used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading No matter how hard the wind blew, Mr. Bear was never afraid of that.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Mr. Bear's house was quite the finest for many miles around.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Little Cuffy was not a bad bear at heart.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading Little Cuffy was not a bad bear at heart.
have
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
Bear'snounUS /berz/
possessive form of “bear” — massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws
From this reading Mr. Bear's house was quite the finest for many miles around.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard
From this reading No matter how hard the wind blew, Mr. Bear was never afraid of that.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
catchingnounUS /ˈkætʃɪŋ/
(baseball) playing the position of catcher on a baseball team
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
Cuffy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
Cuffy's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
at any time
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
a social unit living together
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
finestadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəst/
superlative of “fine” — being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading Mr. Bear's house was quite the finest for many miles around.
start firing a weapon
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Mr. Bear's house was quite the finest for many miles around.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading No matter how hard the wind blew, Mr. Bear was never afraid of that.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Little Cuffy was not a bad bear at heart.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Mr. Bear's house was quite the finest for many miles around.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No matter how hard the wind blew, Mr. Bear was never afraid of that.
be the source of pain
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
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 Mr. Bear's house was quite the finest for many miles around.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading No matter how hard the wind blew, Mr. Bear was never afraid of that.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading Mr. Bear's house was quite the finest for many miles around.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Mr. Bear's house was quite the finest for many miles around.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
not any; not one
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Little Cuffy was not a bad bear at heart.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Mr. Bear's house was quite the finest for many miles around.
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
Silkie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
successive (without a break)
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
in or at that place or location
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
precisely as stated
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mr. Bear's house was quite the finest for many miles around.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading No matter how hard the wind blew, Mr. Bear was never afraid of that.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Far up on the side of Blue Mountain lived Cuffy Bear with his father and mother and his little sister Silkie.
be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It was what people call a cave, being made entirely of stone, and so there was no danger of its ever catching fire; and since it was built straight into the side of the mountain the roof was so very, very thick that Cuffy's father never had to worry for fear a tree would fall upon his house and hurt his family.
