used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Merline was looking about in wonder, when she heard a soft voice behind her.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Merline was looking about in wonder, when she heard a soft voice behind her.
(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 Turning around, she saw a tiny little fairy that looked for all the world just like the fairies in her storybook.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Merline told the fairy all about her sick mother, and how she had cared for her, and how the doctor had sent her out to look for roses and perhaps to find some gold.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Turning around, she saw a tiny little fairy that looked for all the world just like the fairies in her storybook.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As she said this she took off her pointed cap and shook it over Merline’s lap.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Merline was looking about in wonder, when she heard a soft voice behind her.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “You poor child,” said the fairy, “I will help you all I can.”
a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading As she said this she took off her pointed cap and shook it over Merline’s lap.
past form of “care” — feel concern or interest
From this reading Merline told the fairy all about her sick mother, and how she had cared for her, and how the doctor had sent her out to look for roses and perhaps to find some gold.
a young person of either sex
From this reading “You poor child,” said the fairy, “I will help you all I can.”
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading Merline told the fairy all about her sick mother, and how she had cared for her, and how the doctor had sent her out to look for roses and perhaps to find some gold.
fairiesnounUS /ˈferiz/
plural of “fairy” — a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
From this reading Turning around, she saw a tiny little fairy that looked for all the world just like the fairies in her storybook.
a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
From this reading Turning around, she saw a tiny little fairy that looked for all the world just like the fairies in her storybook.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading Merline told the fairy all about her sick mother, and how she had cared for her, and how the doctor had sent her out to look for roses and perhaps to find some gold.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Turning around, she saw a tiny little fairy that looked for all the world just like the fairies in her storybook.
coins made of gold
From this reading Merline told the fairy all about her sick mother, and how she had cared for her, and how the doctor had sent her out to look for roses and perhaps to find some gold.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Merline told the fairy all about her sick mother, and how she had cared for her, and how the doctor had sent her out to look for roses and perhaps to find some gold.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Merline was looking about in wonder, when she heard a soft voice behind her.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading “You poor child,” said the fairy, “I will help you all I can.”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Merline was looking about in wonder, when she heard a soft voice behind her.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Merline told the fairy all about her sick mother, and how she had cared for her, and how the doctor had sent her out to look for roses and perhaps to find some gold.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “You poor child,” said the fairy, “I will help you all I can.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Merline was looking about in wonder, when she heard a soft voice behind her.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading As she said this she took off her pointed cap and shook it over Merline’s lap.
and nothing more
From this reading Turning around, she saw a tiny little fairy that looked for all the world just like the fairies in her storybook.
lapverbUS /læp/
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading As she said this she took off her pointed cap and shook it over Merline’s lap.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Turning around, she saw a tiny little fairy that looked for all the world just like the fairies in her storybook.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Turning around, she saw a tiny little fairy that looked for all the world just like the fairies in her storybook.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Merline told the fairy all about her sick mother, and how she had cared for her, and how the doctor had sent her out to look for roses and perhaps to find some gold.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Turning around, she saw a tiny little fairy that looked for all the world just like the fairies in her storybook.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Merline was looking about in wonder, when she heard a soft voice behind her.
Merline
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Merline was looking about in wonder, when she heard a soft voice behind her.
Merline's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As she said this she took off her pointed cap and shook it over Merline’s lap.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Merline told the fairy all about her sick mother, and how she had cared for her, and how the doctor had sent her out to look for roses and perhaps to find some gold.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading As she said this she took off her pointed cap and shook it over Merline’s lap.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Merline told the fairy all about her sick mother, and how she had cared for her, and how the doctor had sent her out to look for roses and perhaps to find some gold.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading As she said this she took off her pointed cap and shook it over Merline’s lap.
by chance
From this reading Merline told the fairy all about her sick mother, and how she had cared for her, and how the doctor had sent her out to look for roses and perhaps to find some gold.
having a point
From this reading As she said this she took off her pointed cap and shook it over Merline’s lap.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading “You poor child,” said the fairy, “I will help you all I can.”
plural of “rose” — any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Merline told the fairy all about her sick mother, and how she had cared for her, and how the doctor had sent her out to look for roses and perhaps to find some gold.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “You poor child,” said the fairy, “I will help you all I can.”
cut with a saw
From this reading Turning around, she saw a tiny little fairy that looked for all the world just like the fairies in her storybook.
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading Merline told the fairy all about her sick mother, and how she had cared for her, and how the doctor had sent her out to look for roses and perhaps to find some gold.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Merline was looking about in wonder, when she heard a soft voice behind her.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading As she said this she took off her pointed cap and shook it over Merline’s lap.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading Merline told the fairy all about her sick mother, and how she had cared for her, and how the doctor had sent her out to look for roses and perhaps to find some gold.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading Merline was looking about in wonder, when she heard a soft voice behind her.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Merline told the fairy all about her sick mother, and how she had cared for her, and how the doctor had sent her out to look for roses and perhaps to find some gold.
storybooknounUS /ˈstɔːribʊk/
a book containing a collection of stories (usually for children)
From this reading Turning around, she saw a tiny little fairy that looked for all the world just like the fairies in her storybook.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Turning around, she saw a tiny little fairy that looked for all the world just like the fairies in her storybook.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Turning around, she saw a tiny little fairy that looked for all the world just like the fairies in her storybook.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading As she said this she took off her pointed cap and shook it over Merline’s lap.
very small
From this reading Turning around, she saw a tiny little fairy that looked for all the world just like the fairies in her storybook.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Merline told the fairy all about her sick mother, and how she had cared for her, and how the doctor had sent her out to look for roses and perhaps to find some gold.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading Merline told the fairy all about her sick mother, and how she had cared for her, and how the doctor had sent her out to look for roses and perhaps to find some gold.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading As she said this she took off her pointed cap and shook it over Merline’s lap.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading Turning around, she saw a tiny little fairy that looked for all the world just like the fairies in her storybook.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Merline was looking about in wonder, when she heard a soft voice behind her.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Merline was looking about in wonder, when she heard a soft voice behind her.
at the time that
From this reading Merline was looking about in wonder, when she heard a soft voice behind her.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “You poor child,” said the fairy, “I will help you all I can.”
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading Merline was looking about in wonder, when she heard a soft voice behind her.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Turning around, she saw a tiny little fairy that looked for all the world just like the fairies in her storybook.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You poor child,” said the fairy, “I will help you all I can.”
