used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Two snakes carved in the wood were twining themselves about the staff, and old Philemon almost thought them alive, and that he could see them wriggling and twisting.
aliveadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/
possessing life
From this reading Two snakes carved in the wood were twining themselves about the staff, and old Philemon almost thought them alive, and that he could see them wriggling and twisting.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Two snakes carved in the wood were twining themselves about the staff, and old Philemon almost thought them alive, and that he could see them wriggling and twisting.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading “But I always find my feet grow heavier towards nightfall.”
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “I used to be light-footed in my youth,” said Philemon to the traveller.
inflected form of “behold” — see with attention
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “But I always find my feet grow heavier towards nightfall.”
carvedadjectiveUS /kɑːrvd/
made for or formed by carving (“carven” is archaic or literary)
From this reading Two snakes carved in the wood were twining themselves about the staff, and old Philemon almost thought them alive, and that he could see them wriggling and twisting.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Two snakes carved in the wood were twining themselves about the staff, and old Philemon almost thought them alive, and that he could see them wriggling and twisting.
at any time
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
very good; of the highest quality
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading “But I always find my feet grow heavier towards nightfall.”
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading “But I always find my feet grow heavier towards nightfall.”
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading “But I always find my feet grow heavier towards nightfall.”
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
come to pass
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Two snakes carved in the wood were twining themselves about the staff, and old Philemon almost thought them alive, and that he could see them wriggling and twisting.
heavieradjectiveUS /ˈheviər/
comparative of “heavy” — of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading “But I always find my feet grow heavier towards nightfall.”
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I used to be light-footed in my youth,” said Philemon to the traveller.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “I used to be light-footed in my youth,” said Philemon to the traveller.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
light-footedadjective
(of movement) having a light and springy step
From this reading “I used to be light-footed in my youth,” said Philemon to the traveller.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “I used to be light-footed in my youth,” said Philemon to the traveller.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
nightfallnounUS /ˈnaɪtfɔːl/
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading “But I always find my feet grow heavier towards nightfall.”
not one thing; not anything
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
oddest-looking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Two snakes carved in the wood were twining themselves about the staff, and old Philemon almost thought them alive, and that he could see them wriggling and twisting.
oliveadjectiveUS /ˈɑːləv/
of a yellow-green color similar to that of an unripe olive
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
PhilemonnounUS /fəˈleɪmən/
(Greek mythology) a simple countryman who offered hospitality to Zeus and Hermes when they came to earth without revealing their identities in order to test people's piety
From this reading “I used to be light-footed in my youth,” said Philemon to the traveller.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I used to be light-footed in my youth,” said Philemon to the traveller.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
snakesnounUS /sneɪks/
plural of “snake” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading Two snakes carved in the wood were twining themselves about the staff, and old Philemon almost thought them alive, and that he could see them wriggling and twisting.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
staffnounUS /stæf/
personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “I used to be light-footed in my youth,” said Philemon to the traveller.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Two snakes carved in the wood were twining themselves about the staff, and old Philemon almost thought them alive, and that he could see them wriggling and twisting.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Two snakes carved in the wood were twining themselves about the staff, and old Philemon almost thought them alive, and that he could see them wriggling and twisting.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Two snakes carved in the wood were twining themselves about the staff, and old Philemon almost thought them alive, and that he could see them wriggling and twisting.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I used to be light-footed in my youth,” said Philemon to the traveller.
the upper part of anything
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
in the direction of
From this reading “But I always find my feet grow heavier towards nightfall.”
travellernounUS /ˈtrævələr/
a person who changes location
From this reading “I used to be light-footed in my youth,” said Philemon to the traveller.
twiningverbUS /ˈtwaɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “twine” — spin, wind, or twist together
From this reading Two snakes carved in the wood were twining themselves about the staff, and old Philemon almost thought them alive, and that he could see them wriggling and twisting.
twistingnounUS /ˈtwɪstɪŋ/
the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean
From this reading Two snakes carved in the wood were twining themselves about the staff, and old Philemon almost thought them alive, and that he could see them wriggling and twisting.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Two snakes carved in the wood were twining themselves about the staff, and old Philemon almost thought them alive, and that he could see them wriggling and twisting.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading “I used to be light-footed in my youth,” said Philemon to the traveller.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Two snakes carved in the wood were twining themselves about the staff, and old Philemon almost thought them alive, and that he could see them wriggling and twisting.
a means of flight or ascent
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading This staff, in fact, was the oddest-looking staff that Philemon had ever beheld; it was made of olive wood, and had something like a little pair of wings near the top.
wrigglingadjective
moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion
From this reading Two snakes carved in the wood were twining themselves about the staff, and old Philemon almost thought them alive, and that he could see them wriggling and twisting.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “There is nothing like a good staff to help one along,” answered the stranger; “and I happen to have an excellent one, as you see.”
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading “I used to be light-footed in my youth,” said Philemon to the traveller.
