used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
at or in the front
From this reading All the same, it was unmistakable relief when Mistress Gundy pottered back, ahead of a gangling servant with the drinks.
alenounUS /eɪl/
a general name for beer made with a top fermenting yeast; in some of the United States an ale is (by law) a brew of more than 4% alcohol by volume
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
(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 All the same, it was unmistakable relief when Mistress Gundy pottered back, ahead of a gangling servant with the drinks.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Laura bounced off Ben's lap at the call of patriotism.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading All the same, it was unmistakable relief when Mistress Gundy pottered back, ahead of a gangling servant with the drinks.
Ben'snounUS /benz/
possessive form of “ben” — a mountain or tall hill
From this reading Laura bounced off Ben's lap at the call of patriotism.
give a benediction to
From this reading "Well, I'm sure," said the little madam--"to the Queen, God bless her!"
bouncedverbUS /baʊnst/
past form of “bounce” — spring back; spring away from an impact
From this reading Laura bounced off Ben's lap at the call of patriotism.
butteredverbUS /ˈbʌtərd/
past form of “butter” — spread butter on
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Laura bounced off Ben's lap at the call of patriotism.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading "Of course."
damnedadjectiveUS /dæmd/
expletives used informally as intensifiers
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
drinksnounUS /drɪŋks/
plural of “drink” — a single serving of a beverage
From this reading All the same, it was unmistakable relief when Mistress Gundy pottered back, ahead of a gangling servant with the drinks.
enterprisenounUS /ˈentərpraɪz/
a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness)
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
divisible by two
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
regard something as probable or likely
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
exploringverbUS /ɪkˈsplɔːrɪŋ/
-ing form of “explore” — inquire into
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
set up or found
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
ganglingadjective
tall and thin and having long slender limbs
From this reading All the same, it was unmistakable relief when Mistress Gundy pottered back, ahead of a gangling servant with the drinks.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading "Well, I'm sure," said the little madam--"to the Queen, God bless her!"
Gundy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the same, it was unmistakable relief when Mistress Gundy pottered back, ahead of a gangling servant with the drinks.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "Well, I'm sure," said the little madam--"to the Queen, God bless her!"
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
kneecapnounUS /ˈniːkæp/
a small flat triangular bone in front of the knee that protects the knee joint
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
lapverbUS /læp/
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading Laura bounced off Ben's lap at the call of patriotism.
Laura
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Laura bounced off Ben's lap at the call of patriotism.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Well, I'm sure," said the little madam--"to the Queen, God bless her!"
a woman of refinement
From this reading "Well, I'm sure," said the little madam--"to the Queen, God bless her!"
by chance
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading All the same, it was unmistakable relief when Mistress Gundy pottered back, ahead of a gangling servant with the drinks.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Of course."
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Laura bounced off Ben's lap at the call of patriotism.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
patriotismnounUS /ˈpeɪtriətɪzəm/
love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it
From this reading Laura bounced off Ben's lap at the call of patriotism.
pottered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the same, it was unmistakable relief when Mistress Gundy pottered back, ahead of a gangling servant with the drinks.
the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs
From this reading "Well, I'm sure," said the little madam--"to the Queen, God bless her!"
the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
From this reading All the same, it was unmistakable relief when Mistress Gundy pottered back, ahead of a gangling servant with the drinks.
rumnounUS /rʌm/
liquor distilled from fermented molasses
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Well, I'm sure," said the little madam--"to the Queen, God bless her!"
Identical; not different.
From this reading All the same, it was unmistakable relief when Mistress Gundy pottered back, ahead of a gangling servant with the drinks.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading All the same, it was unmistakable relief when Mistress Gundy pottered back, ahead of a gangling servant with the drinks.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "Well, I'm sure," said the little madam--"to the Queen, God bless her!"
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading All the same, it was unmistakable relief when Mistress Gundy pottered back, ahead of a gangling servant with the drinks.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
unmistakableadjectiveUS /ˌʌnmɪˈsteɪkəbəl/
clearly evident to the mind
From this reading All the same, it was unmistakable relief when Mistress Gundy pottered back, ahead of a gangling servant with the drinks.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading All the same, it was unmistakable relief when Mistress Gundy pottered back, ahead of a gangling servant with the drinks.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
(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, I'm sure," said the little madam--"to the Queen, God bless her!"
at the time that
From this reading All the same, it was unmistakable relief when Mistress Gundy pottered back, ahead of a gangling servant with the drinks.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With some enterprise he found a smooth kneecap and sent his hand exploring, since she seemed to expect it; and then he thought: Too much of that damned ale--or maybe I'm ill--and now we must even have buttered rum!
