used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
donkeynounUS /ˈdɑːŋki/
the symbol of the Democratic Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading “Oh, father, we _must_ go and see him,” said Teddy.
fathersnounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
plural of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “Oh, father, we _must_ go and see him,” said Teddy.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
grandchildrennounUS /ˈɡræntʃɪldrən/
plural of “grandchild” — a child of your son or daughter
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
annoy continually or chronically
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Oh, father, we _must_ go and see him,” said Teddy.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
includingverbUS /ˌɪnˈkluːdɪŋ/
-ing form of “include” — have as a part, be made up out of
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
a small worthless amount
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading “Please, may we?”
meadownounUS /ˈmedoʊ/
a field where grass or alfalfa are grown to be made into hay
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
mistress's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
mothersnounUS /ˈmʌðərz/
plural of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “Oh, father, we _must_ go and see him,” said Teddy.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh, father, we _must_ go and see him,” said Teddy.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
performingnounUS /pərˈfɔːrmɪŋ/
the performance of a part or role in a drama
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading “Please, may we?”
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “Oh, father, we _must_ go and see him,” said Teddy.
sixteenadjectiveUS /sɪkˈstiːn/
being one more than fifteen
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
TeddynounUS /ˈtedi/
plaything consisting of a child's toy bear (usually plush and stuffed with soft materials)
From this reading “Oh, father, we _must_ go and see him,” said Teddy.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
in or at that place or location
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
tricksnounUS /trɪks/
plural of “trick” — a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
precisely as stated
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading There were fifteen of them altogether, or sixteen including myself, for little Jack and his cousin Harry rode on my back, and the rest walked or drove.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A few days after this there was a fair in the next village, and my mistress’s grandchildren were to be taken there by their fathers and mothers.
at the time that
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
in or at the place that
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
which person or people
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading When we got to the fair we heard some people talking about a wonderful performing donkey who was said to be very clever, and who would begin his tricks in ten minutes at the other end of the meadow where the fair was being held.
