used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They went into a field, sat down, and the two pulled long faces.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
AlasexclamationUS /əˈlæs/
used to show sadness, pity, or regret
From this reading ‘Alas! what have you to do with it?
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An old woman passed by, and asked them why they were so sad.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
eagerly desirous
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading An old woman passed by, and asked them why they were so sad.
goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
brought into existence
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading An old woman passed by, and asked them why they were so sad.
carriagesnounUS /ˈkærɪdʒɪz/
plural of “carriage” — a railcar where passengers ride
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading ‘Alas! what have you to do with it?
Don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading They went into a field, sat down, and the two pulled long faces.
inflected form of “drink” — take in liquids
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
endedadjectiveUS /ˈendəd/
having come or been brought to a conclusion
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading They went into a field, sat down, and the two pulled long faces.
a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed
From this reading They went into a field, sat down, and the two pulled long faces.
made afraid
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading ‘Alas! what have you to do with it?
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading They went into a field, sat down, and the two pulled long faces.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading They went into a field, sat down, and the two pulled long faces.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
merrymakingnoun
a boisterous celebration; a merry festivity
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading An old woman passed by, and asked them why they were so sad.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading They went into a field, sat down, and the two pulled long faces.
with speed
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
riddleverbUS /ˈrɪdəl/
pierce with many holes
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading An old woman passed by, and asked them why they were so sad.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading They went into a field, sat down, and the two pulled long faces.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading An old woman passed by, and asked them why they were so sad.
splendournoun
a quality that outshines the usual
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
terriblyadverbUS /ˈterəbli/
used as intensifiers
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ‘Alas! what have you to do with it?
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
wasn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
used to ask for information about something
From this reading ‘Alas! what have you to do with it?
at the time that
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
in or to any place at all
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading An old woman passed by, and asked them why they were so sad.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
in the company of; together with
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading An old woman passed by, and asked them why they were so sad.
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading Wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour, drove about with horses and carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wrong.
a late time of life
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
the day immediately before today
From this reading The time passed quickly away, and when the seven years were nearly ended two of them grew terribly anxious and frightened, but the third made light of it, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, brothers, I wasn’t born yesterday; I will guess the riddle.’
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading ‘Alas! what have you to do with it?
