used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A grimy calico apron trailed to the floor.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "The Queen is ve-ry particular about her golden platters.
apronnounUS /ˈeɪprən/
a garment of cloth or leather or plastic that is tied about the waist and worn to protect your clothing
From this reading A grimy calico apron trailed to the floor.
barelyadverbUS /ˈberli/
only a very short time before
From this reading On her feet she would barely have reached the rim of the great dish-pan, but on the soap-box she did very well.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading On her feet she would barely have reached the rim of the great dish-pan, but on the soap-box she did very well.
calicoadjectiveUS /ˈkæləkoʊ/
made of calico or resembling calico in being patterned
From this reading A grimy calico apron trailed to the floor.
free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits
From this reading "Now this golden platter I must wash _extry_ clean," the Princess said.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading On her feet she would barely have reached the rim of the great dish-pan, but on the soap-box she did very well.
dish-pan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On her feet she would barely have reached the rim of the great dish-pan, but on the soap-box she did very well.
dishesnounUS /ˈdɪʃəz/
plural of “dish” — a piece of dishware normally used as a container for holding or serving food
From this reading The Princess of Make-Believe The Princess was washing dishes.
extry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Now this golden platter I must wash _extry_ clean," the Princess said.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading On her feet she would barely have reached the rim of the great dish-pan, but on the soap-box she did very well.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading A grimy calico apron trailed to the floor.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading "Now this golden platter I must wash _extry_ clean," the Princess said.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading On her feet she would barely have reached the rim of the great dish-pan, but on the soap-box she did very well.
grimyadjectiveUS /ˈɡraɪmi/
thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
From this reading A grimy calico apron trailed to the floor.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading On her feet she would barely have reached the rim of the great dish-pan, but on the soap-box she did very well.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading On her feet she would barely have reached the rim of the great dish-pan, but on the soap-box she did very well.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Now this golden platter I must wash _extry_ clean," the Princess said.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "The Queen is ve-ry particular about her golden platters.
Make-Believenoun
imaginative intellectual play
From this reading The Princess of Make-Believe The Princess was washing dishes.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "Now this golden platter I must wash _extry_ clean," the Princess said.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Now this golden platter I must wash _extry_ clean," the Princess said.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Princess of Make-Believe The Princess was washing dishes.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On her feet she would barely have reached the rim of the great dish-pan, but on the soap-box she did very well.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading "The Queen is ve-ry particular about her golden platters.
platternounUS /ˈplætər/
a large shallow dish used for serving food
From this reading "Now this golden platter I must wash _extry_ clean," the Princess said.
plattersnounUS /ˈplætərz/
plural of “platter” — a large shallow dish used for serving food
From this reading "The Queen is ve-ry particular about her golden platters.
The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.
From this reading The Princess of Make-Believe The Princess was washing dishes.
the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs
From this reading "The Queen is ve-ry particular about her golden platters.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading On her feet she would barely have reached the rim of the great dish-pan, but on the soap-box she did very well.
rimnounUS /rɪm/
the shape of a raised edge of a more or less circular object
From this reading On her feet she would barely have reached the rim of the great dish-pan, but on the soap-box she did very well.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Now this golden platter I must wash _extry_ clean," the Princess said.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading On her feet she would barely have reached the rim of the great dish-pan, but on the soap-box she did very well.
soap-box
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On her feet she would barely have reached the rim of the great dish-pan, but on the soap-box she did very well.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Princess of Make-Believe The Princess was washing dishes.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Now this golden platter I must wash _extry_ clean," the Princess said.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A grimy calico apron trailed to the floor.
trailedverbUS /treɪld/
past form of “trail” — to lag or linger behind
From this reading A grimy calico apron trailed to the floor.
ve-ry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The Queen is ve-ry particular about her golden platters.
precisely as stated
From this reading On her feet she would barely have reached the rim of the great dish-pan, but on the soap-box she did very well.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Princess of Make-Believe The Princess was washing dishes.
washverbUS /wɑːʃ/
clean with some chemical process
From this reading "Now this golden platter I must wash _extry_ clean," the Princess said.
washingnounUS /ˈwɑːʃɪŋ/
the work of cleansing (usually with soap and water)
From this reading The Princess of Make-Believe The Princess was washing dishes.
(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 On her feet she would barely have reached the rim of the great dish-pan, but on the soap-box she did very well.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading On her feet she would barely have reached the rim of the great dish-pan, but on the soap-box she did very well.
