used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
AfricanounUS /ˈæfrəkɑː/
the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Ma's house at Ekenge was always like a big nursery.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
angryadjectiveUS /ˈæŋɡri/
feeling or showing anger
From this reading She was always sorriest for the babies, they were so helpless, and the only times she was really angry were when she saw them neglected or starved or made drunk.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Ma's house at Ekenge was always like a big nursery.
babiesnounUS /ˈbeɪbiz/
plural of “baby” — a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading She was always sorriest for the babies, they were so helpless, and the only times she was really angry were when she saw them neglected or starved or made drunk.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Ma's house at Ekenge was always like a big nursery.
birthdaynounUS /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/
an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
crueladjectiveUS /ˈkruːəl/
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
customsnounUS /ˈkʌstəmz/
money collected under a tariff
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading It was worse in Ma's days, when most of the people were still slaves.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
From this reading She was always sorriest for the babies, they were so helpless, and the only times she was really angry were when she saw them neglected or starved or made drunk.
Ekenge
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ma's house at Ekenge was always like a big nursery.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
hard-hearted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
lacking in or deprived of strength or power
From this reading She was always sorriest for the babies, they were so helpless, and the only times she was really angry were when she saw them neglected or starved or made drunk.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Ma's house at Ekenge was always like a big nursery.
a social unit living together
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was worse in Ma's days, when most of the people were still slaves.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Ma's house at Ekenge was always like a big nursery.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
Ma's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading She was always sorriest for the babies, they were so helpless, and the only times she was really angry were when she saw them neglected or starved or made drunk.
used to form the superlative
From this reading It was worse in Ma's days, when most of the people were still slaves.
MothersnounUS /ˈmʌðərz/
plural of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
neglectedadjectiveUS /nəˈɡlektəd/
disregarded
From this reading She was always sorriest for the babies, they were so helpless, and the only times she was really angry were when she saw them neglected or starved or made drunk.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
nurserynounUS /ˈnɜːrsəri/
a child's room for a baby
From this reading Ma's house at Ekenge was always like a big nursery.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
ofteneradverbUS /ˈɔːfənər/
more often or more frequently
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
on one occasion
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
and nothing more
From this reading She was always sorriest for the babies, they were so helpless, and the only times she was really angry were when she saw them neglected or starved or made drunk.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading She was always sorriest for the babies, they were so helpless, and the only times she was really angry were when she saw them neglected or starved or made drunk.
outcastnounUS /ˈaʊtkæst/
a person who is rejected (from society or home)
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading It was worse in Ma's days, when most of the people were still slaves.
petnounUS /pet/
a domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusement
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading She was always sorriest for the babies, they were so helpless, and the only times she was really angry were when she saw them neglected or starved or made drunk.
rescueverbUS /ˈreskjuː/
free from harm or evil
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
cut with a saw
From this reading She was always sorriest for the babies, they were so helpless, and the only times she was really angry were when she saw them neglected or starved or made drunk.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was always sorriest for the babies, they were so helpless, and the only times she was really angry were when she saw them neglected or starved or made drunk.
plural of “slave” — a person who is owned by someone
From this reading It was worse in Ma's days, when most of the people were still slaves.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
sorriest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was always sorriest for the babies, they were so helpless, and the only times she was really angry were when she saw them neglected or starved or made drunk.
starvedadjectiveUS /stɑːrvd/
suffering from lack of food
From this reading She was always sorriest for the babies, they were so helpless, and the only times she was really angry were when she saw them neglected or starved or made drunk.
not in physical motion
From this reading It was worse in Ma's days, when most of the people were still slaves.
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 Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
Susie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading She was always sorriest for the babies, they were so helpless, and the only times she was really angry were when she saw them neglected or starved or made drunk.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
thoughtlessadjectiveUS /ˈθɔːtləs/
showing lack of careful thought
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading She was always sorriest for the babies, they were so helpless, and the only times she was really angry were when she saw them neglected or starved or made drunk.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
twinsnounUS /twɪnz/
(mineralogy) two interwoven crystals that are mirror images on each other
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
precisely as stated
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Ma's house at Ekenge was always like a big nursery.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It was worse in Ma's days, when most of the people were still slaves.
at the time that
From this reading It was worse in Ma's days, when most of the people were still slaves.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Mothers are much the same all over the world, but in Africa they are very ignorant and thoughtless, and do not know how to care for their children, while they believe so much in the strange customs of the country that things are done to the little ones which seem to us hard-hearted and cruel.
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading It was worse in Ma's days, when most of the people were still slaves.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading Ma's great love for children; her rescue of outcast twins from death; the story of little Susie, the pet of the household; and something about a new kind of birthday that came oftener than once a year.
