English Sentence Analyser

Use this page to analyse and learn English text. You can copy text into the box below or get a random sentence from our database. Press the Analyse button to get translations of the text and words.

historically
1. adv. In a historic manner; with reference to history or the historical record.
Historically speaking, this company has always collected payment before starting work.
2. adv. According to history: formerly, in the past, traditionally.
Historically, this company collected payment before starting work.
3. adv. To an unprecedented or extremely rare degree.
premium
1. adj. Superior in quality; higher in price or value.
2. adj. (automotive) near-luxury, high-end; Pertaining to the market segment between mid-market and luxury market.
3. n. A prize or award.
4. n. Something offered at a reduced price as an inducement to buy something else.
5. n. A bonus paid in addition to normal payments.
6. n. (insurance) The amount to be paid for an insurance policy.
7. n. An unusually high value.
8. n. (finance) The amount by which a security's value exceeds its face value.
bonds
1. n. imprisonment, captivity
2. n. the condition of goods in a bonded warehouse until duty is paid
3. n. plural of bond
4. v. third-person singular present indicative of bond
bond
1. n. (legal) Evidence of a long-term debt, by which the bond issuer (the borrower) is obliged to pay interest when due, and repay the principal at maturity, as specified on the face of the bond certificate
2. n. (finance) A documentary obligation to pay a sum or to perform a contract; a debenture.
Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities ha
Many say that government and corporate bonds are a good investment to balance against a portfolio consisting primarily of stocks.
3. n. A partial payment made to show a provider that the customer is sincere about buying a product or a service. If the product or service is not purchased the customer then forfeits the bond.
4. n. A physical connection which binds, a band; often plural.
The prisoner was brought before the tribunal in iron bonds.
5. n. An emotional link, connection or union.
They had grown up as friends and neighbors, and not even vastly differing political views could break the bond of their friendship.
6. n. Moral or political duty or obligation.
7. n. (chemistry) A link or force between neighbouring atoms in a molecule.
Organic chemistry primarily consists of the study of carbon bonds, in their many variations.
8. n. A binding agreement, a covenant.
You could rely on him. His word was his bond.
Herbert resented his wife for subjecting him to the bonds of matrimony; he claimed they had gotten married while drunk.
9. n. A bail bond.
The bailiff released the prisoner as soon as the bond was posted.
10. n. Any constraining or cementing force or material.
A bond of superglue adhered the teacups to the ceiling, much to the consternation of the cafe owners.
11. n. (construction) In building, a specific pattern of bricklaying.
12. n. In Scotland, a mortgage.
13. n. (railways) A heavy copper wire or rod connecting adjacent rails of an electric railway track when used as a part of the electric circuit.
14. v. To connect, secure or tie with a bond; to bind.
The gargantuan ape was bonded in iron chains and carted onto the stage.
15. v. To cause to adhere (one material with another).
The children bonded their snapshots to the scrapbook pages with mucilage.
16. v. (transitive, chemistry) To form a chemical compound with.
Under unusual conditions, even gold can be made to bond with other elements.
17. v. To guarantee or secure a financial risk.
The contractor was bonded with a local underwriter.
18. v. To form a friendship or emotional connection.
The men had bonded while serving together in Vietnam.
19. v. To put in a bonded warehouse.
20. v. (transitive, construction) To lay bricks in a specific pattern.
21. v. (transitive, electricity) To make a reliable electrical connection between two conductors (or any pieces of metal that may potentially become conductors).
A house's distribution panel should always be bonded to the grounding rods via a panel bond.
22. v. To bail out by means of a bail bond.
23. n. A peasant; churl.
24. n. A vassal; serf; one held in bondage to a superior.
25. adj. Subject to the tenure called bondage.
26. adj. In a state of servitude or slavedom; not free.
27. adj. Servile; slavish; pertaining to or befitting a slave.
bond fear
have
Additional archaic forms are second-person singular present tense hast, third-person singular present tense hath, present participle haveing, and second-person singular past tense hadst.
1. v. To possess, own, hold.
I have a house and a car.
Look what I have here — a frog I found on the street!
2. v. To be related in some way to (with the object identifying the relationship).
I have two sisters.
I have a lot of work to do.
3. v. To partake of a particular substance (especially a food or drink) or action.
I have breakfast at six o'clock.
Can I have a look at that?
I'm going to have some pizza and a beer right now.
4. v. To be scheduled to attend or participate in.
What class do you have right now? I have English.
Fred won't be able to come to the party; he has a meeting that day.
5. v. (auxiliary verb, taking a past participle) (Used in forming the perfect aspect and the past perfect aspect.)
I have already eaten today.
I had already eaten.
6. v. (auxiliary verb, taking a to-infinitive) See have to.
I have to go.
7. v. To give birth to.
The couple always wanted to have children.
My wife is having the baby right now!
My mother had me when she was 25.
8. v. To engage in sexual intercourse with.
He's always bragging about how many women he's had.
9. v. To accept as a romantic partner.
Despite my protestations of love, she would not have me.
10. v. (transitive with bare infinitive) To cause to, by a command, request or invitation.
They had me feed their dog while they were out of town.
11. v. (transitive with adjective or adjective-phrase complement) To cause to be.
He had him arrested for trespassing.
The lecture's ending had the entire audience in tears.
12. v. (transitive with bare infinitive) To be affected by an occurrence. (Used in supplying a topic that is not a verb argument.)
The hospital had several patients contract pneumonia last week.
I've had three people today tell me my hair looks nice.
13. v. (transitive with adjective or adjective-phrase complement) To depict as being.
Their stories differed; he said he'd been at work when the incident occurred, but her statement had him at home that entire evening.
14. v. (Used as interrogative auxiliary verb with a following pronoun to form tag questions. (For further discussion, see "Usage notes" below.))
We haven't eaten dinner yet, have we?
Your wife hasn't been reading that nonsense, has she?
(UK usage) He has some money, hasn't he?
15. v. (UK, slang) To defeat in a fight; take.
I could have him!
I'm gonna have you!
16. v. (dated) To be able to speak a language.
I have no German.
17. v. To feel or be (especially painfully) aware of.
Dan certainly has arms today, probably from scraping paint off four columns the day before.
18. v. To be afflicted with, suffer from.
He had a cold last week.
19. v. To experience, go through, undergo.
We had a hard year last year, with the locust swarms and all that.
He had surgery on his hip yesterday.
I'm having the time of my life!
20. v. To trick, to deceive.
You had me alright! I never would have thought that was just a joke.
21. v. (transitive, often with present participle) To allow; to tolerate.
The child screamed incessantly for his mother to buy him a toy, but she wasn't having any of it.
I asked my dad if I could go to the concert this Thursday, but he wouldn't have it since it's a school night.
22. v. (transitive, often used in the negative) To believe, buy, be taken in by.
I made up an excuse as to why I was out so late, but my wife wasn't having any of it.
23. v. To host someone; to take in as a guest.
Thank you for having me!
24. v. To get a reading, measurement, or result from an instrument or calculation.
What do you have for problem two?
I have two contacts on my scope.
25. v. (transitive, of a jury) To consider a court proceeding that has been completed; to begin deliberations on a case.
We'll schedule closing arguments for Thursday, and the jury will have the case by that afternoon.
26. n. A wealthy or privileged person.
27. n. (uncommon) One who has some (contextually specified) thing.
28. n. (AU, NZ, informal) A fraud or deception; something misleading.
They advertise it as a great deal, but I think it's a bit of a have.
always
1. adv. At all times; throughout all time
God is always the same.
2. adv. Constantly during a certain period, or regularly at stated intervals (opposed to sometimes or occasionally).
In this street, the shops always close during lunchtime.
3. adv. (informal) In any event.
I thought I could always go back to work.
been
1. v. past participle of be
2. v. (obsolete) plural present of be
3. v. (Southern US) of be
4. n. (UK dialectal) plural of bee
be
1. v. (intransitive, now literary) To exist; to have real existence.
2. v. (with there, or dialectally it, as dummy subject) To exist.
There is just one woman in town who can help us. (or, dialectally:) It is just one woman in town who can help us.
3. v. (intransitive) To occupy a place.
The cup is on the table.
4. v. (intransitive) To occur, to take place.
When will the meeting be?
5. v. (intransitive, in perfect tenses, without predicate) Elliptical form of "be here", "go to and return from" or similar.
The postman has been today, but my tickets have still not yet come.
I have been to Spain many times.
Moscow, huh? I've never been, but it sounds fascinating.
6. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to indicate that the subject and object are the same.
Knowledge is bliss.
Hi, I’m Jim.
7. v. (transitive, copulative, mathematics) Used to indicate that the values on either side of an equation are the same.
3 times 5 is fifteen.
8. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to indicate that the subject plays the role of the predicate nominal.
François Mitterrand was president of France from 1981 to 1995.
9. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to connect a noun to an adjective that describes it.
The sky is blue.
10. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to indicate that the subject has the qualities described by a noun or noun phrase.
The sky is a deep blue today.
11. v. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form the passive voice.
The dog was drowned by the boy.
12. v. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form the continuous forms of various tenses.
The woman is walking.
I shall be writing to you soon.
We liked to chat while we were eating.
13. v. (archaic, auxiliary) Used to form the perfect aspect with certain intransitive verbs, most of which indicate motion. Often still used for "to go".
14. v. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form future tenses, especially the future periphrastic.
I am to leave tomorrow.
I would drive you, were I to obtain a car.
15. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to link a subject to a measurement.
This building is three hundred years old.
I am 75 kilograms.
He’s about 6 feet tall.
16. v. (transitive, copulative, with a cardinal numeral) Used to state the age of a subject in years.
I’m 20. (= I am 20 years old.)
17. v. (with a dummy subject) it Used to indicate the time of day.
It is almost eight. (= It is almost eight o’clock.)
It’s 8:30 read eight-thirty in Tokyo.
What time is it there? It’s night.
18. v. (With since) Used to indicate passage of time since the occurrence of an event.
It has been three years since my grandmother died. (similar to My grandmother died three years ago, but emphasizes the intervening period)
It had been six days since his departure, when I received a letter from him.
19. v. (often, impersonal, with it as a dummy subject) Used to indicate weather, air quality, or the like.
It is hot in Arizona, but it is not usually humid.
Why is it so dark in here?
20. v. (dynamic/lexical "be", especially in progressive tenses, conjugated non-suppletively in the present tense, see usage notes) To exist or behave in a certain way.
"What do we do?" "We be ourselves.".
Why is he being nice to me?
regarded
1. v. simple past tense and past participle of regard
regard
1. n. A steady look, a gaze.
2. n. One's concern for another; esteem.
3. n. (preceded by “in” or “with”) A particular aspect or detail; respect, sense.
4. n. The worth or estimation in which something or someone is held.
He is held in great regard in Whitehall.
5. v. To look at; to observe.
She regarded us warily.
6. v. To consider, look upon (something) in a given way etc.
I always regarded tabloid journalism as a social evil.
He regards honesty as a duty.
7. v. (transitive, archaic) To take notice of, pay attention to.
8. v. To face toward.
9. v. To have to do with, to concern.
That argument does not regard the question.
10. v. (transitive, obsolete) To set store by (something), to hold (someone) in esteem; to consider to have value, to respect.
As
1. n. plural of A
She went from getting Cs and Ds to earning straight As.
2. adv. To such an extent or degree.
You’re not as tall as I am.
It's not as well made, but it's twice as expensive.
3. adv. In the manner or role specified.
The kidnappers released him as agreed.
The parties were seen as agreeing on a range of issues.
He was never seen as the boss, but rather as a friend.
4. adv. (dated) For example (compare such as).
5. conj. In the same way that; according to what.
Do as I say!
I'm under a lot of pressure, as you know.
As you wish, my lord!
6. conj. At the same instant that; when.
As I came in, she flew.
7. conj. At the same time that; while.
He sleeps as the rain falls.
8. conj. Varying through time in the same proportion that.
As my fear grew, so did my legs become heavy.
9. conj. Being that, considering that, because, since.
As it’s too late, I quit.
10. conj. Introducing a basis of comparison, after as, so, or a comparison of equality.
She's twice as strong as I was two years ago.
It's not so complicated as I expected.
11. conj. (dated) Introducing a comparison with a hypothetical state (+ subjunctive); ‘as though’, ‘as if’.
12. conj. Introducing a comparison with a hypothetical state with the verb elided; as if, as though.
13. conj. (now England, US, regional) Functioning as a relative conjunction; that.
14. conj. Expressing concession; though.
15. conj. (obsolete, rare) Than.
16. prep. Introducing a basis of comparison, with an object in the objective case.
You are not as tall as me.
They're big as houses.
17. prep. In the role of.
What is your opinion as a parent?
18. n. (unit of weight) A libra.
19. n. Any of several coins of Rome, coined in bronze or later copper; or the equivalent value.
20. n. plural of a
a
1. art. One; any indefinite example of; used to denote a singular item of a group.
There was a man here looking for you yesterday.
2. art. Used in conjunction with the adjectives score, dozen, hundred, thousand, and million, as a function word.
I've seen it happen a hundred times.
3. art. One certain or particular; any single.Brown, Lesley, (2003)
We've received an interesting letter from a Mrs. Miggins of London.
4. art. The same; one.
We are of a mind on matters of morals.
5. art. Any, every; used before a noun which has become modified to limit its scope; also used with a negative to indicate not a single one.Lindberg, Christine A. (2007)
A man who dies intestate leaves his children troubles and difficulties.
He fell all that way, and hasn't a bump on his head?
6. art. Used before plural nouns modified by few, good many, couple, great many, etc.
7. art. Someone or something like; similar to; Used before a proper noun to create an example out of it.
The center of the village was becoming a Times Square.
8. prep. (archaic) To do with position or direction; In, on, at, by, towards, onto.
Stand a tiptoe.
9. prep. To do with separation; In, into.
Torn a pieces.
10. prep. To do with time; Each, per, in, on, by.
I brush my teeth twice a day.
11. prep. (obsolete) To do with method; In, with.
12. prep. (obsolete) To do with role or capacity; In.
A God’s name.
13. prep. To do with status; In.
King James Bible (II Chronicles 2:18)
To set the people a worke.
14. prep. (archaic) To do with process, with a passive verb; In the course of, experiencing.
1964, Bob Dylan, The Times They Are a-Changin’
The times, they are a-changin'.
15. prep. (archaic) To do with an action, an active verb; Engaged in.
1611, King James Bible, Hebrews 11-21
Jacob, when he was a dying
16. prep. (archaic) To do with an action/movement; To, into.
17. v. (archaic, or slang) Have.
I'd a come, if you'd a asked.
18. pron. (obsolete, outside, England, and Scotland dialects) He.
19. interj. A meaningless syllable; ah.
20. prep. (archaic, slang) Of.
The name of John a Gaunt.
21. adv. (chiefly Scotland) All.
22. adj. (chiefly Scotland) All.
bit
1. n. A piece of metal placed in a horse's mouth and connected to the reins to direct the animal.
A horse hates having a bit put in its mouth.
2. n. A rotary cutting tool fitted to a drill, used to bore holes.
3. n. (dated, British) A coin of a specified value. (Also formerly used for a nine-pence coin in the British Caribbean, and a fourpenny piece, or groat, in the British West Indies.)
a threepenny bit
4. n. (obsolete, Canada) A ten-cent piece, dime.
5. n. (US) An eighth of a dollar. Note that there is no coin minted worth 12.5 cents. (When this term first came into use, the Spanish 8 reales coin was widely used as a dollar equivalent, and thus the 1 re
A quarter is two bits.
6. n. (historical, US) In the southern and southwestern states, a small silver coin (such as the real) formerly current; commonly, one worth about 12½ cents; also, the sum of 12½ cents.
7. n. A small amount of something.
There were bits of paper all over the floor. Does your leg still hurt? / Just a bit now. I've done my bit; I expect you to do yours.
8. n. (informal) Specifically, a small amount of time.
I'll be there in a bit; I need to take care of something first. He was here just a bit ago, but it looks like he's stepped out.
9. n. A portion of something.
I'd like a big bit of cake, please.
10. n. Somewhat; something, but not very great; also used like jot and whit to express the smallest degree.
Am I bored? Not a bit of it!
11. n. (slang) A prison sentence, especially a short one.
12. n. (anchor, An excerpt of material) An excerpt of material making up part of a show, comedy routine, etc.
His bit about video games was not nearly as entertaining as the other segments of his show.
13. n. The part of a key which enters the lock and acts upon the bolt and tumblers.
14. n. The cutting iron of a plane.
15. adv. To a small extent; in a small amount (usually with "a").
That's a bit too sweet.
16. v. To put a bridle upon; to put the bit in the mouth of (a horse).
17. v. simple past tense of bite
Your dog bit me!
18. v. (informal in US, archaic in Britain) past of bite, bitten
I have been bit by your dog!
19. adj. (colloquial) bitten.
Even though he's bit, of course the zombies would still chase him.
20. adj. (only in combination) Having been bitten.
21. n. (mathematics, computing) A binary digit, generally represented as a 1 or 0.
22. n. (computing) The smallest unit of storage in a digital computer, consisting of a binary digit.
23. n. (information theory, cryptography) Any datum that may take on one of exactly two values.
status bits on IRC; permission bits in a file system
24. n. (information theory) A unit of measure for information entropy.
25. n. A microbitcoin, or a millionth of a bitcoin (0.000001 BTC).
bite
1. v. To cut off a piece by clamping the teeth.
As soon as you bite that sandwich, you'll know how good it is.
2. v. To hold something by clamping one's teeth.
3. v. (intransitive) To attack with the teeth.
That dog is about to bite!
4. v. (intransitive) To behave aggressively; to reject advances.
If you see me, come and say hello. I don't bite.
5. v. (intransitive) To take hold; to establish firm contact with.
I needed snow chains to make the tires bite.
6. v. (intransitive) To have significant effect, often negative.
For homeowners with adjustable rate mortgages, rising interest will really bite.
7. v. (intransitive, of a fish) To bite a baited hook or other lure and thus be caught.
Are the fish biting today?
8. v. (intransitive, metaphor) To accept something offered, often secretly or deceptively, to cause some action by the acceptor.
I've planted the story. Do you think they'll bite?
9. v. (intransitive, transitive, of an insect) To sting.
These mosquitoes are really biting today!
10. v. (intransitive) To cause a smarting sensation; to have a property which causes such a sensation; to be pungent.
It bites like pepper or mustard.
11. v. To cause sharp pain, or smarting, to; to hurt or injure, in a literal or a figurative sense.
Pepper bites the mouth.
12. v. (intransitive) To cause sharp pain; to produce anguish; to hurt or injure; to have the property of so doing.
13. v. (intransitive) To take or keep a firm hold.
The anchor bites.
14. v. To take hold of; to hold fast; to adhere to.
The anchor bites the ground.
15. v. (intransitive, slang) To lack quality; to be worthy of derision; to suck.
This music really bites.
16. v. (transitive, informal, vulgar) To perform oral sex on. Used in invective.
You don't like that I sat on your car? Bite me.
17. v. (intransitive, AAVE, slang) To plagiarize, to imitate.
He always be biting my moves.
18. n. The act of biting.
19. n. The wound left behind after having been bitten.
That snake bite really hurts!
20. n. The swelling of one's skin caused by an insect's mouthparts or sting.
After just one night in the jungle I was covered with mosquito bites.
21. n. A piece of food of a size that would be produced by biting; a mouthful.
There were only a few bites left on the plate.
22. n. (slang) Something unpleasant.
That's really a bite!
23. n. (slang) An act of plagiarism.
That song is a bite of my song!
24. n. A small meal or snack.
I'll have a quick bite to quiet my stomach until dinner.
25. n. (figuratively) aggression
26. n. The hold which the short end of a lever has upon the thing to be lifted, or the hold which one part of a machine has upon another.
27. n. (colloquial, dated) A cheat; a trick; a fraud.
28. n. (colloquial, dated, slang) A sharper; one who cheats.
29. n. (printing) A blank on the edge or corner of a page, owing to a portion of the frisket, or something else, intervening between the type and paper.
of
1. prep. Expressing distance or motion.
2. prep. (now obsolete, or dialectal) From (of distance, direction), "off".
3. prep. (obsolete except in phrases) Since, from (a given time, earlier state etc.).
4. prep. From, away from (a position, number, distance etc.).
There are no shops within twenty miles of the cottage.
5. prep. (North America, Scotland, Ireland) Before (the hour); to.
What's the time? / Nearly a quarter of three.
6. prep. Expressing separation.
7. prep. (Indicating removal, absence or separation, with the action indicated by a transitive verb and the quality or substance by a grammatical object.)
Finally she was relieved of the burden of caring for her sick husband.
8. prep. (Indicating removal, absence or separation, with resulting state indicated by an adjective.)
He seemed devoid of human feelings.
9. prep. (obsolete) (Indicating removal, absence or separation, construed with an intransitive verb.)
10. prep. Expressing origin.
11. prep. (Indicating an ancestral source or origin of descent.)
The word is believed to be of Japanese origin.
12. prep. (Indicating a (non-physical) source of action or emotion; introducing a cause, instigation); from, out of, as an expression of.
The invention was born of necessity.
13. prep. (following an intransitive verb) (Indicates the source or cause of the verb.)
It is said that she died of a broken heart.
14. prep. (following an adjective) (Indicates the subject or cause of the adjective.)
I am tired of all this nonsense.
15. prep. Expressing agency.
16. prep. (following a passive verb) (Indicates the agent (for most verbs, now usually expressed with by).)
I am not particularly enamoured of this idea.
17. prep. (Used to introduce the "subjective genitive"; following a noun to form the head of a postmodifying noun phrase) (see also 'Possession' senses below).
The contract can be terminated at any time with the agreement of both parties.
18. prep. (following an adjective) (Used to indicate the agent of something described by the adjective.)
It was very brave of you to speak out like that.
19. prep. Expressing composition, substance.
20. prep. (after a verb expressing construction, making etc.) (Used to indicate the material or substance used.)
Many 'corks' are now actually made of plastic.
21. prep. (directly following a noun) (Used to indicate the material of the just-mentioned object.)
She wore a dress of silk.
22. prep. (Indicating the composition of a given collective or quantitative noun.)
What a lot of nonsense!
23. prep. (Used to link a given class of things with a specific example of that class.)
Welcome to the historic town of Harwich.
24. prep. (Links two nouns in near-apposition, with the first qualifying the second); "which is also".
I'm not driving this wreck of a car.
25. prep. Introducing subject matter.
26. prep. (Links an intransitive verb, or a transitive verb and its subject (especially verbs to do with thinking, feeling, expressing etc.), with its subject-ma
I'm always thinking of you.
27. prep. (following a noun (now chiefly nouns of knowledge, communication etc.)) (Introduces its subject matter); about, concerning.
He told us the story of his journey to India.
28. prep. (following an adjective) (Introduces its subject matter.)
This behaviour is typical of teenagers.
29. prep. Having partitive effect.
30. prep. (following a number or other quantitive word) (Introduces the whole for which is indicated only the specified part or segment); "from among".
Most of these apples are rotten.
31. prep. (following a noun) (Indicates a given part.)
32. prep. (now archaic, literary, with preceding partitive word assumed, or as a predicate after to be) Some, an amount of, one of.
On the whole, they seem to be of the decent sort.
33. prep. (Links to a genitive noun or possessive pronoun, with partitive effect (though now often merged with possessive senses, below).)
He is a friend of mine.
34. prep. Expressing possession.
35. prep. Belonging to, existing in, or taking place in a given location, place or time. Compare "origin" senses, above.
He was perhaps the most famous scientist of the twentieth century.
36. prep. Belonging to (a place) through having title, ownership or control over it.
The owner of the nightclub was arrested.
37. prep. Belonging to (someone or something) as something they possess or have as a characteristic; (the "possessive genitive". (With abstract nouns, this inter
Keep the handle of the saucepan away from the flames.
38. prep. Forming the "objective genitive".
39. prep. (Follows an agent noun, verbal noun or noun of action.)
She had a profound distrust of the police.
40. prep. Expressing qualities or characteristics.
41. prep. (now archaic, or literary) (Links an adjective with a noun or noun phrase to form a quasi-adverbial qualifier); in respect to, as regards.
My companion seemed affable and easy of manner.
42. prep. (Indicates a quality or characteristic); "characterized by".
Pooh was said to be a bear of very little brain.
43. prep. (Indicates quantity, age, price, etc.)
We have been paying interest at a rate of 10%.
44. prep. (US, informal considered incorrect by some) (Used to link singular indefinite nouns (preceded by the indefinite article) and attributive adjectives mod
It's not that big of a deal.
45. prep. Expressing a point in time.
46. prep. (chiefly regional) During the course of (a set period of time, day of the week etc.), now specifically with implied repetition or regularity.
Of an evening, we would often go for a stroll along the river.
47. prep. (UK dialectal, chiefly in negative constructions) For (a given length of time).
I've not tekken her out of a goodly long while.
48. prep. (after a noun) (Indicates duration of a state, activity etc.)
After a delay of three hours, the plane finally took off.
a
1. art. One; any indefinite example of; used to denote a singular item of a group.
There was a man here looking for you yesterday.
2. art. Used in conjunction with the adjectives score, dozen, hundred, thousand, and million, as a function word.
I've seen it happen a hundred times.
3. art. One certain or particular; any single.Brown, Lesley, (2003)
We've received an interesting letter from a Mrs. Miggins of London.
4. art. The same; one.
We are of a mind on matters of morals.
5. art. Any, every; used before a noun which has become modified to limit its scope; also used with a negative to indicate not a single one.Lindberg, Christine A. (2007)
A man who dies intestate leaves his children troubles and difficulties.
He fell all that way, and hasn't a bump on his head?
6. art. Used before plural nouns modified by few, good many, couple, great many, etc.
7. art. Someone or something like; similar to; Used before a proper noun to create an example out of it.
The center of the village was becoming a Times Square.
8. prep. (archaic) To do with position or direction; In, on, at, by, towards, onto.
Stand a tiptoe.
9. prep. To do with separation; In, into.
Torn a pieces.
10. prep. To do with time; Each, per, in, on, by.
I brush my teeth twice a day.
11. prep. (obsolete) To do with method; In, with.
12. prep. (obsolete) To do with role or capacity; In.
A God’s name.
13. prep. To do with status; In.
King James Bible (II Chronicles 2:18)
To set the people a worke.
14. prep. (archaic) To do with process, with a passive verb; In the course of, experiencing.
1964, Bob Dylan, The Times They Are a-Changin’
The times, they are a-changin'.
15. prep. (archaic) To do with an action, an active verb; Engaged in.
1611, King James Bible, Hebrews 11-21
Jacob, when he was a dying
16. prep. (archaic) To do with an action/movement; To, into.
17. v. (archaic, or slang) Have.
I'd a come, if you'd a asked.
18. pron. (obsolete, outside, England, and Scotland dialects) He.
19. interj. A meaningless syllable; ah.
20. prep. (archaic, slang) Of.
The name of John a Gaunt.
21. adv. (chiefly Scotland) All.
22. adj. (chiefly Scotland) All.
flutter
1. v. (intransitive) To flap or wave quickly but irregularly.
flags fluttering in the wind
2. v. (intransitive, of a winged animal) To flap the wings without flying; to fly with a light flapping of the wings.
3. v. To cause something to flap.
A bird flutters its wings.
4. v. To drive into disorder; to throw into confusion.
5. v. (intransitive) To be in a state of agitation or uncertainty.
6. v. (intransitive, obsolete) To be frivolous.
7. n. The act of fluttering; quick and irregular motion.
the flutter of a fan
8. n. A state of agitation.
9. n. An abnormal rapid pulsation of the heart.
10. n. (British) A small bet or risky investment.
11. n. (audio, electronics) The rapid variation of signal parameters, such as amplitude, phase, and frequency.

Dictionary entries from Wiktionary