used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading From that day on the skunk was envisaged in her mind as the guardian angel of the farm, and the edict went out that on no account was it to be molested.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading Not even when most of the bees from one of Mark's cherished swarms disappeared into its leather-lined interior, would Miranda permit any adverse action.
adverseadjectiveUS /ædˈvɜːrs/
contrary to your interests or welfare
From this reading Not even when most of the bees from one of Mark's cherished swarms disappeared into its leather-lined interior, would Miranda permit any adverse action.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "You let it get away with bees an' boarders an' milk an' eggs, an' never say a word.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
spiritual being attendant upon God
From this reading From that day on the skunk was envisaged in her mind as the guardian angel of the farm, and the edict went out that on no account was it to be molested.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Not even when most of the bees from one of Mark's cherished swarms disappeared into its leather-lined interior, would Miranda permit any adverse action.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading From that day on the skunk was envisaged in her mind as the guardian angel of the farm, and the edict went out that on no account was it to be molested.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "You let it get away with bees an' boarders an' milk an' eggs, an' never say a word.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading From that day on the skunk was envisaged in her mind as the guardian angel of the farm, and the edict went out that on no account was it to be molested.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
beesnounUS /biːz/
plural of “bee” — any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species
From this reading Not even when most of the bees from one of Mark's cherished swarms disappeared into its leather-lined interior, would Miranda permit any adverse action.
biteverbUS /baɪt/
to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
bluffingverbUS /ˈblʌfɪŋ/
-ing form of “bluff” — deceive an opponent by a bold bet on an inferior hand with the result that the opponent withdraws a winning hand
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
boardersnounUS /ˈbɔːrdərz/
plural of “boarder” — a tenant in someone's house
From this reading "You let it get away with bees an' boarders an' milk an' eggs, an' never say a word.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
cherishedadjectiveUS /ˈtʃerɪʃt/
characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for
From this reading Not even when most of the bees from one of Mark's cherished swarms disappeared into its leather-lined interior, would Miranda permit any adverse action.
convinceverbUS /kənˈvɪns/
make (someone) agree, understand, or realize the truth or validity of something
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading From that day on the skunk was envisaged in her mind as the guardian angel of the farm, and the edict went out that on no account was it to be molested.
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading Not even when most of the bees from one of Mark's cherished swarms disappeared into its leather-lined interior, would Miranda permit any adverse action.
edictnounUS /ˈiːdɪkt/
a formal or authoritative proclamation
From this reading From that day on the skunk was envisaged in her mind as the guardian angel of the farm, and the edict went out that on no account was it to be molested.
oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food
From this reading "You let it get away with bees an' boarders an' milk an' eggs, an' never say a word.
envisagedverbUS /enˈvɪzɪdʒd/
past form of “envisage” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading From that day on the skunk was envisaged in her mind as the guardian angel of the farm, and the edict went out that on no account was it to be molested.
divisible by two
From this reading Not even when most of the bees from one of Mark's cherished swarms disappeared into its leather-lined interior, would Miranda permit any adverse action.
fangsnounUS /fæŋz/
plural of “fang” — a Bantu language spoken in Cameroon
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
be a farmer; work as a farmer
From this reading From that day on the skunk was envisaged in her mind as the guardian angel of the farm, and the edict went out that on no account was it to be molested.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From that day on the skunk was envisaged in her mind as the guardian angel of the farm, and the edict went out that on no account was it to be molested.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "You let it get away with bees an' boarders an' milk an' eggs, an' never say a word.
guardiannounUS /ˈɡɑːrdiən/
a person who cares for persons or property
From this reading From that day on the skunk was envisaged in her mind as the guardian angel of the farm, and the edict went out that on no account was it to be molested.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
harmlessadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrmləs/
not causing or capable of causing harm
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading From that day on the skunk was envisaged in her mind as the guardian angel of the farm, and the edict went out that on no account was it to be molested.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
interioradjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtɪriər/
situated within or suitable for inside a building
From this reading Not even when most of the bees from one of Mark's cherished swarms disappeared into its leather-lined interior, would Miranda permit any adverse action.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Not even when most of the bees from one of Mark's cherished swarms disappeared into its leather-lined interior, would Miranda permit any adverse action.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
jeeredverbUS /dʒɪrd/
past form of “jeer” — laugh at with contempt and derision
From this reading "Some skunk that!" jeered Mark.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
leather-lined
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Not even when most of the bees from one of Mark's cherished swarms disappeared into its leather-lined interior, would Miranda permit any adverse action.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "You let it get away with bees an' boarders an' milk an' eggs, an' never say a word.
attach a tag or label to
From this reading "Some skunk that!" jeered Mark.
Mark'snounUS /mɑːrks/
possessive form of “mark” — a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)
From this reading Not even when most of the bees from one of Mark's cherished swarms disappeared into its leather-lined interior, would Miranda permit any adverse action.
a white nutritious liquid secreted by mammals and used as food by human beings
From this reading "You let it get away with bees an' boarders an' milk an' eggs, an' never say a word.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading From that day on the skunk was envisaged in her mind as the guardian angel of the farm, and the edict went out that on no account was it to be molested.
Miranda
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
molestedverbUS /məˈlestɪd/
past form of “molest” — harass or assault sexually; make indecent advances to
From this reading From that day on the skunk was envisaged in her mind as the guardian angel of the farm, and the edict went out that on no account was it to be molested.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Not even when most of the bees from one of Mark's cherished swarms disappeared into its leather-lined interior, would Miranda permit any adverse action.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
not any; not one
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not even when most of the bees from one of Mark's cherished swarms disappeared into its leather-lined interior, would Miranda permit any adverse action.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading From that day on the skunk was envisaged in her mind as the guardian angel of the farm, and the edict went out that on no account was it to be molested.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Not even when most of the bees from one of Mark's cherished swarms disappeared into its leather-lined interior, would Miranda permit any adverse action.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading From that day on the skunk was envisaged in her mind as the guardian angel of the farm, and the edict went out that on no account was it to be molested.
a legal document giving official permission to do something
From this reading Not even when most of the bees from one of Mark's cherished swarms disappeared into its leather-lined interior, would Miranda permit any adverse action.
puff-adder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
express in words
From this reading "You let it get away with bees an' boarders an' milk an' eggs, an' never say a word.
skunknounUS /skʌŋk/
a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible
From this reading From that day on the skunk was envisaged in her mind as the guardian angel of the farm, and the edict went out that on no account was it to be molested.
snakenounUS /sneɪk/
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "Some skunk that!" jeered Mark.
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
swarmsnounUS /swɔːrmz/
plural of “swarm” — a moving crowd
From this reading Not even when most of the bees from one of Mark's cherished swarms disappeared into its leather-lined interior, would Miranda permit any adverse action.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading From that day on the skunk was envisaged in her mind as the guardian angel of the farm, and the edict went out that on no account was it to be molested.
at the time that
From this reading Not even when most of the bees from one of Mark's cherished swarms disappeared into its leather-lined interior, would Miranda permit any adverse action.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "You let it get away with bees an' boarders an' milk an' eggs, an' never say a word.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading "You let it get away with bees an' boarders an' milk an' eggs, an' never say a word.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It would have been impossible to convince Miranda that the snake was nothing but a harmless puff-adder, and that, in spite of its bluffing ways, it had no fangs and never was known to bite.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You let it get away with bees an' boarders an' milk an' eggs, an' never say a word.
