used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading On a rock stood the cage of straw burning cheerily.
(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 “You’re all right, old man,” Tom said feelingly; “I ought to have got here sooner, but you’re all right.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He opened his eyes slowly and saw Tom kneeling over him.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The place looked horrible in the light, a light which it had never known before.
bitsnounUS /bɪts/
plural of “bit” — a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading On the cage lay the twigs and on these, two solid bits of hard wood, not yet ignited.
the act of burning something
From this reading On a rock stood the cage of straw burning cheerily.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “You’re all right, old man,” Tom said feelingly; “I ought to have got here sooner, but you’re all right.
cagenounUS /keɪdʒ/
an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept
From this reading On a rock stood the cage of straw burning cheerily.
cheerilyadverb
in a cheerful manner
From this reading On a rock stood the cage of straw burning cheerily.
opinion or judgment
From this reading He opened his eyes slowly and saw Tom kneeling over him.
feelinglyadverb
with great feeling
From this reading “You’re all right, old man,” Tom said feelingly; “I ought to have got here sooner, but you’re all right.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “You’re all right, old man,” Tom said feelingly; “I ought to have got here sooner, but you’re all right.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The place looked horrible in the light, a light which it had never known before.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading On the cage lay the twigs and on these, two solid bits of hard wood, not yet ignited.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “You’re all right, old man,” Tom said feelingly; “I ought to have got here sooner, but you’re all right.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He opened his eyes slowly and saw Tom kneeling over him.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “You’re all right, old man,” Tom said feelingly; “I ought to have got here sooner, but you’re all right.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He opened his eyes slowly and saw Tom kneeling over him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He opened his eyes slowly and saw Tom kneeling over him.
provoking horror
From this reading The place looked horrible in the light, a light which it had never known before.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “You’re all right, old man,” Tom said feelingly; “I ought to have got here sooner, but you’re all right.
ignitedadjectiveUS /ˌɪɡˈnaɪtɪd/
set afire
From this reading On the cage lay the twigs and on these, two solid bits of hard wood, not yet ignited.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The place looked horrible in the light, a light which it had never known before.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The place looked horrible in the light, a light which it had never known before.
kneelingnounUS /ˈniːlɪŋ/
supporting yourself on your knees
From this reading He opened his eyes slowly and saw Tom kneeling over him.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading The place looked horrible in the light, a light which it had never known before.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading On the cage lay the twigs and on these, two solid bits of hard wood, not yet ignited.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The place looked horrible in the light, a light which it had never known before.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The place looked horrible in the light, a light which it had never known before.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “You’re all right, old man,” Tom said feelingly; “I ought to have got here sooner, but you’re all right.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading The place looked horrible in the light, a light which it had never known before.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading On the cage lay the twigs and on these, two solid bits of hard wood, not yet ignited.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading On a rock stood the cage of straw burning cheerily.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading “You’re all right, old man,” Tom said feelingly; “I ought to have got here sooner, but you’re all right.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On a rock stood the cage of straw burning cheerily.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading He opened his eyes slowly and saw Tom kneeling over him.
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading “You’re all right, old man,” Tom said feelingly; “I ought to have got here sooner, but you’re all right.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading He opened his eyes slowly and saw Tom kneeling over him.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The place looked horrible in the light, a light which it had never known before.
precisely, exactly
From this reading “You’re all right, old man,” Tom said feelingly; “I ought to have got here sooner, but you’re all right.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading On a rock stood the cage of straw burning cheerily.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “You’re all right, old man,” Tom said feelingly; “I ought to have got here sooner, but you’re all right.
cut with a saw
From this reading He opened his eyes slowly and saw Tom kneeling over him.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading He opened his eyes slowly and saw Tom kneeling over him.
solidadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːləd/
characterized by good substantial quality
From this reading On the cage lay the twigs and on these, two solid bits of hard wood, not yet ignited.
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading “You’re all right, old man,” Tom said feelingly; “I ought to have got here sooner, but you’re all right.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading On a rock stood the cage of straw burning cheerily.
plant fiber used e.g. for making baskets and hats or as fodder
From this reading On a rock stood the cage of straw burning cheerily.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading On a rock stood the cage of straw burning cheerily.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading On the cage lay the twigs and on these, two solid bits of hard wood, not yet ignited.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “You’re all right, old man,” Tom said feelingly; “I ought to have got here sooner, but you’re all right.
male cat
From this reading He opened his eyes slowly and saw Tom kneeling over him.
twigsnounUS /twɪɡz/
plural of “twig” — a small branch or division of a branch (especially a terminal division); usually applied to branches of the current or preceding year
From this reading On the cage lay the twigs and on these, two solid bits of hard wood, not yet ignited.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading On the cage lay the twigs and on these, two solid bits of hard wood, not yet ignited.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The place looked horrible in the light, a light which it had never known before.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading On the cage lay the twigs and on these, two solid bits of hard wood, not yet ignited.
but in spite of that
From this reading On the cage lay the twigs and on these, two solid bits of hard wood, not yet ignited.
You're
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You’re all right, old man,” Tom said feelingly; “I ought to have got here sooner, but you’re all right.
