used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There were once three bears, who lived in a wood, Their porridge was thick, and their chairs and beds good.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There were once three bears, who lived in a wood, Their porridge was thick, and their chairs and beds good.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading Their son, Tiny-cub, was like Dame Goose's lad; He was not very good, nor yet very bad.
have
From this reading The biggest bear, Bruin, was surly and rough; His wife, Mrs. Bruin, was called Mammy Muff.
BEARSnounUS /berz/
plural of “bear” — massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws
From this reading _THE STORY OF_ THE THREE BEARS.
bedsnounUS /bedz/
plural of “bed” — a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading There were once three bears, who lived in a wood, Their porridge was thick, and their chairs and beds good.
biggestadjectiveUS /ˈbɪɡəst/
superlative of “big” — above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The biggest bear, Bruin, was surly and rough; His wife, Mrs. Bruin, was called Mammy Muff.
bowlnounUS /boʊl/
a round vessel that is open at the top; used chiefly for holding food or liquids
From this reading Now Bruin, the biggest--the surly old bear-- Had a great granite bowl, and a cast-iron chair.
BruinnounUS /ˈbruːɪn/
a conventional name for a bear used in tales following usage in the old epic “Reynard the Fox”
From this reading The biggest bear, Bruin, was surly and rough; His wife, Mrs. Bruin, was called Mammy Muff.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The biggest bear, Bruin, was surly and rough; His wife, Mrs. Bruin, was called Mammy Muff.
cast-ironadjective
extremely robust
From this reading Now Bruin, the biggest--the surly old bear-- Had a great granite bowl, and a cast-iron chair.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading Now Bruin, the biggest--the surly old bear-- Had a great granite bowl, and a cast-iron chair.
plural of “chair” — a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading There were once three bears, who lived in a wood, Their porridge was thick, and their chairs and beds good.
DamenounUS /deɪm/
informal terms for a (young) woman
From this reading Their son, Tiny-cub, was like Dame Goose's lad; He was not very good, nor yet very bad.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading There were once three bears, who lived in a wood, Their porridge was thick, and their chairs and beds good.
Goose'snounUS /ˈɡuːsɪz/
possessive form of “goose” — web-footed long-necked typically gregarious migratory aquatic birds usually larger and less aquatic than ducks
From this reading Their son, Tiny-cub, was like Dame Goose's lad; He was not very good, nor yet very bad.
granitenounUS /ˈɡrænət/
plutonic igneous rock having visibly crystalline texture; generally composed of feldspar and mica and quartz
From this reading Now Bruin, the biggest--the surly old bear-- Had a great granite bowl, and a cast-iron chair.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Now Bruin, the biggest--the surly old bear-- Had a great granite bowl, and a cast-iron chair.
Hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Now Bruin, the biggest--the surly old bear-- Had a great granite bowl, and a cast-iron chair.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Their son, Tiny-cub, was like Dame Goose's lad; He was not very good, nor yet very bad.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The biggest bear, Bruin, was surly and rough; His wife, Mrs. Bruin, was called Mammy Muff.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There were once three bears, who lived in a wood, Their porridge was thick, and their chairs and beds good.
a boy or man
From this reading Their son, Tiny-cub, was like Dame Goose's lad; He was not very good, nor yet very bad.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Their son, Tiny-cub, was like Dame Goose's lad; He was not very good, nor yet very bad.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading There were once three bears, who lived in a wood, Their porridge was thick, and their chairs and beds good.
Mammynoun
an offensive term for a Black nursemaid in the southern U.S.
From this reading The biggest bear, Bruin, was surly and rough; His wife, Mrs. Bruin, was called Mammy Muff.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading The biggest bear, Bruin, was surly and rough; His wife, Mrs. Bruin, was called Mammy Muff.
MuffnounUS /mʌf/
a warm tubular covering for the hands
From this reading The biggest bear, Bruin, was surly and rough; His wife, Mrs. Bruin, was called Mammy Muff.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Their son, Tiny-cub, was like Dame Goose's lad; He was not very good, nor yet very bad.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Their son, Tiny-cub, was like Dame Goose's lad; He was not very good, nor yet very bad.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now Bruin, the biggest--the surly old bear-- Had a great granite bowl, and a cast-iron chair.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _THE STORY OF_ THE THREE BEARS.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Now Bruin, the biggest--the surly old bear-- Had a great granite bowl, and a cast-iron chair.
on one occasion
From this reading There were once three bears, who lived in a wood, Their porridge was thick, and their chairs and beds good.
porridgenounUS /ˈpɔːrədʒ/
soft food made by boiling oatmeal or other meal or legumes in water or milk until thick
From this reading There were once three bears, who lived in a wood, Their porridge was thick, and their chairs and beds good.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading The biggest bear, Bruin, was surly and rough; His wife, Mrs. Bruin, was called Mammy Muff.
a male human offspring
From this reading Their son, Tiny-cub, was like Dame Goose's lad; He was not very good, nor yet very bad.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading _THE STORY OF_ THE THREE BEARS.
surlyadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrli/
inclined to anger or bad feelings with overtones of menace
From this reading The biggest bear, Bruin, was surly and rough; His wife, Mrs. Bruin, was called Mammy Muff.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _THE STORY OF_ THE THREE BEARS.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading There were once three bears, who lived in a wood, Their porridge was thick, and their chairs and beds good.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were once three bears, who lived in a wood, Their porridge was thick, and their chairs and beds good.
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 There were once three bears, who lived in a wood, Their porridge was thick, and their chairs and beds good.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading _THE STORY OF_ THE THREE BEARS.
Tiny-cub
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Their son, Tiny-cub, was like Dame Goose's lad; He was not very good, nor yet very bad.
precisely as stated
From this reading Their son, Tiny-cub, was like Dame Goose's lad; He was not very good, nor yet very bad.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There were once three bears, who lived in a wood, Their porridge was thick, and their chairs and beds good.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were once three bears, who lived in a wood, Their porridge was thick, and their chairs and beds good.
which person or people
From this reading There were once three bears, who lived in a wood, Their porridge was thick, and their chairs and beds good.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading The biggest bear, Bruin, was surly and rough; His wife, Mrs. Bruin, was called Mammy Muff.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading There were once three bears, who lived in a wood, Their porridge was thick, and their chairs and beds good.
but in spite of that
From this reading Their son, Tiny-cub, was like Dame Goose's lad; He was not very good, nor yet very bad.
