used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The radio boys ruminated over Herb’s suggestion for a little while.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
(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 “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “Not by itself, it wouldn’t,” answered Bob.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Wouldn’t the horn help out on that?” asked Herb.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading We can hear the sound that comes over the wire well with these earpieces glued to our ears, but the sound would be lost if it were spread all over the room.”
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading “Not by itself, it wouldn’t,” answered Bob.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading The radio boys ruminated over Herb’s suggestion for a little while.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “Not by itself, it wouldn’t,” answered Bob.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading We can hear the sound that comes over the wire well with these earpieces glued to our ears, but the sound would be lost if it were spread all over the room.”
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading We can hear the sound that comes over the wire well with these earpieces glued to our ears, but the sound would be lost if it were spread all over the room.”
couldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
earpiecesnounUS /ˈɪrpisɪz/
plural of “earpiece” — electro-acoustic transducer for converting electric signals into sounds; it is held over or inserted into the ear
From this reading We can hear the sound that comes over the wire well with these earpieces glued to our ears, but the sound would be lost if it were spread all over the room.”
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading We can hear the sound that comes over the wire well with these earpieces glued to our ears, but the sound would be lost if it were spread all over the room.”
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The radio boys ruminated over Herb’s suggestion for a little while.
gluedadjectiveUS /ɡluːd/
affixed or as if affixed with glue or paste
From this reading We can hear the sound that comes over the wire well with these earpieces glued to our ears, but the sound would be lost if it were spread all over the room.”
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading We can hear the sound that comes over the wire well with these earpieces glued to our ears, but the sound would be lost if it were spread all over the room.”
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading “Wouldn’t the horn help out on that?” asked Herb.
HerbnounUS /ɜːrb/
a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests
From this reading “Wouldn’t the horn help out on that?” asked Herb.
Herb'snounUS /ɜːrbz/
possessive form of “herb” — a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests
From this reading The radio boys ruminated over Herb’s suggestion for a little while.
hornnounUS /hɔːrn/
a noisemaker (as at parties or games) that makes a loud noise when you blow through it
From this reading “Wouldn’t the horn help out on that?” asked Herb.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading We can hear the sound that comes over the wire well with these earpieces glued to our ears, but the sound would be lost if it were spread all over the room.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
Joe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The radio boys ruminated over Herb’s suggestion for a little while.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading We can hear the sound that comes over the wire well with these earpieces glued to our ears, but the sound would be lost if it were spread all over the room.”
engage in
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “Not by itself, it wouldn’t,” answered Bob.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Wouldn’t the horn help out on that?” asked Herb.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading We can hear the sound that comes over the wire well with these earpieces glued to our ears, but the sound would be lost if it were spread all over the room.”
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “Wouldn’t the horn help out on that?” asked Herb.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The radio boys ruminated over Herb’s suggestion for a little while.
pronouncedadjectiveUS /prəˈnaʊnst/
strongly marked; easily noticeable
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
radionounUS /ˈreɪdioʊ/
medium for communication
From this reading The radio boys ruminated over Herb’s suggestion for a little while.
precisely, exactly
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading We can hear the sound that comes over the wire well with these earpieces glued to our ears, but the sound would be lost if it were spread all over the room.”
ruminatedverbUS /ˈruːmɪneɪtɪd/
past form of “ruminate” — chew the cuds
From this reading The radio boys ruminated over Herb’s suggestion for a little while.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading We can hear the sound that comes over the wire well with these earpieces glued to our ears, but the sound would be lost if it were spread all over the room.”
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading We can hear the sound that comes over the wire well with these earpieces glued to our ears, but the sound would be lost if it were spread all over the room.”
an idea that is suggested
From this reading The radio boys ruminated over Herb’s suggestion for a little while.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The radio boys ruminated over Herb’s suggestion for a little while.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading We can hear the sound that comes over the wire well with these earpieces glued to our ears, but the sound would be lost if it were spread all over the room.”
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
a source of difficulty
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
precisely as stated
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
we've
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We can hear the sound that comes over the wire well with these earpieces glued to our ears, but the sound would be lost if it were spread all over the room.”
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading The radio boys ruminated over Herb’s suggestion for a little while.
ligament made of metal and used to fasten things or make cages or fences etc
From this reading We can hear the sound that comes over the wire well with these earpieces glued to our ears, but the sound would be lost if it were spread all over the room.”
in the company of; together with
From this reading “The idea itself is all right,” pronounced Joe slowly, “but the trouble is that we couldn’t do it very well with this set, which is the best we’ve been able to make so far.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading We can hear the sound that comes over the wire well with these earpieces glued to our ears, but the sound would be lost if it were spread all over the room.”
Wouldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Wouldn’t the horn help out on that?” asked Herb.
