used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The gas had not been lit, but the room looked warm and cosy by the light of a blazing fire.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
(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, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading Did you think I had gone off altogether and left you?’
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading ANOTHER INVITATION.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Claude looked up from the hearthrug, where he was looking at pictures in the ruddy glow.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
blazingadjectiveUS /ˈbleɪzɪŋ/
shining intensely
From this reading The gas had not been lit, but the room looked warm and cosy by the light of a blazing fire.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The gas had not been lit, but the room looked warm and cosy by the light of a blazing fire.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The gas had not been lit, but the room looked warm and cosy by the light of a blazing fire.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
chickensnounUS /ˈtʃɪkənz/
plural of “chicken” — the flesh of a chicken used for food
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
Claude
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Claude looked up from the hearthrug, where he was looking at pictures in the ruddy glow.
cosynounUS /ˈkoʊzi/
a padded cloth covering to keep a teapot warm
From this reading The gas had not been lit, but the room looked warm and cosy by the light of a blazing fire.
Didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Did you think I had gone off altogether and left you?’
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
start firing a weapon
From this reading The gas had not been lit, but the room looked warm and cosy by the light of a blazing fire.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Claude looked up from the hearthrug, where he was looking at pictures in the ruddy glow.
gasnounUS /ɡæs/
the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity
From this reading The gas had not been lit, but the room looked warm and cosy by the light of a blazing fire.
an alert and refreshed state
From this reading Claude looked up from the hearthrug, where he was looking at pictures in the ruddy glow.
destroyed or killed
From this reading Did you think I had gone off altogether and left you?’
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Did you think I had gone off altogether and left you?’
half-past
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Claude looked up from the hearthrug, where he was looking at pictures in the ruddy glow.
hearthrugnoun
a rug spread out in front of a fireplace
From this reading Claude looked up from the hearthrug, where he was looking at pictures in the ruddy glow.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Did you think I had gone off altogether and left you?’
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Claude looked up from the hearthrug, where he was looking at pictures in the ruddy glow.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something
From this reading ANOTHER INVITATION.
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 Did you think I had gone off altogether and left you?’
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The gas had not been lit, but the room looked warm and cosy by the light of a blazing fire.
provided with artificial light
From this reading The gas had not been lit, but the room looked warm and cosy by the light of a blazing fire.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The gas had not been lit, but the room looked warm and cosy by the light of a blazing fire.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Claude looked up from the hearthrug, where he was looking at pictures in the ruddy glow.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The gas had not been lit, but the room looked warm and cosy by the light of a blazing fire.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The gas had not been lit, but the room looked warm and cosy by the light of a blazing fire.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Did you think I had gone off altogether and left you?’
Osbourne
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading Claude looked up from the hearthrug, where he was looking at pictures in the ruddy glow.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The gas had not been lit, but the room looked warm and cosy by the light of a blazing fire.
ruddyadjectiveUS /ˈrʌdi/
inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life
From this reading Claude looked up from the hearthrug, where he was looking at pictures in the ruddy glow.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
schoolroomnounUS /ˈskuːlruːm/
a room in a school where lessons take place
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Did you think I had gone off altogether and left you?’
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Claude looked up from the hearthrug, where he was looking at pictures in the ruddy glow.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading The gas had not been lit, but the room looked warm and cosy by the light of a blazing fire.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Claude looked up from the hearthrug, where he was looking at pictures in the ruddy glow.
(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, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
in or at the place that
From this reading Claude looked up from the hearthrug, where he was looking at pictures in the ruddy glow.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading ‘WELL, chickens,’ said Mrs Osbourne, as she came into the schoolroom about half-past four, ‘and what have you been doing all afternoon?
