used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading They thought it rather stupid of dear papa, but then, you see, they _knew_, and he didn't, which makes an immense difference in guessing.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Then he asked them to give him "a light"--not a light for his cigar, of course, for all this took place in the drawing-room--but a hint as to what the present was.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Then they said, which was a pretty broad one, that it was "a fair Persian;" but even then he couldn't guess.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They thought it rather stupid of dear papa, but then, you see, they _knew_, and he didn't, which makes an immense difference in guessing.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
cigarnounUS /sɪˈɡɑːr/
a roll of tobacco for smoking
From this reading Then he asked them to give him "a light"--not a light for his cigar, of course, for all this took place in the drawing-room--but a hint as to what the present was.
couldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then they said, which was a pretty broad one, that it was "a fair Persian;" but even then he couldn't guess.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Then he asked them to give him "a light"--not a light for his cigar, of course, for all this took place in the drawing-room--but a hint as to what the present was.
dearly loved
From this reading They thought it rather stupid of dear papa, but then, you see, they _knew_, and he didn't, which makes an immense difference in guessing.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They thought it rather stupid of dear papa, but then, you see, they _knew_, and he didn't, which makes an immense difference in guessing.
the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
From this reading They thought it rather stupid of dear papa, but then, you see, they _knew_, and he didn't, which makes an immense difference in guessing.
drawing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he asked them to give him "a light"--not a light for his cigar, of course, for all this took place in the drawing-room--but a hint as to what the present was.
divisible by two
From this reading Then they said, which was a pretty broad one, that it was "a fair Persian;" but even then he couldn't guess.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading Then they said, which was a pretty broad one, that it was "a fair Persian;" but even then he couldn't guess.
fifty-nineadjective
being nine more than fifty
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Then he asked them to give him "a light"--not a light for his cigar, of course, for all this took place in the drawing-room--but a hint as to what the present was.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
destroyed or killed
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
guessesnounUS /ˈɡesəz/
plural of “guess” — a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
guessingnounUS /ˈɡesɪŋ/
an estimate based on little or no information
From this reading They thought it rather stupid of dear papa, but then, you see, they _knew_, and he didn't, which makes an immense difference in guessing.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
past form of “help” — give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
an indirect suggestion
From this reading Then he asked them to give him "a light"--not a light for his cigar, of course, for all this took place in the drawing-room--but a hint as to what the present was.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Then he asked them to give him "a light"--not a light for his cigar, of course, for all this took place in the drawing-room--but a hint as to what the present was.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading They thought it rather stupid of dear papa, but then, you see, they _knew_, and he didn't, which makes an immense difference in guessing.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
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 They thought it rather stupid of dear papa, but then, you see, they _knew_, and he didn't, which makes an immense difference in guessing.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Then he asked them to give him "a light"--not a light for his cigar, of course, for all this took place in the drawing-room--but a hint as to what the present was.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading They thought it rather stupid of dear papa, but then, you see, they _knew_, and he didn't, which makes an immense difference in guessing.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
as might be expected
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
and nothing more
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
PersiannounUS /ˈpɜːrʒən/
a native or inhabitant of Iran
From this reading Then they said, which was a pretty broad one, that it was "a fair Persian;" but even then he couldn't guess.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Then he asked them to give him "a light"--not a light for his cigar, of course, for all this took place in the drawing-room--but a hint as to what the present was.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Then he asked them to give him "a light"--not a light for his cigar, of course, for all this took place in the drawing-room--but a hint as to what the present was.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading Then they said, which was a pretty broad one, that it was "a fair Persian;" but even then he couldn't guess.
probableadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːbəbəl/
likely but not certain to be or become true or real
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
on the contrary
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
secondsnounUS /ˈsekəndz/
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading They thought it rather stupid of dear papa, but then, you see, they _knew_, and he didn't, which makes an immense difference in guessing.
lacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity
From this reading They thought it rather stupid of dear papa, but then, you see, they _knew_, and he didn't, which makes an immense difference in guessing.
syllablenounUS /ˈsɪləbəl/
a unit of spoken language larger than a phoneme
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Then he asked them to give him "a light"--not a light for his cigar, of course, for all this took place in the drawing-room--but a hint as to what the present was.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They thought it rather stupid of dear papa, but then, you see, they _knew_, and he didn't, which makes an immense difference in guessing.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading They thought it rather stupid of dear papa, but then, you see, they _knew_, and he didn't, which makes an immense difference in guessing.
up to a particular time
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Then he asked them to give him "a light"--not a light for his cigar, of course, for all this took place in the drawing-room--but a hint as to what the present was.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
From this reading The children gave him one minute to guess in, and not till fifty-nine seconds had gone by did he utter a syllable, and _then_ he only said, "I give it up."
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Then he asked them to give him "a light"--not a light for his cigar, of course, for all this took place in the drawing-room--but a hint as to what the present was.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Then he asked them to give him "a light"--not a light for his cigar, of course, for all this took place in the drawing-room--but a hint as to what the present was.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They thought it rather stupid of dear papa, but then, you see, they _knew_, and he didn't, which makes an immense difference in guessing.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Papa said that he would rather not have been helped in this way, as it did him more harm than good, by putting all probable things--the guesses he would naturally have made--out of the question.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading They thought it rather stupid of dear papa, but then, you see, they _knew_, and he didn't, which makes an immense difference in guessing.
