used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
(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 In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading He certainly knew how to make Mom’s eyes twinkle, Mom liking boys so well.
buckwheatnounUS /ˈbʌkwiːt/
a member of the genus Fagopyrum; annual Asian plant with clusters of small pinkish white flowers and small edible triangular seeds which are used whole or ground into flour
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading He certainly knew how to make Mom’s eyes twinkle, Mom liking boys so well.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
cookiesnounUS /ˈkʊkiz/
plural of “cooky” — the cook on a ranch or at a camp
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
couldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I feel so sorry for boys who do things like that.”
at any time
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
accept an excuse for
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
opinion or judgment
From this reading He certainly knew how to make Mom’s eyes twinkle, Mom liking boys so well.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading I feel so sorry for boys who do things like that.”
enclose with a fence
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
GangnounUS /ɡæŋ/
an association of criminals
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
an opening into or through something
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He certainly knew how to make Mom’s eyes twinkle, Mom liking boys so well.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
and nothing more
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He certainly knew how to make Mom’s eyes twinkle, Mom liking boys so well.
immediately past
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading I feel so sorry for boys who do things like that.”
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
likingnounUS /ˈlaɪkɪŋ/
a feeling of pleasure and enjoyment
From this reading He certainly knew how to make Mom’s eyes twinkle, Mom liking boys so well.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
engage in
From this reading He certainly knew how to make Mom’s eyes twinkle, Mom liking boys so well.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
melonnounUS /ˈmelən/
any of numerous fruits of the gourd family having a hard rind and sweet juicy flesh
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
MomnounUS /mɑːm/
informal terms for a mother
From this reading He certainly knew how to make Mom’s eyes twinkle, Mom liking boys so well.
Mom'snounUS /mɑːmz/
possessive form of “mom” — informal terms for a mother
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
pancakesnounUS /ˈpænkeɪks/
plural of “pancake” — a flat cake of thin batter fried on both sides on a griddle
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
piesnounUS /paɪz/
plural of “pie” — dish baked in pastry-lined pan often with a pastry top
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
literature in metrical form
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading I feel so sorry for boys who do things like that.”
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
SugarnounUS /ˈʃʊɡər/
a white crystalline carbohydrate used as a sweetener and preservative
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
tastedverbUS /ˈteɪstɪd/
past form of “taste” — have flavor; taste of something
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
tastingnounUS /ˈteɪstɪŋ/
a small amount (especially of food or wine)
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I feel so sorry for boys who do things like that.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading I feel so sorry for boys who do things like that.”
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He certainly knew how to make Mom’s eyes twinkle, Mom liking boys so well.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
twinkleverbUS /ˈtwɪŋkəl/
gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading He certainly knew how to make Mom’s eyes twinkle, Mom liking boys so well.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
(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 He certainly knew how to make Mom’s eyes twinkle, Mom liking boys so well.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Mom’s buckwheat pancakes were the best Poetry had ever tasted, he told her--which was probably his excuse for tasting so many of them.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading In fact all the boys of the Sugar Creek Gang liked Mom so well they stopped at our house every chance they got just to make her eyes twinkle while they ate some of her cookies or a piece of one of her pies.
which person or people
From this reading I feel so sorry for boys who do things like that.”
whoever
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Mom surprised us all, right then, by saying, “Last night while I couldn’t sleep for a while, I got to thinking about whoever took your melon and cut the hole in the fence, and it seemed the Lord wanted me to pray for him or them.
