used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
(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 When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
ariseverbUS /ərˈaɪz/
come into existence; take on form or shape
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
availverbUS /əˈveɪl/
use to one's advantage
From this reading When the old woman saw that the powers of her magic were of so little avail, she had recourse to cunning.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading But the sand hill only drove the pond a little farther away, and its waters seemed to increase instead of diminishing.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She threw a lot of gold nuts into the pond, hoping in this way to catch the duck, but all her efforts were fruitless, for the little creature refused to let itself be caught.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
boundsnounUS /baʊndz/
the line or plane indicating the limit or extent of something
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading She threw a lot of gold nuts into the pond, hoping in this way to catch the duck, but all her efforts were fruitless, for the little creature refused to let itself be caught.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading She threw a lot of gold nuts into the pond, hoping in this way to catch the duck, but all her efforts were fruitless, for the little creature refused to let itself be caught.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading She threw a lot of gold nuts into the pond, hoping in this way to catch the duck, but all her efforts were fruitless, for the little creature refused to let itself be caught.
attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness
From this reading When the old woman saw that the powers of her magic were of so little avail, she had recourse to cunning.
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
diminishingadjectiveUS /dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪŋ/
becoming smaller or less or appearing to do so
From this reading But the sand hill only drove the pond a little farther away, and its waters seemed to increase instead of diminishing.
disappearverbUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪr/
get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together
From this reading But the sand hill only drove the pond a little farther away, and its waters seemed to increase instead of diminishing.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
duckverbUS /dʌk/
to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
plural of “effort” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading She threw a lot of gold nuts into the pond, hoping in this way to catch the duck, but all her efforts were fruitless, for the little creature refused to let itself be caught.
a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
more distant in especially space or time
From this reading But the sand hill only drove the pond a little farther away, and its waters seemed to increase instead of diminishing.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She threw a lot of gold nuts into the pond, hoping in this way to catch the duck, but all her efforts were fruitless, for the little creature refused to let itself be caught.
fruitlessadjectiveUS /ˈfruːtləs/
unproductive of success
From this reading She threw a lot of gold nuts into the pond, hoping in this way to catch the duck, but all her efforts were fruitless, for the little creature refused to let itself be caught.
a young female
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
coins made of gold
From this reading She threw a lot of gold nuts into the pond, hoping in this way to catch the duck, but all her efforts were fruitless, for the little creature refused to let itself be caught.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
hopingverbUS /ˈhoʊpɪŋ/
-ing form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading She threw a lot of gold nuts into the pond, hoping in this way to catch the duck, but all her efforts were fruitless, for the little creature refused to let itself be caught.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She threw a lot of gold nuts into the pond, hoping in this way to catch the duck, but all her efforts were fruitless, for the little creature refused to let itself be caught.
increasenounUS /ˌɪnˈkriːs/
a quantity that is added
From this reading But the sand hill only drove the pond a little farther away, and its waters seemed to increase instead of diminishing.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading But the sand hill only drove the pond a little farther away, and its waters seemed to increase instead of diminishing.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading She threw a lot of gold nuts into the pond, hoping in this way to catch the duck, but all her efforts were fruitless, for the little creature refused to let itself be caught.
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 When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading She threw a lot of gold nuts into the pond, hoping in this way to catch the duck, but all her efforts were fruitless, for the little creature refused to let itself be caught.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading But the sand hill only drove the pond a little farther away, and its waters seemed to increase instead of diminishing.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading She threw a lot of gold nuts into the pond, hoping in this way to catch the duck, but all her efforts were fruitless, for the little creature refused to let itself be caught.
any art that invokes supernatural powers
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
engage in
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
the message that is intended or expressed or signified
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
not any; not one
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
nutsadjectiveUS /nʌts/
informal or slang terms for mentally irregular
From this reading She threw a lot of gold nuts into the pond, hoping in this way to catch the duck, but all her efforts were fruitless, for the little creature refused to let itself be caught.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading When the old woman saw that the powers of her magic were of so little avail, she had recourse to cunning.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
on one occasion
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
and nothing more
From this reading But the sand hill only drove the pond a little farther away, and its waters seemed to increase instead of diminishing.
pondnounUS /pɑːnd/
a small lake
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
plural of “power” — possession of controlling influence
From this reading When the old woman saw that the powers of her magic were of so little avail, she had recourse to cunning.
a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
a feeling of intense anger
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
recoursenounUS /ˈriːkɔːrs/
act of turning to for assistance
From this reading When the old woman saw that the powers of her magic were of so little avail, she had recourse to cunning.
past form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards
From this reading She threw a lot of gold nuts into the pond, hoping in this way to catch the duck, but all her efforts were fruitless, for the little creature refused to let itself be caught.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
cut with a saw
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading But the sand hill only drove the pond a little farther away, and its waters seemed to increase instead of diminishing.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading When the old woman saw that the powers of her magic were of so little avail, she had recourse to cunning.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
swimmingnounUS /ˈswɪmɪŋ/
the act of swimming
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When the old woman saw that the powers of her magic were of so little avail, she had recourse to cunning.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading She threw a lot of gold nuts into the pond, hoping in this way to catch the duck, but all her efforts were fruitless, for the little creature refused to let itself be caught.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
communicated in words
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
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 When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
United States actress and singer (1896-1977)
From this reading But the sand hill only drove the pond a little farther away, and its waters seemed to increase instead of diminishing.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading She threw a lot of gold nuts into the pond, hoping in this way to catch the duck, but all her efforts were fruitless, for the little creature refused to let itself be caught.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading When the old woman saw that the powers of her magic were of so little avail, she had recourse to cunning.
at the time that
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
witsnounUS /wɪts/
the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception
From this reading When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading When the old woman saw that the powers of her magic were of so little avail, she had recourse to cunning.
the words that are spoken
From this reading But before he had time to despair the girl uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.
