used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading That sounds queer; but it really was a live dean's wife that we really came within a hair's breadth of killing.
adoptedadjectiveUS /əˈdɑːptɪd/
acquired as your own by free choice
From this reading And that, while we were just playing and celebrating the Seventeenth of May--the day when Norway adopted her own constitution, you know.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading AN INTERRUPTED CELEBRATION My, how well I remember the day that we almost killed the dean's wife!
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN INTERRUPTED CELEBRATION My, how well I remember the day that we almost killed the dean's wife!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And that, while we were just playing and celebrating the Seventeenth of May--the day when Norway adopted her own constitution, you know.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Right behind our old house we have a whole big breezy hill.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Right behind our old house we have a whole big breezy hill.
breadthnounUS /bredθ/
the capacity to understand a broad range of topics
From this reading That sounds queer; but it really was a live dean's wife that we really came within a hair's breadth of killing.
breezyadjectiveUS /ˈbriːzi/
fresh and animated
From this reading Right behind our old house we have a whole big breezy hill.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading That sounds queer; but it really was a live dean's wife that we really came within a hair's breadth of killing.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading That sounds queer; but it really was a live dean's wife that we really came within a hair's breadth of killing.
celebratingverbUS /ˈseləbreɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “celebrate” — behave as expected during of holidays or rites
From this reading And that, while we were just playing and celebrating the Seventeenth of May--the day when Norway adopted her own constitution, you know.
CELEBRATIONnounUS /ˌseləˈbreɪʃən/
a joyful occasion for special festivities to mark some happy event
From this reading AN INTERRUPTED CELEBRATION My, how well I remember the day that we almost killed the dean's wife!
constitutionnounUS /ˌkɑːnstəˈtuːʃən/
law determining the fundamental political principles of a government
From this reading And that, while we were just playing and celebrating the Seventeenth of May--the day when Norway adopted her own constitution, you know.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading AN INTERRUPTED CELEBRATION My, how well I remember the day that we almost killed the dean's wife!
dean'snounUS /diːnz/
possessive form of “dean” — an administrator in charge of a division of a university or college
From this reading AN INTERRUPTED CELEBRATION My, how well I remember the day that we almost killed the dean's wife!
hair'snounUS /herz/
possessive form of “hair” — a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading That sounds queer; but it really was a live dean's wife that we really came within a hair's breadth of killing.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading Now you shall hear how it happened.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Right behind our old house we have a whole big breezy hill.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading Now you shall hear how it happened.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading And that, while we were just playing and celebrating the Seventeenth of May--the day when Norway adopted her own constitution, you know.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading Right behind our old house we have a whole big breezy hill.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Right behind our old house we have a whole big breezy hill.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN INTERRUPTED CELEBRATION My, how well I remember the day that we almost killed the dean's wife!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading AN INTERRUPTED CELEBRATION My, how well I remember the day that we almost killed the dean's wife!
discontinued temporarily
From this reading AN INTERRUPTED CELEBRATION My, how well I remember the day that we almost killed the dean's wife!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading That sounds queer; but it really was a live dean's wife that we really came within a hair's breadth of killing.
and nothing more
From this reading And that, while we were just playing and celebrating the Seventeenth of May--the day when Norway adopted her own constitution, you know.
past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading AN INTERRUPTED CELEBRATION My, how well I remember the day that we almost killed the dean's wife!
killingnounUS /ˈkɪlɪŋ/
an event that causes someone to die
From this reading That sounds queer; but it really was a live dean's wife that we really came within a hair's breadth of killing.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading And that, while we were just playing and celebrating the Seventeenth of May--the day when Norway adopted her own constitution, you know.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading That sounds queer; but it really was a live dean's wife that we really came within a hair's breadth of killing.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading And that, while we were just playing and celebrating the Seventeenth of May--the day when Norway adopted her own constitution, you know.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading AN INTERRUPTED CELEBRATION My, how well I remember the day that we almost killed the dean's wife!
NorwaynounUS /ˈnɔːrweɪ/
a constitutional monarchy in northern Europe on the western side of the Scandinavian Peninsula; achieved independence from Sweden in 1905
From this reading And that, while we were just playing and celebrating the Seventeenth of May--the day when Norway adopted her own constitution, you know.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now you shall hear how it happened.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading That sounds queer; but it really was a live dean's wife that we really came within a hair's breadth of killing.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Right behind our old house we have a whole big breezy hill.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Right behind our old house we have a whole big breezy hill.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading And that, while we were just playing and celebrating the Seventeenth of May--the day when Norway adopted her own constitution, you know.
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading And that, while we were just playing and celebrating the Seventeenth of May--the day when Norway adopted her own constitution, you know.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading That sounds queer; but it really was a live dean's wife that we really came within a hair's breadth of killing.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading That sounds queer; but it really was a live dean's wife that we really came within a hair's breadth of killing.
To recall to mind.
From this reading AN INTERRUPTED CELEBRATION My, how well I remember the day that we almost killed the dean's wife!
precisely, exactly
From this reading Right behind our old house we have a whole big breezy hill.
SeventeenthadjectiveUS /ˈsevənˈtiːnθ/
coming next after the sixteenth in position
From this reading And that, while we were just playing and celebrating the Seventeenth of May--the day when Norway adopted her own constitution, you know.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading Now you shall hear how it happened.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading That sounds queer; but it really was a live dean's wife that we really came within a hair's breadth of killing.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading AN INTERRUPTED CELEBRATION My, how well I remember the day that we almost killed the dean's wife!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AN INTERRUPTED CELEBRATION My, how well I remember the day that we almost killed the dean's wife!
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That sounds queer; but it really was a live dean's wife that we really came within a hair's breadth of killing.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading AN INTERRUPTED CELEBRATION My, how well I remember the day that we almost killed the dean's wife!
(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 AN INTERRUPTED CELEBRATION My, how well I remember the day that we almost killed the dean's wife!
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading And that, while we were just playing and celebrating the Seventeenth of May--the day when Norway adopted her own constitution, you know.
at the time that
From this reading And that, while we were just playing and celebrating the Seventeenth of May--the day when Norway adopted her own constitution, you know.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading And that, while we were just playing and celebrating the Seventeenth of May--the day when Norway adopted her own constitution, you know.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading Right behind our old house we have a whole big breezy hill.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading AN INTERRUPTED CELEBRATION My, how well I remember the day that we almost killed the dean's wife!
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading That sounds queer; but it really was a live dean's wife that we really came within a hair's breadth of killing.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading And that, while we were just playing and celebrating the Seventeenth of May--the day when Norway adopted her own constitution, you know.
