used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
blizzardnounUS /ˈblɪzərd/
a storm with widespread snowfall accompanied by strong winds
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
small room on a ship or boat where people sleep
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
confessedverbUS /kənˈfest/
past form of “confess” — confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “Well, the storm did come and so, too, did you.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
HolmesnounUS /hoʊmz/
a fictitious detective in stories by A. Conan Doyle
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
inferencenounUS /ˈɪnfərəns/
the reasoning involved in drawing a conclusion or making a logical judgment on the basis of circumstantial evidence and prior conclusions rather than on the basis of direct observation
From this reading Wasn’t the inference a natural one?”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
the sound of laughing
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
go away from a place
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The young man nodded.
match-maker
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading Wasn’t the inference a natural one?”
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading The young man nodded.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Wasn’t the inference a natural one?”
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
prefacing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
on the contrary
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
RattlesnakenounUS /ˈrætəlsneɪk/
pit viper with horny segments at the end of the tail that rattle when shaken
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
ripplenounUS /ˈrɪpəl/
a small wave on the surface of a liquid
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
SherlocknounUS /ˈʃɜːrlɑːk/
someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading “Well, the storm did come and so, too, did you.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
carry out
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading “Well, the storm did come and so, too, did you.
unravelverbUS /ənˈrævəl/
become or cause to become undone by separating the fibers or threads of
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
Wasn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wasn’t the inference a natural one?”
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading “Well, the storm did come and so, too, did you.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
at the time that
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
wishingnounUS /ˈwɪʃɪŋ/
a specific feeling of desire
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
wouldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It wouldn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to unravel that mystery,” he began, and then paused, for he was sure the little ripple of laughter that he heard was prefacing a merry remark.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Well, the storm did come and so, too, did you.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading “Then, when I told him that I thought he was rather young to be a match-maker, he confessed that what he was really wishing was that there would be a blizzard, so that his friend Rattlesnake Sam would have to leave the mountains and come down and stay at their cabin.
