used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
the state of being absent
From this reading But the King went so often to his dear children that the Queen was offended at his absence.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading She grew curious, and wanted to know what he had to do quite alone in the wood.
in addition
From this reading She gave his servants a great deal of money, and they betrayed the secret to her, and also told her of the reel which alone could point out the way.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But the King went so often to his dear children that the Queen was offended at his absence.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
past form of “betray” — reveal unintentionally
From this reading She gave his servants a great deal of money, and they betrayed the secret to her, and also told her of the reel which alone could point out the way.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the King went so often to his dear children that the Queen was offended at his absence.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading But the King went so often to his dear children that the Queen was offended at his absence.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading She grew curious, and wanted to know what he had to do quite alone in the wood.
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading She gave his servants a great deal of money, and they betrayed the secret to her, and also told her of the reel which alone could point out the way.
dearly loved
From this reading But the King went so often to his dear children that the Queen was offended at his absence.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading She grew curious, and wanted to know what he had to do quite alone in the wood.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
enchantmentnounUS /enˈtʃæntmənt/
a feeling of great liking for something wonderful and unusual
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
set up or found
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading She gave his servants a great deal of money, and they betrayed the secret to her, and also told her of the reel which alone could point out the way.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading She gave his servants a great deal of money, and they betrayed the secret to her, and also told her of the reel which alone could point out the way.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading She grew curious, and wanted to know what he had to do quite alone in the wood.
guardedadjectiveUS /ˈɡɑːrdəd/
prudent
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She gave his servants a great deal of money, and they betrayed the secret to her, and also told her of the reel which alone could point out the way.
not accessible to view
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But the King went so often to his dear children that the Queen was offended at his absence.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She grew curious, and wanted to know what he had to do quite alone in the wood.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading But the King went so often to his dear children that the Queen was offended at his absence.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading She grew curious, and wanted to know what he had to do quite alone in the wood.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
learntverbUS /lɜːrnt/
inflected form of “learn” — gain knowledge or skills
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
marvellousadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːrvələs/
extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading She gave his servants a great deal of money, and they betrayed the secret to her, and also told her of the reel which alone could point out the way.
not any; not one
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
offendedadjectiveUS /əˈfendəd/
emotionally hurt or upset or annoyed
From this reading But the King went so often to his dear children that the Queen was offended at his absence.
many times at short intervals
From this reading But the King went so often to his dear children that the Queen was offended at his absence.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading She gave his servants a great deal of money, and they betrayed the secret to her, and also told her of the reel which alone could point out the way.
influenced or controlled by a powerful force such as a strong emotion
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs
From this reading But the King went so often to his dear children that the Queen was offended at his absence.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading She grew curious, and wanted to know what he had to do quite alone in the wood.
reelverbUS /riːl/
walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading She gave his servants a great deal of money, and they betrayed the secret to her, and also told her of the reel which alone could point out the way.
plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading She gave his servants a great deal of money, and they betrayed the secret to her, and also told her of the reel which alone could point out the way.
sewedadjectiveUS /soʊd/
fastened with stitches
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She grew curious, and wanted to know what he had to do quite alone in the wood.
shirtsnounUS /ʃɜːrts/
plural of “shirt” — a garment worn on the upper half of the body
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She gave his servants a great deal of money, and they betrayed the secret to her, and also told her of the reel which alone could point out the way.
threadverbUS /θred/
to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
up to a particular time
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading She gave his servants a great deal of money, and they betrayed the secret to her, and also told her of the reel which alone could point out the way.
unwoundverbUS /ənˈwaʊnd/
inflected form of “unwind” — reverse the winding or twisting of
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading She grew curious, and wanted to know what he had to do quite alone in the wood.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading But the King went so often to his dear children that the Queen was offended at his absence.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading She grew curious, and wanted to know what he had to do quite alone in the wood.
at the time that
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
in or at the place that
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
a Caucasian
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
wise-woman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It lay so hidden, and the way to it was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him the way.
witch-mother
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had no rest now till she had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed an enchantment in each of them.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading She grew curious, and wanted to know what he had to do quite alone in the wood.
