used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading He stuck his nose up in the air and gave a long sniff.
amuseverbUS /əˈmjuːz/
occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
boilingnounUS /ˈbɔɪlɪŋ/
the application of heat to change something from a liquid to a gas
From this reading Just then he thought he got a whiff of boiling molasses.
plural of “call” — a telephone connection
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
CANDYnounUS /ˈkændi/
a rich sweet made of flavored sugar and often combined with fruit or nuts
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
children's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
an artistic form of nonverbal communication
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading He stuck his nose up in the air and gave a long sniff.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Just then he thought he got a whiff of boiling molasses.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He stuck his nose up in the air and gave a long sniff.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
and nothing more
From this reading Just then he thought he got a whiff of boiling molasses.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
set afire or burning
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
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 He stuck his nose up in the air and gave a long sniff.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
engage in
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
molassesnounUS /məˈlæsəz/
thick dark syrup produced by boiling down juice from sugar cane; especially during sugar refining
From this reading Just then he thought he got a whiff of boiling molasses.
monkeynounUS /ˈmʌŋki/
any of various long-tailed primates (excluding the prosimians)
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
not any; not one
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading He stuck his nose up in the air and gave a long sniff.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
cause to move by pulling
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
cut with a saw
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
sniffverbUS /snɪf/
perceive by inhaling through the nose
From this reading He stuck his nose up in the air and gave a long sniff.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
caught or fixed
From this reading He stuck his nose up in the air and gave a long sniff.
TabbynounUS /ˈtæbi/
a cat with a grey or tawny coat mottled with black
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Just then he thought he got a whiff of boiling molasses.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Just then he thought he got a whiff of boiling molasses.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
turkeynounUS /ˈtɜːrki/
large gallinaceous bird with fan-shaped tail; widely domesticated for food
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading Looking up, he saw that the house was lighted more than was usual, and he knew right away that they must be having a little dance or a children's party of some kind.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
at the time that
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
whiffnounUS /wɪf/
a short light gust of air
From this reading Just then he thought he got a whiff of boiling molasses.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
showing curiosity
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading He had finished telling Tabby about the monkey and the turkey and was wondering what to do with himself when he heard children laughing in the back yard of the house opposite.
ZIPverbUS /zɪp/
close with a zipper
From this reading ZIP AT THE CANDY PULL That evening the doctor had no calls to make, so Zip was left to amuse himself as best he could.
