used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Well, you let the cattle in and they have destroyed all my early potatoes,--a terrible piece of business!"
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
quickly and without warning
From this reading "I left it open," I said abruptly.
(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 "Well, you let the cattle in and they have destroyed all my early potatoes,--a terrible piece of business!"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Well, you let the cattle in and they have destroyed all my early potatoes,--a terrible piece of business!"
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
a youthful male person
From this reading "I'm very sorry, I'd--" "Talking won't help matters now; but remember, boy, remember that sorrow doesn't make potatoes,--sorrow doesn't make potatoes."
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading "Well, you let the cattle in and they have destroyed all my early potatoes,--a terrible piece of business!"
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "I'm very sorry, I'd--" "Talking won't help matters now; but remember, boy, remember that sorrow doesn't make potatoes,--sorrow doesn't make potatoes."
domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age
From this reading "Well, you let the cattle in and they have destroyed all my early potatoes,--a terrible piece of business!"
spoiled or ruined or demolished
From this reading "Well, you let the cattle in and they have destroyed all my early potatoes,--a terrible piece of business!"
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Out with it; tell just what you did!"
doesn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm very sorry, I'd--" "Talking won't help matters now; but remember, boy, remember that sorrow doesn't make potatoes,--sorrow doesn't make potatoes."
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading "Well, you let the cattle in and they have destroyed all my early potatoes,--a terrible piece of business!"
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
a man of refinement
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Well, you let the cattle in and they have destroyed all my early potatoes,--a terrible piece of business!"
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading "I'm very sorry, I'd--" "Talking won't help matters now; but remember, boy, remember that sorrow doesn't make potatoes,--sorrow doesn't make potatoes."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I left it open," I said abruptly.
I'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm very sorry, I'd--" "Talking won't help matters now; but remember, boy, remember that sorrow doesn't make potatoes,--sorrow doesn't make potatoes."
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm very sorry, I'd--" "Talking won't help matters now; but remember, boy, remember that sorrow doesn't make potatoes,--sorrow doesn't make potatoes."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Well, you let the cattle in and they have destroyed all my early potatoes,--a terrible piece of business!"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Out with it; tell just what you did!"
and nothing more
From this reading "Out with it; tell just what you did!"
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading "I left it open," I said abruptly.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "Well, you let the cattle in and they have destroyed all my early potatoes,--a terrible piece of business!"
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
engage in
From this reading "I'm very sorry, I'd--" "Talking won't help matters now; but remember, boy, remember that sorrow doesn't make potatoes,--sorrow doesn't make potatoes."
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern
From this reading "I'm very sorry, I'd--" "Talking won't help matters now; but remember, boy, remember that sorrow doesn't make potatoes,--sorrow doesn't make potatoes."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Well, you let the cattle in and they have destroyed all my early potatoes,--a terrible piece of business!"
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "I'm very sorry, I'd--" "Talking won't help matters now; but remember, boy, remember that sorrow doesn't make potatoes,--sorrow doesn't make potatoes."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Well, you let the cattle in and they have destroyed all my early potatoes,--a terrible piece of business!"
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading "I left it open," I said abruptly.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Out with it; tell just what you did!"
a separate part of a whole
From this reading "Well, you let the cattle in and they have destroyed all my early potatoes,--a terrible piece of business!"
potatoesnounUS /pəˈteɪtoʊz/
plural of “potato” — an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland
From this reading "Well, you let the cattle in and they have destroyed all my early potatoes,--a terrible piece of business!"
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
To recall to mind.
From this reading "I'm very sorry, I'd--" "Talking won't help matters now; but remember, boy, remember that sorrow doesn't make potatoes,--sorrow doesn't make potatoes."
reproved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I left it open," I said abruptly.
severelyadverbUS /səˈvɪrli/
to a severe or serious degree
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement
From this reading "I'm very sorry, I'd--" "Talking won't help matters now; but remember, boy, remember that sorrow doesn't make potatoes,--sorrow doesn't make potatoes."
sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading "I'm very sorry, I'd--" "Talking won't help matters now; but remember, boy, remember that sorrow doesn't make potatoes,--sorrow doesn't make potatoes."
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading "I'm very sorry, I'd--" "Talking won't help matters now; but remember, boy, remember that sorrow doesn't make potatoes,--sorrow doesn't make potatoes."
express in words
From this reading "Out with it; tell just what you did!"
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading "Well, you let the cattle in and they have destroyed all my early potatoes,--a terrible piece of business!"
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I'm very sorry, I'd--" "Talking won't help matters now; but remember, boy, remember that sorrow doesn't make potatoes,--sorrow doesn't make potatoes."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Well, you let the cattle in and they have destroyed all my early potatoes,--a terrible piece of business!"
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Well, you let the cattle in and they have destroyed all my early potatoes,--a terrible piece of business!"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
precisely as stated
From this reading "I'm very sorry, I'd--" "Talking won't help matters now; but remember, boy, remember that sorrow doesn't make potatoes,--sorrow doesn't make potatoes."
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I felt very bad about the matter, for I was really sorry that the old gentleman had lost his potatoes, and then I expected to be severely reproved at home.
(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 "Well, you let the cattle in and they have destroyed all my early potatoes,--a terrible piece of business!"
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Out with it; tell just what you did!"
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Out with it; tell just what you did!"
won't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm very sorry, I'd--" "Talking won't help matters now; but remember, boy, remember that sorrow doesn't make potatoes,--sorrow doesn't make potatoes."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Out with it; tell just what you did!"
