used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "No, when I asked her about it yesterday she said she was not quite sure, it would be better not to speak till she knew."
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading "Moonlight is very wise--almost as wise as a man."
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
react verbally
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Moonlight is very wise--almost as wise as a man."
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "No, when I asked her about it yesterday she said she was not quite sure, it would be better not to speak till she knew."
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading "No, when I asked her about it yesterday she said she was not quite sure, it would be better not to speak till she knew."
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
a young person of either sex
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
be identical or equivalent to
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
divisible by two
From this reading "Yes, wiser even than some men with swelled noses."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
gravitynounUS /ˈɡrævəti/
(physics) the force of attraction between all masses in the universe; especially the attraction of the earth's mass for bodies near its surface
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
Hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Has not Moonlight told you?"
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "No, when I asked her about it yesterday she said she was not quite sure, it would be better not to speak till she knew."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "No, when I asked her about it yesterday she said she was not quite sure, it would be better not to speak till she knew."
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Moonlight is very wise--almost as wise as a man."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "No, when I asked her about it yesterday she said she was not quite sure, it would be better not to speak till she knew."
jumping-jack
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
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 "No, when I asked her about it yesterday she said she was not quite sure, it would be better not to speak till she knew."
the sound of laughing
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "Moonlight is very wise--almost as wise as a man."
the force of workers available
From this reading "Yes, wiser even than some men with swelled noses."
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
the light of the Moon
From this reading "Has not Moonlight told you?"
not any; not one
From this reading "No, when I asked her about it yesterday she said she was not quite sure, it would be better not to speak till she knew."
nosesnounUS /ˈnoʊzɪz/
plural of “nose” — the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading "Yes, wiser even than some men with swelled noses."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Has not Moonlight told you?"
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading "No, when I asked her about it yesterday she said she was not quite sure, it would be better not to speak till she knew."
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "No, when I asked her about it yesterday she said she was not quite sure, it would be better not to speak till she knew."
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "Yes, wiser even than some men with swelled noses."
express in speech
From this reading "No, when I asked her about it yesterday she said she was not quite sure, it would be better not to speak till she knew."
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "No, when I asked her about it yesterday she said she was not quite sure, it would be better not to speak till she knew."
swelledadjectiveUS /sweld/
feeling self-importance
From this reading "Yes, wiser even than some men with swelled noses."
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "Yes, wiser even than some men with swelled noses."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
up to a particular time
From this reading "No, when I asked her about it yesterday she said she was not quite sure, it would be better not to speak till she knew."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading "Has not Moonlight told you?"
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
the act of going from one place to another
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
precisely as stated
From this reading "Moonlight is very wise--almost as wise as a man."
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "No, when I asked her about it yesterday she said she was not quite sure, it would be better not to speak till she knew."
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
at the time that
From this reading "No, when I asked her about it yesterday she said she was not quite sure, it would be better not to speak till she knew."
in or at the place that
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading "Moonlight is very wise--almost as wise as a man."
wiseradjectiveUS /ˈwaɪzər/
comparative of “wise” — having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading "Yes, wiser even than some men with swelled noses."
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "Would there have been room for a jumping-jack too?" asked the child, with equal gravity; then, without waiting for an answer, she burst into a merry laugh, and asked where they were travelling to.
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes, wiser even than some men with swelled noses."
the day immediately before today
From this reading "No, when I asked her about it yesterday she said she was not quite sure, it would be better not to speak till she knew."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Has not Moonlight told you?"
