used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After much thought the Queen said to the Fairy, "You have changed a Princess into a heron, and five maids into herons and back again; cannot you change one heron into a Prince?"
anew
From this reading After much thought the Queen said to the Fairy, "You have changed a Princess into a heron, and five maids into herons and back again; cannot you change one heron into a Prince?"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading So the Fairy came and released the five ladies'-maids whom she had changed into herons.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading The five maids answered, "We want to forget that there are such things as herons in the world!"
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The five maids answered, "We want to forget that there are such things as herons in the world!"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading And they came up out of the water, stripping themselves of their grey feather-skins and throwing them back into the pool.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading So the Fairy came and released the five ladies'-maids whom she had changed into herons.
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After much thought the Queen said to the Fairy, "You have changed a Princess into a heron, and five maids into herons and back again; cannot you change one heron into a Prince?"
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading After much thought the Queen said to the Fairy, "You have changed a Princess into a heron, and five maids into herons and back again; cannot you change one heron into a Prince?"
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading So the Fairy came and released the five ladies'-maids whom she had changed into herons.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
From this reading So the Fairy came and released the five ladies'-maids whom she had changed into herons.
a social unit living together
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
feather-skins
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And they came up out of the water, stripping themselves of their grey feather-skins and throwing them back into the pool.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading So the Fairy came and released the five ladies'-maids whom she had changed into herons.
devoid of good sense or judgment
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading The five maids answered, "We want to forget that there are such things as herons in the world!"
something acquired without compensation
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading And they came up out of the water, stripping themselves of their grey feather-skins and throwing them back into the pool.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading So the Fairy came and released the five ladies'-maids whom she had changed into herons.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
heirloomsnounUS /ˈerluːmz/
plural of “heirloom” — (law) any property that is considered by law or custom as inseparable from an inheritance is inherited with that inheritance
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
heronnounUS /ˈherən/
Greek mathematician and inventor who devised a way to determine the area of a triangle and who described various mechanical devices (first century)
From this reading After much thought the Queen said to the Fairy, "You have changed a Princess into a heron, and five maids into herons and back again; cannot you change one heron into a Prince?"
heronsnounUS /ˈherənz/
plural of “heron” — Greek mathematician and inventor who devised a way to determine the area of a triangle and who described various mechanical devices (first century)
From this reading So the Fairy came and released the five ladies'-maids whom she had changed into herons.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading So the Fairy came and released the five ladies'-maids whom she had changed into herons.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman
From this reading So the Fairy came and released the five ladies'-maids whom she had changed into herons.
maidsnounUS /meɪdz/
plural of “maid” — a female domestic
From this reading So the Fairy came and released the five ladies'-maids whom she had changed into herons.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading After much thought the Queen said to the Fairy, "You have changed a Princess into a heron, and five maids into herons and back again; cannot you change one heron into a Prince?"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And they came up out of the water, stripping themselves of their grey feather-skins and throwing them back into the pool.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading After much thought the Queen said to the Fairy, "You have changed a Princess into a heron, and five maids into herons and back again; cannot you change one heron into a Prince?"
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading And they came up out of the water, stripping themselves of their grey feather-skins and throwing them back into the pool.
poolnounUS /puːl/
an excavation that is (usually) filled with water
From this reading And they came up out of the water, stripping themselves of their grey feather-skins and throwing them back into the pool.
a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)
From this reading After much thought the Queen said to the Fairy, "You have changed a Princess into a heron, and five maids into herons and back again; cannot you change one heron into a Prince?"
The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.
From this reading After much thought the Queen said to the Fairy, "You have changed a Princess into a heron, and five maids into herons and back again; cannot you change one heron into a Prince?"
the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs
From this reading After much thought the Queen said to the Fairy, "You have changed a Princess into a heron, and five maids into herons and back again; cannot you change one heron into a Prince?"
releasedverbUS /riˈliːst/
past form of “release” — release, as from one's grip
From this reading So the Fairy came and released the five ladies'-maids whom she had changed into herons.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading So the Fairy came and released the five ladies'-maids whom she had changed into herons.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
skinsnounUS /skɪnz/
plural of “skin” — a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So the Fairy came and released the five ladies'-maids whom she had changed into herons.
strippingnounUS /ˈstrɪpɪŋ/
the removal of covering
From this reading And they came up out of the water, stripping themselves of their grey feather-skins and throwing them back into the pool.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading The five maids answered, "We want to forget that there are such things as herons in the world!"
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading So the Fairy came and released the five ladies'-maids whom she had changed into herons.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading And they came up out of the water, stripping themselves of their grey feather-skins and throwing them back into the pool.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading And they came up out of the water, stripping themselves of their grey feather-skins and throwing them back into the pool.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading And they came up out of the water, stripping themselves of their grey feather-skins and throwing them back into the pool.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The five maids answered, "We want to forget that there are such things as herons in the world!"
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And they came up out of the water, stripping themselves of their grey feather-skins and throwing them back into the pool.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading The five maids answered, "We want to forget that there are such things as herons in the world!"
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading After much thought the Queen said to the Fairy, "You have changed a Princess into a heron, and five maids into herons and back again; cannot you change one heron into a Prince?"
-ing form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading And they came up out of the water, stripping themselves of their grey feather-skins and throwing them back into the pool.
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The five maids answered, "We want to forget that there are such things as herons in the world!"
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading And they came up out of the water, stripping themselves of their grey feather-skins and throwing them back into the pool.
valuedadjectiveUS /ˈvæljuːd/
(usually used in combination) having value of a specified kind
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading The five maids answered, "We want to forget that there are such things as herons in the world!"
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 And they came up out of the water, stripping themselves of their grey feather-skins and throwing them back into the pool.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading The five maids answered, "We want to forget that there are such things as herons in the world!"
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading So the Fairy came and released the five ladies'-maids whom she had changed into herons.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading The five maids answered, "We want to forget that there are such things as herons in the world!"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading The Fairy said, "You foolish maids, you have thrown away a gift that you should have valued; these skins you could have kept and held as heirlooms in your family."
