used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
amuseverbUS /əˈmjuːz/
occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
a feeling of delight at being entertained
From this reading Wooden Toothpicks offer many opportunities for amusement.
ancestorsnounUS /ˈænsestərz/
plural of “ancestor” — someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading GOOD GAMES WITH TOOTHPICKS AND MATCHES.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading A Toy is a Plaything, and a plaything is any old thing which chance throws in our way, with which to play.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading When the inclemency of the weather, or some slight illness, confines him to his home, he can pass away the time with toys of his own construction.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading When the inclemency of the weather, or some slight illness, confines him to his home, he can pass away the time with toys of his own construction.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading A Toy is a Plaything, and a plaything is any old thing which chance throws in our way, with which to play.
confinesnounUS /ˈkɑːnfaɪnz/
a bounded scope
From this reading When the inclemency of the weather, or some slight illness, confines him to his home, he can pass away the time with toys of his own construction.
constructionnounUS /kənˈstrʌkʃən/
the act of constructing something
From this reading When the inclemency of the weather, or some slight illness, confines him to his home, he can pass away the time with toys of his own construction.
costlyadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːstli/
entailing great loss or sacrifice
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
GAMESnounUS /ɡeɪmz/
plural of “game” — a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading GOOD GAMES WITH TOOTHPICKS AND MATCHES.
genuineadjectiveUS /ˈdʒenjəwən/
not fake or counterfeit
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading GOOD GAMES WITH TOOTHPICKS AND MATCHES.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When the inclemency of the weather, or some slight illness, confines him to his home, he can pass away the time with toys of his own construction.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When the inclemency of the weather, or some slight illness, confines him to his home, he can pass away the time with toys of his own construction.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading When the inclemency of the weather, or some slight illness, confines him to his home, he can pass away the time with toys of his own construction.
illnessnounUS /ˈɪlnəs/
impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism
From this reading When the inclemency of the weather, or some slight illness, confines him to his home, he can pass away the time with toys of his own construction.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A Toy is a Plaything, and a plaything is any old thing which chance throws in our way, with which to play.
inclemencynoun
weather unsuitable for outdoor activities
From this reading When the inclemency of the weather, or some slight illness, confines him to his home, he can pass away the time with toys of his own construction.
inheritedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈherətɪd/
occurring among members of a family usually by heredity
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A Toy is a Plaything, and a plaything is any old thing which chance throws in our way, with which to play.
a boy or man
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Wooden Toothpicks offer many opportunities for amusement.
MATCHESnounUS /ˈmætʃəz/
plural of “match” — lighter consisting of a thin piece of wood or cardboard tipped with combustible chemical; ignites with friction
From this reading GOOD GAMES WITH TOOTHPICKS AND MATCHES.
in such a manner as could not be otherwise
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
not any; not one
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading Wooden Toothpicks offer many opportunities for amusement.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading A Toy is a Plaything, and a plaything is any old thing which chance throws in our way, with which to play.
opportunitiesnounUS /ˌɑːpərˈtuːnətiz/
plural of “opportunity” — a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading Wooden Toothpicks offer many opportunities for amusement.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading When the inclemency of the weather, or some slight illness, confines him to his home, he can pass away the time with toys of his own construction.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading A Toy is a Plaything, and a plaything is any old thing which chance throws in our way, with which to play.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading When the inclemency of the weather, or some slight illness, confines him to his home, he can pass away the time with toys of his own construction.
go across or through
From this reading When the inclemency of the weather, or some slight illness, confines him to his home, he can pass away the time with toys of his own construction.
pioneernounUS /ˌpaɪəˈnɪr/
someone who helps to open up a new line of research or technology or art
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
participate in games or sport
From this reading A Toy is a Plaything, and a plaything is any old thing which chance throws in our way, with which to play.
PlaythingnounUS /ˈpleɪθɪŋ/
an artifact designed to be played with
From this reading A Toy is a Plaything, and a plaything is any old thing which chance throws in our way, with which to play.
self-reliancenoun
personal independence
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
From this reading When the inclemency of the weather, or some slight illness, confines him to his home, he can pass away the time with toys of his own construction.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading When the inclemency of the weather, or some slight illness, confines him to his home, he can pass away the time with toys of his own construction.
sturdyadjectiveUS /ˈstɜːrdi/
having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
a special situation
From this reading A Toy is a Plaything, and a plaything is any old thing which chance throws in our way, with which to play.
throwsnounUS /θroʊz/
plural of “throw” — the act of throwing (propelling something with a rapid movement of the arm and wrist)
From this reading A Toy is a Plaything, and a plaything is any old thing which chance throws in our way, with which to play.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading When the inclemency of the weather, or some slight illness, confines him to his home, he can pass away the time with toys of his own construction.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
TOOTHPICKSnounUS /ˈtuːθpɪks/
plural of “toothpick” — pick consisting of a small strip of wood or plastic; used to pick food from between the teeth
From this reading GOOD GAMES WITH TOOTHPICKS AND MATCHES.
ToynounUS /tɔɪ/
an artifact designed to be played with
From this reading A Toy is a Plaything, and a plaything is any old thing which chance throws in our way, with which to play.
toysnounUS /tɔɪz/
plural of “toy” — an artifact designed to be played with
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading A Toy is a Plaything, and a plaything is any old thing which chance throws in our way, with which to play.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading When the inclemency of the weather, or some slight illness, confines him to his home, he can pass away the time with toys of his own construction.
at the time that
From this reading When the inclemency of the weather, or some slight illness, confines him to his home, he can pass away the time with toys of his own construction.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance.
in the company of; together with
From this reading GOOD GAMES WITH TOOTHPICKS AND MATCHES.
made or consisting of (entirely or in part) or employing wood
From this reading Wooden Toothpicks offer many opportunities for amusement.
