used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Leaguer of Skeleton Cave "Save us all!" cried Turnpenny, "we be like rats in a trap."
(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 The Leaguer of Skeleton Cave "Save us all!" cried Turnpenny, "we be like rats in a trap."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "The knaves cannot get at us, for this present at least," said Copstone.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The Leaguer of Skeleton Cave "Save us all!" cried Turnpenny, "we be like rats in a trap."
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
blocknounUS /blɑːk/
a solid piece of something (usually having flat rectangular sides)
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The knaves cannot get at us, for this present at least," said Copstone.
a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea
From this reading The Leaguer of Skeleton Cave "Save us all!" cried Turnpenny, "we be like rats in a trap."
cheerfullyadverbUS /ˈtʃɪrfəli/
in a cheerful manner
From this reading "Keep a good heart," said Dennis, cheerfully.
Copstone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The knaves cannot get at us, for this present at least," said Copstone.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading The Leaguer of Skeleton Cave "Save us all!" cried Turnpenny, "we be like rats in a trap."
Dennis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Keep a good heart," said Dennis, cheerfully.
one or the other of two
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "The knaves cannot get at us, for this present at least," said Copstone.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "The knaves cannot get at us, for this present at least," said Copstone.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "Keep a good heart," said Dennis, cheerfully.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading "Keep a good heart," said Dennis, cheerfully.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Leaguer of Skeleton Cave "Save us all!" cried Turnpenny, "we be like rats in a trap."
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
knavesnounUS /neɪvz/
plural of “knave” — a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading "The knaves cannot get at us, for this present at least," said Copstone.
Leaguer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Leaguer of Skeleton Cave "Save us all!" cried Turnpenny, "we be like rats in a trap."
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 "The knaves cannot get at us, for this present at least," said Copstone.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The Leaguer of Skeleton Cave "Save us all!" cried Turnpenny, "we be like rats in a trap."
mewed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Leaguer of Skeleton Cave "Save us all!" cried Turnpenny, "we be like rats in a trap."
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
perishverbUS /ˈperɪʃ/
pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading "The knaves cannot get at us, for this present at least," said Copstone.
ratsnounUS /ræts/
plural of “rat” — any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
From this reading The Leaguer of Skeleton Cave "Save us all!" cried Turnpenny, "we be like rats in a trap."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "The knaves cannot get at us, for this present at least," said Copstone.
except for; apart from
From this reading The Leaguer of Skeleton Cave "Save us all!" cried Turnpenny, "we be like rats in a trap."
SkeletonnounUS /ˈskelətən/
something reduced to its minimal form
From this reading The Leaguer of Skeleton Cave "Save us all!" cried Turnpenny, "we be like rats in a trap."
starveverbUS /stɑːrv/
be hungry; go without food
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Leaguer of Skeleton Cave "Save us all!" cried Turnpenny, "we be like rats in a trap."
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
thirstnounUS /θɜːrst/
a physiological need to drink
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "The knaves cannot get at us, for this present at least," said Copstone.
trapnounUS /træp/
a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned
From this reading The Leaguer of Skeleton Cave "Save us all!" cried Turnpenny, "we be like rats in a trap."
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
Turnpenny
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Leaguer of Skeleton Cave "Save us all!" cried Turnpenny, "we be like rats in a trap."
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The Leaguer of Skeleton Cave "Save us all!" cried Turnpenny, "we be like rats in a trap."
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading The Leaguer of Skeleton Cave "Save us all!" cried Turnpenny, "we be like rats in a trap."
(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 "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
whopped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "We will not yield or starve yet.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
but in spite of that
From this reading "We will not yield or starve yet.
yieldverbUS /jiːld/
be the cause or source of
From this reading "True, not without being well whopped; but they can block up the entrance, and keep us mewed up until we must either yield or starve, or perish of thirst."
