used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
generally approved or compelling recognition
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
a proposal for an appropriate course of action
From this reading After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
(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 Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
brewedverbUS /bruːd/
past form of “brew” — prepare by brewing
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
every day; without missing a day
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading I can help you to understand it if you will stay with me a few days.’
EasternadjectiveUS /ˈiːstərn/
lying toward or situated in the east
From this reading After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter.
widely known and esteemed
From this reading After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading I can help you to understand it if you will stay with me a few days.’
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter.
brought together in one place
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
guidesnounUS /ɡaɪdz/
plural of “guide” — someone employed to conduct others
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
herbsnounUS /ɜːrbz/
plural of “herb” — a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I can help you to understand it if you will stay with me a few days.’
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I can help you to understand it if you will stay with me a few days.’
the quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
gain knowledge or skills
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
magiciannounUS /məˈdʒɪʃ.ən/
A practitioner of magic and ancient arcane arts, often wielding deception and powerful spells.
From this reading After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter.
magician's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I can help you to understand it if you will stay with me a few days.’
the force of workers available
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter.
the light of the Moon
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
subject to death
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
not any; not one
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
potionnounUS /ˈpoʊʃən/
a medicinal or magical or poisonous beverage
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
having great power or force or potency or effect
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
repaidverbUS /riˈpeɪd/
inflected form of “repay” — pay back
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
richlyadverbUS /ˈrɪtʃli/
to an ample degree or in an ample manner
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter.
plural of “sort” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
spoonfulsnounUS /ˈspuːnfʊlz/
plural of “spoonful” — as much as a spoon will hold
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading I can help you to understand it if you will stay with me a few days.’
attain success or reach a desired goal
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
thankfullyadverbUS /ˈθæŋkfəli/
in a thankful manner; with thanks
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
a source of difficulty
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading I can help you to understand it if you will stay with me a few days.’
undertakingnounUS /ˈʌndərteɪkɪŋ/
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading I can help you to understand it if you will stay with me a few days.’
accumulated knowledge or erudition or enlightenment
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
in the company of; together with
From this reading After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
a late time of life
From this reading After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading The magician answered: ‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’
