used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “What eyes she would have if she were a woman!” thought he.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading “I am not happy,” rejoined the Firefly; “what am I, after all, but a flying beetle with a candle in my tail?
(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 “I am not happy,” rejoined the Firefly; “what am I, after all, but a flying beetle with a candle in my tail?
using the voice; not silently
From this reading Once he said aloud; “How happy you must be, you rare, beautiful, brilliant creature!”
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading “I am not happy,” rejoined the Firefly; “what am I, after all, but a flying beetle with a candle in my tail?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Very well,” said the Magician, and touched her with his wand, when she became a beautiful star in the twelfth degree of the sign Pisces.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Once he said aloud; “How happy you must be, you rare, beautiful, brilliant creature!”
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading Once he said aloud; “How happy you must be, you rare, beautiful, brilliant creature!”
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading “Very well,” said the Magician, and touched her with his wand, when she became a beautiful star in the twelfth degree of the sign Pisces.
beetlenounUS /ˈbiːtəl/
insect having biting mouthparts and front wings modified to form horny covers overlying the membranous rear wings
From this reading “I am not happy,” rejoined the Firefly; “what am I, after all, but a flying beetle with a candle in my tail?
of surpassing excellence
From this reading Once he said aloud; “How happy you must be, you rare, beautiful, brilliant creature!”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “I am not happy,” rejoined the Firefly; “what am I, after all, but a flying beetle with a candle in my tail?
stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading “I am not happy,” rejoined the Firefly; “what am I, after all, but a flying beetle with a candle in my tail?
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading Once he said aloud; “How happy you must be, you rare, beautiful, brilliant creature!”
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading “Very well,” said the Magician, and touched her with his wand, when she became a beautiful star in the twelfth degree of the sign Pisces.
opinion or judgment
From this reading “What eyes she would have if she were a woman!” thought he.
FireflynounUS /ˈfaɪərflaɪ/
tropical American click beetle having bright luminous spots
From this reading “I am not happy,” rejoined the Firefly; “what am I, after all, but a flying beetle with a candle in my tail?
moving swiftly
From this reading “I am not happy,” rejoined the Firefly; “what am I, after all, but a flying beetle with a candle in my tail?
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading Once he said aloud; “How happy you must be, you rare, beautiful, brilliant creature!”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “What eyes she would have if she were a woman!” thought he.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “What eyes she would have if she were a woman!” thought he.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “Very well,” said the Magician, and touched her with his wand, when she became a beautiful star in the twelfth degree of the sign Pisces.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “Very well,” said the Magician, and touched her with his wand, when she became a beautiful star in the twelfth degree of the sign Pisces.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Once he said aloud; “How happy you must be, you rare, beautiful, brilliant creature!”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I am not happy,” rejoined the Firefly; “what am I, after all, but a flying beetle with a candle in my tail?
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “What eyes she would have if she were a woman!” thought he.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “I am not happy,” rejoined the Firefly; “what am I, after all, but a flying beetle with a candle in my tail?
MagiciannounUS /məˈdʒɪʃ.ən/
A practitioner of magic and ancient arcane arts, often wielding deception and powerful spells.
From this reading “Very well,” said the Magician, and touched her with his wand, when she became a beautiful star in the twelfth degree of the sign Pisces.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Once he said aloud; “How happy you must be, you rare, beautiful, brilliant creature!”
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “I am not happy,” rejoined the Firefly; “what am I, after all, but a flying beetle with a candle in my tail?
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “I am not happy,” rejoined the Firefly; “what am I, after all, but a flying beetle with a candle in my tail?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Very well,” said the Magician, and touched her with his wand, when she became a beautiful star in the twelfth degree of the sign Pisces.
on one occasion
From this reading Once he said aloud; “How happy you must be, you rare, beautiful, brilliant creature!”
PiscesnounUS /ˈpaɪsiz/
the twelfth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about February 19 to March 20
From this reading “Very well,” said the Magician, and touched her with his wand, when she became a beautiful star in the twelfth degree of the sign Pisces.
not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness
From this reading Once he said aloud; “How happy you must be, you rare, beautiful, brilliant creature!”
past form of “rejoin” — join again
From this reading “I am not happy,” rejoined the Firefly; “what am I, after all, but a flying beetle with a candle in my tail?
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Once he said aloud; “How happy you must be, you rare, beautiful, brilliant creature!”
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “What eyes she would have if she were a woman!” thought he.
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading “Very well,” said the Magician, and touched her with his wand, when she became a beautiful star in the twelfth degree of the sign Pisces.
(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading I wish I were a star.”
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 “I am not happy,” rejoined the Firefly; “what am I, after all, but a flying beetle with a candle in my tail?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “I am not happy,” rejoined the Firefly; “what am I, after all, but a flying beetle with a candle in my tail?
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading “What eyes she would have if she were a woman!” thought he.
having come into contact
From this reading “Very well,” said the Magician, and touched her with his wand, when she became a beautiful star in the twelfth degree of the sign Pisces.
twelfthadjectiveUS /twelfθ/
coming next after the eleventh and just before the thirteenth in position
From this reading “Very well,” said the Magician, and touched her with his wand, when she became a beautiful star in the twelfth degree of the sign Pisces.
precisely as stated
From this reading “Very well,” said the Magician, and touched her with his wand, when she became a beautiful star in the twelfth degree of the sign Pisces.
wandnounUS /wɑːnd/
a rod used by a magician or water diviner
From this reading “Very well,” said the Magician, and touched her with his wand, when she became a beautiful star in the twelfth degree of the sign Pisces.
(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 “Very well,” said the Magician, and touched her with his wand, when she became a beautiful star in the twelfth degree of the sign Pisces.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “What eyes she would have if she were a woman!” thought he.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What eyes she would have if she were a woman!” thought he.
at the time that
From this reading “Very well,” said the Magician, and touched her with his wand, when she became a beautiful star in the twelfth degree of the sign Pisces.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading I wish I were a star.”
in the company of; together with
From this reading “I am not happy,” rejoined the Firefly; “what am I, after all, but a flying beetle with a candle in my tail?
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading “What eyes she would have if she were a woman!” thought he.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “What eyes she would have if she were a woman!” thought he.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Once he said aloud; “How happy you must be, you rare, beautiful, brilliant creature!”
