used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had never been taught to say his prayers.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading He could not read nor write, and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself, for there was no water up the court where he lived.
chimneysnounUS /ˈtʃɪmniz/
plural of “chimney” — a vertical flue that provides a path through which smoke from a fire is carried away through the wall or roof of a building
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29)
From this reading He never had heard of God, or of Christ, except in words which you never have heard, and which it would have been well if he had never heard.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He could not read nor write, and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself, for there was no water up the court where he lived.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading He could not read nor write, and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself, for there was no water up the court where he lived.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading He cried half his time, and laughed the other half.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He could not read nor write, and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself, for there was no water up the court where he lived.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading He could not read nor write, and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself, for there was no water up the court where he lived.
earnverbUS /ɜːrn/
earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
one or the other of two
From this reading He could not read nor write, and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself, for there was no water up the court where he lived.
apart from; not including
From this reading He never had heard of God, or of Christ, except in words which you never have heard, and which it would have been well if he had never heard.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading He never had heard of God, or of Christ, except in words which you never have heard, and which it would have been well if he had never heard.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had never been taught to say his prayers.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading He cried half his time, and laughed the other half.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He never had heard of God, or of Christ, except in words which you never have heard, and which it would have been well if he had never heard.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading He never had heard of God, or of Christ, except in words which you never have heard, and which it would have been well if he had never heard.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He could not read nor write, and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself, for there was no water up the court where he lived.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He never had heard of God, or of Christ, except in words which you never have heard, and which it would have been well if he had never heard.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He never had heard of God, or of Christ, except in words which you never have heard, and which it would have been well if he had never heard.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading He cried half his time, and laughed the other half.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading He could not read nor write, and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself, for there was no water up the court where he lived.
not any; not one
From this reading He could not read nor write, and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself, for there was no water up the court where he lived.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading He could not read nor write, and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself, for there was no water up the court where he lived.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He could not read nor write, and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself, for there was no water up the court where he lived.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He never had heard of God, or of Christ, except in words which you never have heard, and which it would have been well if he had never heard.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading He cried half his time, and laughed the other half.
a full supply
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
plural of “prayer” — the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)
From this reading He had never been taught to say his prayers.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading He could not read nor write, and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself, for there was no water up the court where he lived.
express in words
From this reading He had never been taught to say his prayers.
use up a period of time in a specific way
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
sweepverbUS /swiːp/
sweep across or over
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading He had never been taught to say his prayers.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
in or at that place or location
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading He cried half his time, and laughed the other half.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
male cat
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He could not read nor write, and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself, for there was no water up the court where he lived.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He could not read nor write, and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself, for there was no water up the court where he lived.
washedadjectiveUS /wɑːʃt/
clean by virtue of having been washed in water
From this reading He could not read nor write, and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself, for there was no water up the court where he lived.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading He could not read nor write, and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself, for there was no water up the court where he lived.
(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 He never had heard of God, or of Christ, except in words which you never have heard, and which it would have been well if he had never heard.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
in or at the place that
From this reading He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He never had heard of God, or of Christ, except in words which you never have heard, and which it would have been well if he had never heard.
the words that are spoken
From this reading He never had heard of God, or of Christ, except in words which you never have heard, and which it would have been well if he had never heard.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He never had heard of God, or of Christ, except in words which you never have heard, and which it would have been well if he had never heard.
produce a literary work
From this reading He could not read nor write, and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself, for there was no water up the court where he lived.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading He never had heard of God, or of Christ, except in words which you never have heard, and which it would have been well if he had never heard.
