used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading He didn’t just whittle out chains, or balls in cages, and things like that, but he always made _something_.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
Atkins
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
ballsnounUS /bɔːlz/
plural of “ball” — round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading He didn’t just whittle out chains, or balls in cages, and things like that, but he always made _something_.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He didn’t just whittle out chains, or balls in cages, and things like that, but he always made _something_.
cagesnounUS /ˈkeɪdʒɪz/
plural of “cage” — an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept
From this reading He didn’t just whittle out chains, or balls in cages, and things like that, but he always made _something_.
chainsnounUS /tʃeɪnz/
metal shackles; for hands or legs
From this reading He didn’t just whittle out chains, or balls in cages, and things like that, but he always made _something_.
contraptionnounUS /kənˈtræpʃən/
a device or control that is very useful for a particular job
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I mean something that was like something folks could use.
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He didn’t just whittle out chains, or balls in cages, and things like that, but he always made _something_.
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading If he saw something somewhere that didn’t just work to suit him, he would go home and whittle one out and fix it up so it _would_ work.
your parents
From this reading I mean something that was like something folks could use.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading If he saw something somewhere that didn’t just work to suit him, he would go home and whittle one out and fix it up so it _would_ work.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If he saw something somewhere that didn’t just work to suit him, he would go home and whittle one out and fix it up so it _would_ work.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading If he saw something somewhere that didn’t just work to suit him, he would go home and whittle one out and fix it up so it _would_ work.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If he saw something somewhere that didn’t just work to suit him, he would go home and whittle one out and fix it up so it _would_ work.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He didn’t just whittle out chains, or balls in cages, and things like that, but he always made _something_.
inventedverbUS /ˌɪnˈventəd/
past form of “invent” — come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort
From this reading He kind of invented things that way.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading If he saw something somewhere that didn’t just work to suit him, he would go home and whittle one out and fix it up so it _would_ work.
jack-knife
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
and nothing more
From this reading He didn’t just whittle out chains, or balls in cages, and things like that, but he always made _something_.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading He didn’t just whittle out chains, or balls in cages, and things like that, but he always made _something_.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading He didn’t just whittle out chains, or balls in cages, and things like that, but he always made _something_.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
by chance
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading I mean something that was like something folks could use.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
a form of address for a man
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading If he saw something somewhere that didn’t just work to suit him, he would go home and whittle one out and fix it up so it _would_ work.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He didn’t just whittle out chains, or balls in cages, and things like that, but he always made _something_.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
cut with a saw
From this reading If he saw something somewhere that didn’t just work to suit him, he would go home and whittle one out and fix it up so it _would_ work.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading If he saw something somewhere that didn’t just work to suit him, he would go home and whittle one out and fix it up so it _would_ work.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
in or at or to some place
From this reading If he saw something somewhere that didn’t just work to suit him, he would go home and whittle one out and fix it up so it _would_ work.
refrain from harming
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading If he saw something somewhere that didn’t just work to suit him, he would go home and whittle one out and fix it up so it _would_ work.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He didn’t just whittle out chains, or balls in cages, and things like that, but he always made _something_.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading He didn’t just whittle out chains, or balls in cages, and things like that, but he always made _something_.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading If he saw something somewhere that didn’t just work to suit him, he would go home and whittle one out and fix it up so it _would_ work.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading If he saw something somewhere that didn’t just work to suit him, he would go home and whittle one out and fix it up so it _would_ work.
the act of using
From this reading I mean something that was like something folks could use.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He kind of invented things that way.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
whittlenounUS /ˈwɪtəl/
English aeronautical engineer who invented the jet aircraft engine (1907-1996)
From this reading He didn’t just whittle out chains, or balls in cages, and things like that, but he always made _something_.
whittlernoun
someone who whittles (usually as an idle pastime)
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
ligament made of metal and used to fasten things or make cages or fences etc
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I don’t know whether I told what a great whittler Mr. Atkins was, and how, every spare minute, he was making some kind of a contraption with his jack-knife and maybe a piece of wire or something.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading If he saw something somewhere that didn’t just work to suit him, he would go home and whittle one out and fix it up so it _would_ work.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading If he saw something somewhere that didn’t just work to suit him, he would go home and whittle one out and fix it up so it _would_ work.
