Chapter I

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

in the past

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

(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 I wonder where all my ten Polliwogs are now!

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading BY CLARA DILLINGHAM PIERSON Author of "Among the Meadow People," "Forest People," etc.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading I wonder where all my ten Polliwogs are now!

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading BY CLARA DILLINGHAM PIERSON Author of "Among the Meadow People," "Forest People," etc.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

make by combining materials and parts

From this reading One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

actively or fully engaged or occupied

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading BY CLARA DILLINGHAM PIERSON Author of "Among the Meadow People," "Forest People," etc.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading BY CLARA DILLINGHAM PIERSON Author of "Among the Meadow People," "Forest People," etc.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

dearly loved

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading BY CLARA DILLINGHAM PIERSON Author of "Among the Meadow People," "Forest People," etc.

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading BY CLARA DILLINGHAM PIERSON Author of "Among the Meadow People," "Forest People," etc.

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading BY CLARA DILLINGHAM PIERSON Author of "Among the Meadow People," "Forest People," etc.

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

plural of “home” — where you live at a particular time

From this reading One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

gain knowledge or skills

From this reading One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

a field where grass or alfalfa are grown to be made into hay

From this reading BY CLARA DILLINGHAM PIERSON Author of "Among the Meadow People," "Forest People," etc.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

a condition requiring relief

From this reading One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

plural of “neighbor” — a person who lives (or is located) near another

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading I wonder where all my ten Polliwogs are now!

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading BY CLARA DILLINGHAM PIERSON Author of "Among the Meadow People," "Forest People," etc.

on one occasion

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

and nothing more

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

moving to a position on a surface

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

a writing implement with a point from which ink flows

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading BY CLARA DILLINGHAM PIERSON Author of "Among the Meadow People," "Forest People," etc.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading BY CLARA DILLINGHAM PIERSON Author of "Among the Meadow People," "Forest People," etc.

participate in games or sport

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

a small lake

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

marked by exceptional merit

From this reading One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

be seated

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

inflected form of “slide” — move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

use up a period of time in a specific way

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

express in words

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading BY CLARA DILLINGHAM PIERSON Author of "Among the Meadow People," "Forest People," etc.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

in or at that place or location

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

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 One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

at the time that

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

in or at the place that

From this reading I wonder where all my ten Polliwogs are now!

during the time that

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

which person or people

From this reading One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading I wonder where all my ten Polliwogs are now!

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading I wanted to tell the stories at once, but this is a busy world and story-telling is only play, so there were many things to be done before I could sit down to my desk and hold my pen while the stories slid out of it onto paper.

a late time of life

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.

but in spite of that

From this reading One cannot come to know pond people quite so well as those who live in the forest or in the meadow, yet down in the shining water they live and build their homes and learn much that they need to know.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Dear Little Friends:--When the ten Polliwogs came to spend a day with me, some two years ago, I promised to tell you stories of how they and their neighbors live in the pond.