used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Nobody really liked Elsie very much because it is difficult to like a child who constantly squirms.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The young have an unconscious preference for success or the materials of success, and no one could have imagined a success being made of Elsie.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The young have an unconscious preference for success or the materials of success, and no one could have imagined a success being made of Elsie.
AndrewsnounUS /ˈændruːz/
United States naturalist who contributed to paleontology and geology (1884-1960)
From this reading Elsie Andrews was exactly the kind of girl Miss Strickland disliked most.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She went, at school, by the name of “The Worm.”
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading She had long, greasy, dark hair which fell perfectly straight down her back, and was the colour of a wet haystack.
for the reason that
From this reading Nobody really liked Elsie very much because it is difficult to like a child who constantly squirms.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading The young have an unconscious preference for success or the materials of success, and no one could have imagined a success being made of Elsie.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading She went, at school, by the name of “The Worm.”
a young person of either sex
From this reading Nobody really liked Elsie very much because it is difficult to like a child who constantly squirms.
having or capable of producing colors
From this reading She had long, greasy, dark hair which fell perfectly straight down her back, and was the colour of a wet haystack.
without variation or change, in every case
From this reading Nobody really liked Elsie very much because it is difficult to like a child who constantly squirms.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The young have an unconscious preference for success or the materials of success, and no one could have imagined a success being made of Elsie.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading She had long, greasy, dark hair which fell perfectly straight down her back, and was the colour of a wet haystack.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading Nobody really liked Elsie very much because it is difficult to like a child who constantly squirms.
dislikedadjectiveUS /dɪˈslaɪkt/
regarded with aversion
From this reading Elsie Andrews was exactly the kind of girl Miss Strickland disliked most.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading She had long, greasy, dark hair which fell perfectly straight down her back, and was the colour of a wet haystack.
Elsie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Elsie Andrews was exactly the kind of girl Miss Strickland disliked most.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading Elsie Andrews was exactly the kind of girl Miss Strickland disliked most.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading She had long, greasy, dark hair which fell perfectly straight down her back, and was the colour of a wet haystack.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The young have an unconscious preference for success or the materials of success, and no one could have imagined a success being made of Elsie.
a young female
From this reading Elsie Andrews was exactly the kind of girl Miss Strickland disliked most.
greasyadjectiveUS /ˈɡriːsi/
containing an unusual amount of grease or oil
From this reading She had long, greasy, dark hair which fell perfectly straight down her back, and was the colour of a wet haystack.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had long, greasy, dark hair which fell perfectly straight down her back, and was the colour of a wet haystack.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading She had long, greasy, dark hair which fell perfectly straight down her back, and was the colour of a wet haystack.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The young have an unconscious preference for success or the materials of success, and no one could have imagined a success being made of Elsie.
haystacknounUS /ˈheɪstæk/
a stack of hay
From this reading She had long, greasy, dark hair which fell perfectly straight down her back, and was the colour of a wet haystack.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She had long, greasy, dark hair which fell perfectly straight down her back, and was the colour of a wet haystack.
past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading The young have an unconscious preference for success or the materials of success, and no one could have imagined a success being made of Elsie.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Nobody really liked Elsie very much because it is difficult to like a child who constantly squirms.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Nobody really liked Elsie very much because it is difficult to like a child who constantly squirms.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading Elsie Andrews was exactly the kind of girl Miss Strickland disliked most.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Nobody really liked Elsie very much because it is difficult to like a child who constantly squirms.
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading Nobody really liked Elsie very much because it is difficult to like a child who constantly squirms.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading She had long, greasy, dark hair which fell perfectly straight down her back, and was the colour of a wet haystack.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The young have an unconscious preference for success or the materials of success, and no one could have imagined a success being made of Elsie.
materialsnounUS /məˈtɪriəlz/
plural of “material” — the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object
From this reading The young have an unconscious preference for success or the materials of success, and no one could have imagined a success being made of Elsie.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading Elsie Andrews was exactly the kind of girl Miss Strickland disliked most.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Elsie Andrews was exactly the kind of girl Miss Strickland disliked most.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Nobody really liked Elsie very much because it is difficult to like a child who constantly squirms.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading She went, at school, by the name of “The Worm.”
not any; not one
From this reading The young have an unconscious preference for success or the materials of success, and no one could have imagined a success being made of Elsie.
no person; not anyone
From this reading Nobody really liked Elsie very much because it is difficult to like a child who constantly squirms.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Elsie Andrews was exactly the kind of girl Miss Strickland disliked most.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The young have an unconscious preference for success or the materials of success, and no one could have imagined a success being made of Elsie.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The young have an unconscious preference for success or the materials of success, and no one could have imagined a success being made of Elsie.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading She had long, greasy, dark hair which fell perfectly straight down her back, and was the colour of a wet haystack.
preferencenounUS /ˈprefərəns/
a strong liking
From this reading The young have an unconscious preference for success or the materials of success, and no one could have imagined a success being made of Elsie.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading Nobody really liked Elsie very much because it is difficult to like a child who constantly squirms.
an educational institution
From this reading She went, at school, by the name of “The Worm.”
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She went, at school, by the name of “The Worm.”
squirmsnounUS /skwɜːrmz/
plural of “squirm” — the act of wiggling
From this reading Nobody really liked Elsie very much because it is difficult to like a child who constantly squirms.
successive (without a break)
From this reading She had long, greasy, dark hair which fell perfectly straight down her back, and was the colour of a wet haystack.
StricklandnounUS /ˈstrɪklənd/
United States architect and student of Latrobe (1787-1854)
From this reading Elsie Andrews was exactly the kind of girl Miss Strickland disliked most.
an event that accomplishes its intended purpose
From this reading The young have an unconscious preference for success or the materials of success, and no one could have imagined a success being made of Elsie.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Elsie Andrews was exactly the kind of girl Miss Strickland disliked most.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Nobody really liked Elsie very much because it is difficult to like a child who constantly squirms.
not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead
From this reading The young have an unconscious preference for success or the materials of success, and no one could have imagined a success being made of Elsie.
precisely as stated
From this reading Nobody really liked Elsie very much because it is difficult to like a child who constantly squirms.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Elsie Andrews was exactly the kind of girl Miss Strickland disliked most.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading She went, at school, by the name of “The Worm.”
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading She had long, greasy, dark hair which fell perfectly straight down her back, and was the colour of a wet haystack.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading She had long, greasy, dark hair which fell perfectly straight down her back, and was the colour of a wet haystack.
which person or people
From this reading Nobody really liked Elsie very much because it is difficult to like a child who constantly squirms.
WormnounUS /wɜːrm/
any of numerous relatively small elongated soft-bodied animals especially of the phyla Annelida and Chaetognatha and Nematoda and Nemertea and Platyhelminthes; also many insect larvae
From this reading She went, at school, by the name of “The Worm.”
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The young have an unconscious preference for success or the materials of success, and no one could have imagined a success being made of Elsie.
