used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
(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 “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “It’s me, the Biggest Billy Goat Gruff,” he answered, in a voice as big as the Troll’s own.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
bellowedverbUS /ˈbeloʊd/
past form of “bellow” — shout loudly and without restraint
From this reading “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading But the Big Billy Goat was not one bit frightened.
BiggestadjectiveUS /ˈbɪɡəst/
superlative of “big” — above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “It’s me, the Biggest Billy Goat Gruff,” he answered, in a voice as big as the Troll’s own.
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading But the Big Billy Goat was not one bit frightened.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading But the Big Billy Goat was not one bit frightened.
a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the Big Billy Goat was not one bit frightened.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
experiencing or showing fear
From this reading Then the Troll that lived under it was in a fearful rage.
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
made afraid
From this reading But the Big Billy Goat was not one bit frightened.
GoatnounUS /ɡoʊt/
any of numerous agile ruminants related to sheep but having a beard and straight horns
From this reading But the Big Billy Goat was not one bit frightened.
the act of departing
From this reading “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
GruffadjectiveUS /ɡrʌf/
brusque and surly and forbidding
From this reading “It’s me, the Biggest Billy Goat Gruff,” he answered, in a voice as big as the Troll’s own.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
inflected form of “hide” — prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then the Troll that lived under it was in a fearful rage.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
It's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It’s me, the Biggest Billy Goat Gruff,” he answered, in a voice as big as the Troll’s own.
klumph-klumph
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “It’s me, the Biggest Billy Goat Gruff,” he answered, in a voice as big as the Troll’s own.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But the Big Billy Goat was not one bit frightened.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading But the Big Billy Goat was not one bit frightened.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading “It’s me, the Biggest Billy Goat Gruff,” he answered, in a voice as big as the Troll’s own.
a feeling of intense anger
From this reading Then the Troll that lived under it was in a fearful rage.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
swamverbUS /swæm/
inflected form of “swim” — travel through water
From this reading “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Then the Troll that lived under it was in a fearful rage.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then the Troll that lived under it was in a fearful rage.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
TrollnounUS /troʊl/
(Scandanavian folklore) a supernatural creature (either a dwarf or a giant) that is supposed to live in caves or in the mountains
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
Troll'snounUS /troʊlz/
possessive form of “troll” — (Scandanavian folklore) a supernatural creature (either a dwarf or a giant) that is supposed to live in caves or in the mountains
From this reading “It’s me, the Biggest Billy Goat Gruff,” he answered, in a voice as big as the Troll’s own.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Then the Troll that lived under it was in a fearful rage.
the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
in or at the place that
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading After a while he came to the bridge where the Troll lived, and out he stepped on it, klumph-klumph! klumph-klumph! and the bridge shook and bent under his weight as he walked.
Who's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Who’s that going across my bridge?” he bellowed, and his voice was so terrible that all the little fish in the river swam away and hid under the rocks at the sound of it.
