used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
acornsnounUS /ˈeɪkɔːrnz/
plural of “acorn” — fruit of the oak tree: a smooth thin-walled nut in a woody cup-shaped base
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Well, I declare, my lazy wife and children are lying there still, curled up like so many dead things!
in a state of sleep
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
give a benediction to
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading Hallo, Mrs. Brush! come, get up and eat some breakfast.
BrushverbUS /brʌʃ/
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading Hallo, Mrs. Brush! come, get up and eat some breakfast.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading "Yes, I have certainly been asleep," said the squirrel, "and I fancy I have had a pretty long nap too.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading Well, I declare, my lazy wife and children are lying there still, curled up like so many dead things!
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Hallo, Mrs. Brush! come, get up and eat some breakfast.
curledadjectiveUS /kɜːrld/
(of hair) making curls or having been made to curl
From this reading Well, I declare, my lazy wife and children are lying there still, curled up like so many dead things!
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading Well, I declare, my lazy wife and children are lying there still, curled up like so many dead things!
declareverbUS /dɪˈkler/
state emphatically and authoritatively
From this reading Well, I declare, my lazy wife and children are lying there still, curled up like so many dead things!
deliciousadjectiveUS /dɪˈlɪʃəs/
greatly pleasing or entertaining
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
dismaladjectiveUS /ˈdɪzməl/
causing dejection
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
take in solid food
From this reading Hallo, Mrs. Brush! come, get up and eat some breakfast.
inflected form of “eat” — take in solid food
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
apart from; not including
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
a social unit living together
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
something many people believe that is false
From this reading "Yes, I have certainly been asleep," said the squirrel, "and I fancy I have had a pretty long nap too.
a boy or man
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Hallo, Mrs. Brush! come, get up and eat some breakfast.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
Hallo
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hallo, Mrs. Brush! come, get up and eat some breakfast.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
JanuarynounUS /ˈdʒænjuːeri/
the first month of the year; begins 10 days after the winter solstice
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
lazyadjectiveUS /ˈleɪzi/
moving slowly and gently
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Well, I declare, my lazy wife and children are lying there still, curled up like so many dead things!
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading "Yes, I have certainly been asleep," said the squirrel, "and I fancy I have had a pretty long nap too.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading Well, I declare, my lazy wife and children are lying there still, curled up like so many dead things!
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 Well, I declare, my lazy wife and children are lying there still, curled up like so many dead things!
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Hallo, Mrs. Brush! come, get up and eat some breakfast.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Well, I declare, my lazy wife and children are lying there still, curled up like so many dead things!
napnounUS /næp/
a period of time spent sleeping
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
nutsadjectiveUS /nʌts/
informal or slang terms for mentally irregular
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading "Yes, I have certainly been asleep," said the squirrel, "and I fancy I have had a pretty long nap too.
showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
reposeverbUS /riˈpoʊz/
put or confide something in a person or thing
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
(military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
past form of “rouse” — become active
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Well, I declare, my lazy wife and children are lying there still, curled up like so many dead things!
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Hallo, Mrs. Brush! come, get up and eat some breakfast.
the season of growth
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
squirrelnounUS /ˈskwɜːrəl/
a kind of arboreal rodent having a long bushy tail
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
not in physical motion
From this reading Well, I declare, my lazy wife and children are lying there still, curled up like so many dead things!
a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Well, I declare, my lazy wife and children are lying there still, curled up like so many dead things!
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Well, I declare, my lazy wife and children are lying there still, curled up like so many dead things!
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading "Yes, I have certainly been asleep," said the squirrel, "and I fancy I have had a pretty long nap too.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Well, I declare, my lazy wife and children are lying there still, curled up like so many dead things!
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
warmthnounUS /wɔːrmθ/
the sensation caused by heat energy
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading The truth is, that he and his family had fallen asleep at the first setting in of the cold weather, and had passed the dismal winter in a state of profound repose, except, that, during a warm day or two in January, they had roused themselves for a short time, and eaten a few nuts and acorns from their winter store.
(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 Well, I declare, my lazy wife and children are lying there still, curled up like so many dead things!
at the time that
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading Well, I declare, my lazy wife and children are lying there still, curled up like so many dead things!
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading "Bless me, I do believe I have been asleep!" said a squirrel, one fine morning in early spring, when the delicious warmth of the sun had reached him in his winter retreat, and roused the lazy little fellow from a two months' nap.
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes, I have certainly been asleep," said the squirrel, "and I fancy I have had a pretty long nap too.
