adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
allowverbUS /əˈlaʊ/
make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading NAN: And how! by that means Thou wert brought to allow of the eating of beans?
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading NAN: And how! by that means Thou wert brought to allow of the eating of beans?
anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
assnounUS /æs/
the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
beansnounUS /biːnz/
plural of “bean” — any of various edible seeds of plants of the family Leguminosae used for food
From this reading NAN: And how! by that means Thou wert brought to allow of the eating of beans?
beastnounUS /biːst/
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
BetwixtprepositionUS /biˈtwɪkst/
an old word for “between”
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
broughtverbUS /brɔːt/
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading NAN: And how! by that means Thou wert brought to allow of the eating of beans?
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading NAN: But from the mule into whom didst thou pass?
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading NAN: And how! by that means Thou wert brought to allow of the eating of beans?
call'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
devourverbUS /dɪˈvaʊər/
destroy completely
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
didstauxiliary verbUS /dɪdst/
an old form of “did”, used with “thou”
From this reading NAN: But from the mule into whom didst thou pass?
dropverbUS /drɑːp/
let fall to the ground
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
eatingnounUS /ˈiːtɪŋ/
the act of consuming food
From this reading NAN: And how! by that means Thou wert brought to allow of the eating of beans?
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
fleshnounUS /fleʃ/
the soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle tissue and fat
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading NAN: Now quit thee, for heaven, of that profane nation; And gently report thy next transmigration.
forthadverbUS /fɔːrθ/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading NAN: But from the mule into whom didst thou pass?
gentlyadverbUS /ˈdʒentli/
in a gradual manner
From this reading NAN: Now quit thee, for heaven, of that profane nation; And gently report thy next transmigration.
heavennounUS /ˈhevən/
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading NAN: Now quit thee, for heaven, of that profane nation; And gently report thy next transmigration.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading NAN: And how! by that means Thou wert brought to allow of the eating of beans?
illuminateverbUS /ɪˈluː.mɪ.neɪt/
To light up or make clear; to decorate a manuscript with gold, silver, or brilliant colors.
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading NAN: But from the mule into whom didst thou pass?
libelnounUS /ˈlaɪbəl/
a false and malicious publication printed for the purpose of defaming a living person
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
lieverbUS /laɪ/
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
meansnounUS /miːnz/
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading NAN: And how! by that means Thou wert brought to allow of the eating of beans?
mulenounUS /mjuːl/
hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse; usually sterile
From this reading NAN: But from the mule into whom didst thou pass?
NANnounUS /næn/
your grandmother
From this reading NAN: And how! by that means Thou wert brought to allow of the eating of beans?
nationnounUS /ˈneɪʃən/
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading NAN: Now quit thee, for heaven, of that profane nation; And gently report thy next transmigration.
nativitynounUS /nəˈtɪvəti/
the event of being born
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
nextadjectiveUS /nekst/
immediately following in time or order
From this reading NAN: Now quit thee, for heaven, of that profane nation; And gently report thy next transmigration.
NowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading NAN: Now quit thee, for heaven, of that profane nation; And gently report thy next transmigration.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading NAN: And how! by that means Thou wert brought to allow of the eating of beans?
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
passverbUS /pæs/
go across or through
From this reading NAN: But from the mule into whom didst thou pass?
pienounUS /paɪ/
dish baked in pastry-lined pan often with a pastry top
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
preciseadjectiveUS /prɪˈsaɪs/
sharply exact or accurate or delimited
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
profaneadjectiveUS /proʊˈfeɪn/
characterized by profanity or cursing
From this reading NAN: Now quit thee, for heaven, of that profane nation; And gently report thy next transmigration.
pureadjectiveUS /pjʊr/
free of extraneous elements of any kind
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
quitverbUS /kwɪt/
put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading NAN: Now quit thee, for heaven, of that profane nation; And gently report thy next transmigration.
reportverbUS /riˈpɔːrt/
to give an account or representation of in words
From this reading NAN: Now quit thee, for heaven, of that profane nation; And gently report thy next transmigration.
sanctifiedadjective
made or declared or believed to be holy; devoted to a deity or some religious ceremony or use
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
sometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
spoonfulnounUS /ˈspuːnfʊl/
as much as a spoon will hold
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading NAN: And how! by that means Thou wert brought to allow of the eating of beans?
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading NAN: And how! by that means Thou wert brought to allow of the eating of beans?
theepronounUS /ðiː/
an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person
From this reading NAN: Now quit thee, for heaven, of that profane nation; And gently report thy next transmigration.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
ThoupronounUS /ðaʊ/
an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person
From this reading NAN: And how! by that means Thou wert brought to allow of the eating of beans?
thydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/
an old word for “your”, speaking to one person
From this reading NAN: Now quit thee, for heaven, of that profane nation; And gently report thy next transmigration.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading NAN: And how! by that means Thou wert brought to allow of the eating of beans?
transmigrationnoun
the passing of a soul into another body after death
From this reading NAN: Now quit thee, for heaven, of that profane nation; And gently report thy next transmigration.
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/
precisely as stated
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
wertauxiliary verbUS /wɜːrt/
an old form of “were”, used with “thou”
From this reading NAN: And how! by that means Thou wert brought to allow of the eating of beans?
whompronounUS /huːm/
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading NAN: But from the mule into whom didst thou pass?
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
writersnounUS /ˈraɪtərz/
plural of “writer” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
YesnounUS /jes/
an affirmative
From this reading AND: Yes.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading AND: Into a very strange beast, by some writers call'd an ass; By others, a precise, pure, illuminate brother, Of those devour flesh, and sometimes one another; And will drop you forth a libel, or a sanctified lie, Betwixt every spoonful of a nativity pie.
