Mrs. Murray told them, smilingly.
dodgingnounUS /ˈdɑːdʒɪŋ/
nonperformance of something distasteful (as by deceit or trickery) that you are supposed to do
From this reading They are like a lot of sheep for a while, following me around, and dodging at their father’s heels the same way.
father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading They are like a lot of sheep for a while, following me around, and dodging at their father’s heels the same way.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading “It is sure to be like this for the first few days,” Mrs. Murray told them, smilingly.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading They are like a lot of sheep for a while, following me around, and dodging at their father’s heels the same way.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “It is sure to be like this for the first few days,” Mrs. Murray told them, smilingly.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading There were so many things to see and talk about, so much ground to cover.
plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
From this reading They are like a lot of sheep for a while, following me around, and dodging at their father’s heels the same way.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading “It is the same with my own bairns when they come home for the summer vacation.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “It is sure to be like this for the first few days,” Mrs. Murray told them, smilingly.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “It is sure to be like this for the first few days,” Mrs. Murray told them, smilingly.
longestadverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡəst/
for the most time
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading They are like a lot of sheep for a while, following me around, and dodging at their father’s heels the same way.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading There were so many things to see and talk about, so much ground to cover.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading They are like a lot of sheep for a while, following me around, and dodging at their father’s heels the same way.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading “It is sure to be like this for the first few days,” Mrs. Murray told them, smilingly.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading There were so many things to see and talk about, so much ground to cover.
MurraynounUS /ˈmɜːri/
British classical scholar (born in Australia) who advocated the League of Nations and the United Nations (1866-1957)
From this reading “It is sure to be like this for the first few days,” Mrs. Murray told them, smilingly.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “It is the same with my own bairns when they come home for the summer vacation.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading “It is the same with my own bairns when they come home for the summer vacation.
ranchnounUS /ræntʃ/
farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
Identical; not different.
From this reading “It is the same with my own bairns when they come home for the summer vacation.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading There were so many things to see and talk about, so much ground to cover.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat
From this reading They are like a lot of sheep for a while, following me around, and dodging at their father’s heels the same way.
smilinglyadverbUS /ˈsmaɪlɪŋli/
with smiles; in a smiling manner
From this reading “It is sure to be like this for the first few days,” Mrs. Murray told them, smilingly.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading There were so many things to see and talk about, so much ground to cover.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading “It is the same with my own bairns when they come home for the summer vacation.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading “It is sure to be like this for the first few days,” Mrs. Murray told them, smilingly.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading There were so many things to see and talk about, so much ground to cover.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They are like a lot of sheep for a while, following me around, and dodging at their father’s heels the same way.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading “It is sure to be like this for the first few days,” Mrs. Murray told them, smilingly.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were so many things to see and talk about, so much ground to cover.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “It is the same with my own bairns when they come home for the summer vacation.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading There were so many things to see and talk about, so much ground to cover.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “It is sure to be like this for the first few days,” Mrs. Murray told them, smilingly.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading “It is sure to be like this for the first few days,” Mrs. Murray told them, smilingly.
vacationnounUS /veɪˈkeɪʃən/
leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading “It is the same with my own bairns when they come home for the summer vacation.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading They are like a lot of sheep for a while, following me around, and dodging at their father’s heels the same way.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were so many things to see and talk about, so much ground to cover.
at the time that
From this reading THE CHANT OF THE NEW MOON That first day at the ranch seemed the longest of the stay, when the girls looked back to it afterwards.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading They are like a lot of sheep for a while, following me around, and dodging at their father’s heels the same way.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “It is the same with my own bairns when they come home for the summer vacation.
