Chapter XIX · The Circus

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading You have all heard the story, told to children, about putting salt on a bird’s tail in order to tame it.

(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 You have all heard the story, told to children, about putting salt on a bird’s tail in order to tame it.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading And now for the explanation of the egg trick.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Well, a fresh egg that one wishes to make float half-way submerged in a jar of water, must be treated in the same way.

possessive form of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading You have all heard the story, told to children, about putting salt on a bird’s tail in order to tame it.

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading You have all heard the story, told to children, about putting salt on a bird’s tail in order to tame it.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Don’t forget the salt.

animal reproductive body consisting of an ovum or embryo together with nutritive and protective envelopes; especially the thin-shelled reproductive body laid by e.g. female birds

From this reading And now for the explanation of the egg trick.

a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.

From this reading And now for the explanation of the egg trick.

be in motion due to some air or water current

From this reading Well, a fresh egg that one wishes to make float half-way submerged in a jar of water, must be treated in the same way.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading And now for the explanation of the egg trick.

dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading Don’t forget the salt.

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading Well, a fresh egg that one wishes to make float half-way submerged in a jar of water, must be treated in the same way.

the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, a fresh egg that one wishes to make float half-way submerged in a jar of water, must be treated in the same way.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading You have all heard the story, told to children, about putting salt on a bird’s tail in order to tame it.

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading You have all heard the story, told to children, about putting salt on a bird’s tail in order to tame it.

where you live at a particular time

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading You have all heard the story, told to children, about putting salt on a bird’s tail in order to tame it.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

be incompatible; be or come into conflict

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

and nothing more

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

engage in

From this reading Well, a fresh egg that one wishes to make float half-way submerged in a jar of water, must be treated in the same way.

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Well, a fresh egg that one wishes to make float half-way submerged in a jar of water, must be treated in the same way.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading And now for the explanation of the egg trick.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And now for the explanation of the egg trick.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading You have all heard the story, told to children, about putting salt on a bird’s tail in order to tame it.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Well, a fresh egg that one wishes to make float half-way submerged in a jar of water, must be treated in the same way.

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading You have all heard the story, told to children, about putting salt on a bird’s tail in order to tame it.

a judge of a probate court

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter

From this reading You have all heard the story, told to children, about putting salt on a bird’s tail in order to tame it.

a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

Identical; not different.

From this reading Well, a fresh egg that one wishes to make float half-way submerged in a jar of water, must be treated in the same way.

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading You have all heard the story, told to children, about putting salt on a bird’s tail in order to tame it.

beneath the surface of the water

From this reading Well, a fresh egg that one wishes to make float half-way submerged in a jar of water, must be treated in the same way.

the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body

From this reading You have all heard the story, told to children, about putting salt on a bird’s tail in order to tame it.

correct by punishment or discipline

From this reading You have all heard the story, told to children, about putting salt on a bird’s tail in order to tame it.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading And now for the explanation of the egg trick.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading You have all heard the story, told to children, about putting salt on a bird’s tail in order to tame it.

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading You have all heard the story, told to children, about putting salt on a bird’s tail in order to tame it.

subjected to a physical (or chemical) treatment or action or agent

From this reading Well, a fresh egg that one wishes to make float half-way submerged in a jar of water, must be treated in the same way.

a cunning or deceitful action or device

From this reading And now for the explanation of the egg trick.

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading Well, a fresh egg that one wishes to make float half-way submerged in a jar of water, must be treated in the same way.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Well, a fresh egg that one wishes to make float half-way submerged in a jar of water, must be treated in the same way.

(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, a fresh egg that one wishes to make float half-way submerged in a jar of water, must be treated in the same way.

plural of “wish” — a specific feeling of desire

From this reading Well, a fresh egg that one wishes to make float half-way submerged in a jar of water, must be treated in the same way.

in the company of; together with

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading It is so simple that any of you may do it at home, with just an ordinary egg, a fruit jar and some salt.