used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading ‘Who knows who this girl is?’ she said; ‘she cannot speak, and is not worthy of a king.’
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading But she sat quietly sewing at the shirts and troubling herself about nothing.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After a year, when the Queen had her first child, the old mother took it away from her.
make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading The King would not believe it, and would not allow any harm to be done her.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ‘Who knows who this girl is?’ she said; ‘she cannot speak, and is not worthy of a king.’
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The King would not believe it, and would not allow any harm to be done her.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But she sat quietly sewing at the shirts and troubling herself about nothing.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading After a year, when the Queen had her first child, the old mother took it away from her.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The King would not believe it, and would not allow any harm to be done her.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading The King would not believe it, and would not allow any harm to be done her.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But she sat quietly sewing at the shirts and troubling herself about nothing.
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Who knows who this girl is?’ she said; ‘she cannot speak, and is not worthy of a king.’
a young person of either sex
From this reading After a year, when the Queen had her first child, the old mother took it away from her.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading The King would not believe it, and would not allow any harm to be done her.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading After a year, when the Queen had her first child, the old mother took it away from her.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading After a year, when the Queen had her first child, the old mother took it away from her.
a young female
From this reading ‘Who knows who this girl is?’ she said; ‘she cannot speak, and is not worthy of a king.’
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading After a year, when the Queen had her first child, the old mother took it away from her.
any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
From this reading The King would not believe it, and would not allow any harm to be done her.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading After a year, when the Queen had her first child, the old mother took it away from her.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading But she sat quietly sewing at the shirts and troubling herself about nothing.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ‘Who knows who this girl is?’ she said; ‘she cannot speak, and is not worthy of a king.’
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading After a year, when the Queen had her first child, the old mother took it away from her.
past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading Then she went to the King and said that the Queen had killed it.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading ‘Who knows who this girl is?’ she said; ‘she cannot speak, and is not worthy of a king.’
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading ‘Who knows who this girl is?’ she said; ‘she cannot speak, and is not worthy of a king.’
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading After a year, when the Queen had her first child, the old mother took it away from her.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading ‘Who knows who this girl is?’ she said; ‘she cannot speak, and is not worthy of a king.’
not one thing; not anything
From this reading But she sat quietly sewing at the shirts and troubling herself about nothing.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ‘Who knows who this girl is?’ she said; ‘she cannot speak, and is not worthy of a king.’
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading After a year, when the Queen had her first child, the old mother took it away from her.
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 After a year, when the Queen had her first child, the old mother took it away from her.
with low volume
From this reading But she sat quietly sewing at the shirts and troubling herself about nothing.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading ‘Who knows who this girl is?’ she said; ‘she cannot speak, and is not worthy of a king.’
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading But she sat quietly sewing at the shirts and troubling herself about nothing.
sewingnounUS /ˈsoʊɪŋ/
joining or attaching by stitches
From this reading But she sat quietly sewing at the shirts and troubling herself about nothing.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading ‘Who knows who this girl is?’ she said; ‘she cannot speak, and is not worthy of a king.’
shirtsnounUS /ʃɜːrts/
plural of “shirt” — a garment worn on the upper half of the body
From this reading But she sat quietly sewing at the shirts and troubling herself about nothing.
express in speech
From this reading ‘Who knows who this girl is?’ she said; ‘she cannot speak, and is not worthy of a king.’
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Then she went to the King and said that the Queen had killed it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading After a year, when the Queen had her first child, the old mother took it away from her.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then she went to the King and said that the Queen had killed it.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading ‘Who knows who this girl is?’ she said; ‘she cannot speak, and is not worthy of a king.’
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then she went to the King and said that the Queen had killed it.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading After a year, when the Queen had her first child, the old mother took it away from her.
troublingadjectiveUS /ˈtrʌbəlɪŋ/
causing distress or worry or anxiety
From this reading But she sat quietly sewing at the shirts and troubling herself about nothing.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Then she went to the King and said that the Queen had killed it.
at the time that
From this reading After a year, when the Queen had her first child, the old mother took it away from her.
which person or people
From this reading ‘Who knows who this girl is?’ she said; ‘she cannot speak, and is not worthy of a king.’
Having or showing the qualities or abilities that merit recognition in character or magic.
From this reading ‘Who knows who this girl is?’ she said; ‘she cannot speak, and is not worthy of a king.’
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The King would not believe it, and would not allow any harm to be done her.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading After a year, when the Queen had her first child, the old mother took it away from her.
