used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE CAPTAIN AND THE LAMB For a few seconds Arnold did not know what to answer.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading But the beans kept on falling about the porch, and one struck a Tin Soldier and knocked him over.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE CAPTAIN AND THE LAMB For a few seconds Arnold did not know what to answer.
react verbally
From this reading THE CAPTAIN AND THE LAMB For a few seconds Arnold did not know what to answer.
ArnoldnounUS /ˈɑːrnəld/
English poet and literary critic (1822-1888)
From this reading THE CAPTAIN AND THE LAMB For a few seconds Arnold did not know what to answer.
beansnounUS /biːnz/
plural of “bean” — any of various edible seeds of plants of the family Leguminosae used for food
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
a youthful male person
From this reading He was, in fact, the drummer boy.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the beans kept on falling about the porch, and one struck a Tin Soldier and knocked him over.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading THE CAPTAIN AND THE LAMB For a few seconds Arnold did not know what to answer.
a boy or man
From this reading This Soldier was a very small chap.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading THE CAPTAIN AND THE LAMB For a few seconds Arnold did not know what to answer.
driedadjectiveUS /draɪd/
not still wet
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
drummernounUS /ˈdrʌmər/
someone who plays a drum
From this reading He was, in fact, the drummer boy.
opinion or judgment
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading He was, in fact, the drummer boy.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading But the beans kept on falling about the porch, and one struck a Tin Soldier and knocked him over.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading THE CAPTAIN AND THE LAMB For a few seconds Arnold did not know what to answer.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE CAPTAIN AND THE LAMB For a few seconds Arnold did not know what to answer.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
happeningnounUS /ˈhæpənɪŋ/
an event that happens
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
be the source of pain
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was, in fact, the drummer boy.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading But the beans kept on falling about the porch, and one struck a Tin Soldier and knocked him over.
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading But the beans kept on falling about the porch, and one struck a Tin Soldier and knocked him over.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading THE CAPTAIN AND THE LAMB For a few seconds Arnold did not know what to answer.
LAMBnounUS /læm/
young sheep
From this reading THE CAPTAIN AND THE LAMB For a few seconds Arnold did not know what to answer.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading THE CAPTAIN AND THE LAMB For a few seconds Arnold did not know what to answer.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading But the beans kept on falling about the porch, and one struck a Tin Soldier and knocked him over.
porchnounUS /pɔːrtʃ/
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading But the beans kept on falling about the porch, and one struck a Tin Soldier and knocked him over.
secondsnounUS /ˈsekəndz/
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading THE CAPTAIN AND THE LAMB For a few seconds Arnold did not know what to answer.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading This Soldier was a very small chap.
an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army
From this reading But the beans kept on falling about the porch, and one struck a Tin Soldier and knocked him over.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE CAPTAIN AND THE LAMB For a few seconds Arnold did not know what to answer.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This Soldier was a very small chap.
TinnounUS /tɪn/
a silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxide
From this reading But the beans kept on falling about the porch, and one struck a Tin Soldier and knocked him over.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE CAPTAIN AND THE LAMB For a few seconds Arnold did not know what to answer.
precisely as stated
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading THE CAPTAIN AND THE LAMB For a few seconds Arnold did not know what to answer.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading One of the hard, dried beans had struck him on the nose, and, while it did not hurt very much, it made his eyes water and he could not see what was happening.
