used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
(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 And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
of a stringed instrument; sounded by stroking with a bow
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
cocksnounUS /kɑːks/
plural of “cock” — obscene terms for penis
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
crowingnounUS /ˈkroʊɪŋ/
an instance of boastful talk
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
the specified day of the month
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
datesnounUS /deɪts/
plural of “date” — the specified day of the month
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
inflected form of “eat” — take in solid food
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
set up or found
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading ‘Give me the news from the garden,’ said the sultan.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading ‘Give me the news from the garden,’ said the sultan.
the act of acquiring something
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading ‘Give me the news from the garden,’ said the sultan.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
a boy or man
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
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 And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading ‘Give me the news from the garden,’ said the sultan.
a particular point in time
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
information about recent and important events
From this reading ‘Give me the news from the garden,’ said the sultan.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading ‘Give me the news from the garden,’ said the sultan.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
plural of “son” — a male human offspring
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
successive (without a break)
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
sultannounUS /ˈsʌl.tən/
A noble monarch or supreme sovereign ruler of an Islamic country or empire.
From this reading ‘Give me the news from the garden,’ said the sultan.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
in or at that place or location
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
up to a particular time
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
verandahnoun
a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
at the time that
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
in or at the place that
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
in the company of; together with
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
