used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading BROWN EXPLAINS There was a funeral in the village on the Wednesday of last week.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
third-person singular of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
the time when something begins (especially life)
From this reading "One for sorrow, And two for mirth; Three for a wedding And four for a birth."
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading BROWN EXPLAINS There was a funeral in the village on the Wednesday of last week.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
calamitynounUS /kəˈlæməti/
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
rid of obstructions
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
a relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it)
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
carefully weighed
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
EXPLAINSverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪnz/
third-person singular of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading BROWN EXPLAINS There was a funeral in the village on the Wednesday of last week.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
foretoldverbUS /fɔːrˈtoʊld/
inflected form of “foretell” — foreshadow or presage
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading "One for sorrow, And two for mirth; Three for a wedding And four for a birth."
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
funeralnounUS /ˈfjuːnərəl/
a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated
From this reading BROWN EXPLAINS There was a funeral in the village on the Wednesday of last week.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
the act of departing
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
come to pass
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
HubbardnounUS /ˈhʌbərd/
a United States writer of science fiction and founder of Scientology (1911-1986)
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading BROWN EXPLAINS There was a funeral in the village on the Wednesday of last week.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
immediately past
From this reading BROWN EXPLAINS There was a funeral in the village on the Wednesday of last week.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
magpienounUS /ˈmæɡpaɪ/
long-tailed black-and-white crow that utters a raucous chattering call
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
mirthnounUS /mɜːrθ/
great merriment
From this reading "One for sorrow, And two for mirth; Three for a wedding And four for a birth."
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading MRS.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading BROWN EXPLAINS There was a funeral in the village on the Wednesday of last week.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
omennounUS /ˈoʊmən/
a sign of something about to happen
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading BROWN EXPLAINS There was a funeral in the village on the Wednesday of last week.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "One for sorrow, And two for mirth; Three for a wedding And four for a birth."
oracularadjective
of or relating to an oracle
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
the local environment
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
perchedverbUS /pɜːrtʃt/
past form of “perch” — sit, as on a branch
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
just preceding something else in time or order
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
rhymenounUS /raɪm/
correspondence in the sounds of two or more lines (especially final sounds)
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
solemnitynounUS /səˈlemnəti/
a trait of dignified seriousness
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
characterized by or preferring solitude
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
a thing, without saying which
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement
From this reading "One for sorrow, And two for mirth; Three for a wedding And four for a birth."
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading BROWN EXPLAINS There was a funeral in the village on the Wednesday of last week.
in or at that place or location
From this reading BROWN EXPLAINS There was a funeral in the village on the Wednesday of last week.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading "One for sorrow, And two for mirth; Three for a wedding And four for a birth."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "One for sorrow, And two for mirth; Three for a wedding And four for a birth."
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading BROWN EXPLAINS There was a funeral in the village on the Wednesday of last week.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading BROWN EXPLAINS There was a funeral in the village on the Wednesday of last week.
past form of “wave” — signal with the hands or nod
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed
From this reading "One for sorrow, And two for mirth; Three for a wedding And four for a birth."
WednesdaynounUS /ˈwenzdi/
the fourth day of the week; the third working day
From this reading BROWN EXPLAINS There was a funeral in the village on the Wednesday of last week.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading BROWN EXPLAINS There was a funeral in the village on the Wednesday of last week.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading What connection there was between his visit and the calamity which it foretold was not clear to me, but it appears that the magpie is a bird of omen, and there is an old rhyme which in these parts is considered oracular:
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
in the company of; together with
From this reading On the previous Sunday Mother Hubbard had assured me with great solemnity that something of the sort was going to happen, for had not a solitary magpie perched upon our garden wall and waved his handsome tail in full view of the window for at least a minute?
