used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
(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 As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading One day he saw an owl flying by, which held in its mouth a white serpent.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Then he came back to his own country, with the goat that had carried his provisions, and made him dig roots out of the earth for him to eat.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
burnsnounUS /bɜːrnz/
United States comedian and film actor (1896-1996)
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Then he came back to his own country, with the goat that had carried his provisions, and made him dig roots out of the earth for him to eat.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Then he came back to his own country, with the goat that had carried his provisions, and made him dig roots out of the earth for him to eat.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Then he came back to his own country, with the goat that had carried his provisions, and made him dig roots out of the earth for him to eat.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading One day he saw an owl flying by, which held in its mouth a white serpent.
digverbUS /dɪɡ/
turn up, loosen, or remove earth
From this reading Then he came back to his own country, with the goat that had carried his provisions, and made him dig roots out of the earth for him to eat.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
droppingadjectiveUS /ˈdrɑːpɪŋ/
coming down freely under the influence of gravity
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading Then he came back to his own country, with the goat that had carried his provisions, and made him dig roots out of the earth for him to eat.
take in solid food
From this reading Then he came back to his own country, with the goat that had carried his provisions, and made him dig roots out of the earth for him to eat.
start firing a weapon
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
moving swiftly
From this reading One day he saw an owl flying by, which held in its mouth a white serpent.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Then he came back to his own country, with the goat that had carried his provisions, and made him dig roots out of the earth for him to eat.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
girdlenounUS /ˈɡɜːrdəl/
an encircling or ringlike structure
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
goatnounUS /ɡoʊt/
any of numerous agile ruminants related to sheep but having a beard and straight horns
From this reading Then he came back to his own country, with the goat that had carried his provisions, and made him dig roots out of the earth for him to eat.
guardsnounUS /ɡɑːrdz/
plural of “guard” — a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then he came back to his own country, with the goat that had carried his provisions, and made him dig roots out of the earth for him to eat.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading One day he saw an owl flying by, which held in its mouth a white serpent.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
holesnounUS /hoʊlz/
plural of “hole” — an opening into or through something
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading One day he saw an owl flying by, which held in its mouth a white serpent.
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 The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading And he lived upon the roots.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Then he came back to his own country, with the goat that had carried his provisions, and made him dig roots out of the earth for him to eat.
engage in
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading One day he saw an owl flying by, which held in its mouth a white serpent.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One day he saw an owl flying by, which held in its mouth a white serpent.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Then he came back to his own country, with the goat that had carried his provisions, and made him dig roots out of the earth for him to eat.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
owlnounUS /aʊl/
nocturnal bird of prey with hawk-like beak and claws and large head with front-facing eyes
From this reading One day he saw an owl flying by, which held in its mouth a white serpent.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Then he came back to his own country, with the goat that had carried his provisions, and made him dig roots out of the earth for him to eat.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
provisionsnounUS /prəˈvɪʒənz/
a stock or supply of foods
From this reading Then he came back to his own country, with the goat that had carried his provisions, and made him dig roots out of the earth for him to eat.
releaseverbUS /riˈliːs/
release, as from one's grip
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
rootsnounUS /ruːts/
the condition of belonging to a particular place or group by virtue of social or ethnic or cultural lineage
From this reading Then he came back to his own country, with the goat that had carried his provisions, and made him dig roots out of the earth for him to eat.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
rubbedverbUS /rʌbd/
inflected form of “rub” — move over something with pressure
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
Identical; not different.
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
cut with a saw
From this reading One day he saw an owl flying by, which held in its mouth a white serpent.
scorchedadjectiveUS /skɔːrtʃt/
Burned by flames or heat; blackened by intense magical or physical fire.
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
serpentnounUS /ˈsɜːrpənt/
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading One day he saw an owl flying by, which held in its mouth a white serpent.
serpent-prince
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
a particular situation
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
soakingnounUS /ˈsoʊkɪŋ/
the process of becoming softened and saturated as a consequence of being immersed in water (or other liquid)
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
in the near future
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
having a supporting base
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
tamernounUS /ˈteɪmər/
an animal trainer who tames wild animals
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Then he came back to his own country, with the goat that had carried his provisions, and made him dig roots out of the earth for him to eat.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he came back to his own country, with the goat that had carried his provisions, and made him dig roots out of the earth for him to eat.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
a special situation
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
up to a particular time
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then he came back to his own country, with the goat that had carried his provisions, and made him dig roots out of the earth for him to eat.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading The tamer knew him to be a serpent-prince, and to make the owl release him, took off his girdle and held it in his mouth, after the manner in which the owl held the serpent, and, standing over against the owl, he cried out, "The thing held in the mouth burns with fire!" at the same time dropping the girdle from his mouth suddenly, as if it scorched him.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading And he lived upon the roots.
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 As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading One day he saw an owl flying by, which held in its mouth a white serpent.
a Caucasian
From this reading One day he saw an owl flying by, which held in its mouth a white serpent.
in the company of; together with
From this reading As soon as his guards had left him, the tamer sat down by the side of the stream, and after soaking the stone shoes with water, rubbed them with a piece of rough stone till they were all in holes.
