Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

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

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading You know that the puppet from his birth had always had very small ears--so small that they were not visible to the naked eye.

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

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

a bowl-shaped vessel; usually used for holding food or liquids

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading You can imagine then what he felt when he found that during the night his ears had become so long that they seemed like two brooms.

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

the time when something begins (especially life)

From this reading You know that the puppet from his birth had always had very small ears--so small that they were not visible to the naked eye.

plural of “broom” — a cleaning implement for sweeping; bundle of straws or twigs attached to a long handle

From this reading You can imagine then what he felt when he found that during the night his ears had become so long that they seemed like two brooms.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading You can imagine then what he felt when he found that during the night his ears had become so long that they seemed like two brooms.

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

the symbol of the Democratic Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

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

From this reading He saw his head embellished with a magnificent pair of donkey's ears!

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading You can imagine then what he felt when he found that during the night his ears had become so long that they seemed like two brooms.

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

past form of “embellish” — add details to

From this reading He saw his head embellished with a magnificent pair of donkey's ears!

the organ of sight

From this reading You know that the puppet from his birth had always had very small ears--so small that they were not visible to the naked eye.

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading You can imagine then what he felt when he found that during the night his ears had become so long that they seemed like two brooms.

(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

set up or found

From this reading You can imagine then what he felt when he found that during the night his ears had become so long that they seemed like two brooms.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading You know that the puppet from his birth had always had very small ears--so small that they were not visible to the naked eye.

a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

(of animals) fully developed

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case

From this reading You can imagine then what he felt when he found that during the night his ears had become so long that they seemed like two brooms.

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

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading You know that the puppet from his birth had always had very small ears--so small that they were not visible to the naked eye.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading You can imagine then what he felt when he found that during the night his ears had become so long that they seemed like two brooms.

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 You can imagine then what he felt when he found that during the night his ears had become so long that they seemed like two brooms.

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

characterized by grandeur

From this reading He saw his head embellished with a magnificent pair of donkey's ears!

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

completely unclothed

From this reading You know that the puppet from his birth had always had very small ears--so small that they were not visible to the naked eye.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading You can imagine then what he felt when he found that during the night his ears had become so long that they seemed like two brooms.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading You know that the puppet from his birth had always had very small ears--so small that they were not visible to the naked eye.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

on one occasion

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

a set of two similar things considered as a unit

From this reading He saw his head embellished with a magnificent pair of donkey's ears!

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

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

a small figure of a person operated from above with strings by a puppeteer

From this reading You know that the puppet from his birth had always had very small ears--so small that they were not visible to the naked eye.

(especially of incident sound or light) bent or sent back

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

cut with a saw

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

past form of “scratch” — cause friction

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

a harsh noise made by scraping

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading You can imagine then what he felt when he found that during the night his ears had become so long that they seemed like two brooms.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading You know that the puppet from his birth had always had very small ears--so small that they were not visible to the naked eye.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading You know that the puppet from his birth had always had very small ears--so small that they were not visible to the naked eye.

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

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

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading You can imagine then what he felt when he found that during the night his ears had become so long that they seemed like two brooms.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading You know that the puppet from his birth had always had very small ears--so small that they were not visible to the naked eye.

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

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

plural of “turn” — a circular segment of a curve

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading You can imagine then what he felt when he found that during the night his ears had become so long that they seemed like two brooms.

precisely as stated

From this reading You know that the puppet from his birth had always had very small ears--so small that they were not visible to the naked eye.

capable of being seen; or open to easy view

From this reading You know that the puppet from his birth had always had very small ears--so small that they were not visible to the naked eye.

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

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

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

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

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 He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading You know that the puppet from his birth had always had very small ears--so small that they were not visible to the naked eye.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading You can imagine then what he felt when he found that during the night his ears had become so long that they seemed like two brooms.

at the time that

From this reading PINOCCHIO TURNS INTO A DONKEY The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

in the company of; together with

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading He went at once in search of a glass that he might look at himself, but, not being able to find one, he filled the basin of his washing-stand with water, and he saw reflected what he certainly would never have wished to see.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You know that the puppet from his birth had always had very small ears--so small that they were not visible to the naked eye.