used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Now a great racket sounded in the woods.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Silvergray had fed the babies and looked out and about, and had come back and looked again.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG IT was very early in the morning, soon after sunrise, that they took the hazard of moving the young.
anew
From this reading Silvergray had fed the babies and looked out and about, and had come back and looked again.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Silvergray had fed the babies and looked out and about, and had come back and looked again.
babiesnounUS /ˈbeɪbiz/
plural of “baby” — a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading Silvergray had fed the babies and looked out and about, and had come back and looked again.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Silvergray had fed the babies and looked out and about, and had come back and looked again.
backedadjectiveUS /bækt/
having a back or backing, usually of a specified type
From this reading Silvergray backed in again and down, dropped the young one, then put her head out.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Then, picking up the nearest by the scruff of its neck, she rose to the doorway.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Silvergray had fed the babies and looked out and about, and had come back and looked again.
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading Then, picking up the nearest by the scruff of its neck, she rose to the doorway.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Silvergray backed in again and down, dropped the young one, then put her head out.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Silvergray backed in again and down, dropped the young one, then put her head out.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG IT was very early in the morning, soon after sunrise, that they took the hazard of moving the young.
fednounUS /fed/
any federal law-enforcement officer
From this reading Silvergray had fed the babies and looked out and about, and had come back and looked again.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Now a great racket sounded in the woods.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Silvergray had fed the babies and looked out and about, and had come back and looked again.
hazardnounUS /ˈhæzərd/
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG IT was very early in the morning, soon after sunrise, that they took the hazard of moving the young.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Silvergray backed in again and down, dropped the young one, then put her head out.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Silvergray backed in again and down, dropped the young one, then put her head out.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG IT was very early in the morning, soon after sunrise, that they took the hazard of moving the young.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG IT was very early in the morning, soon after sunrise, that they took the hazard of moving the young.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Then, picking up the nearest by the scruff of its neck, she rose to the doorway.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Silvergray had fed the babies and looked out and about, and had come back and looked again.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG IT was very early in the morning, soon after sunrise, that they took the hazard of moving the young.
in motion
From this reading THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG IT was very early in the morning, soon after sunrise, that they took the hazard of moving the young.
(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance
From this reading Then, picking up the nearest by the scruff of its neck, she rose to the doorway.
the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading Then, picking up the nearest by the scruff of its neck, she rose to the doorway.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now a great racket sounded in the woods.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG IT was very early in the morning, soon after sunrise, that they took the hazard of moving the young.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Silvergray backed in again and down, dropped the young one, then put her head out.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Silvergray had fed the babies and looked out and about, and had come back and looked again.
pickingnounUS /ˈpɪkɪŋ/
the quantity of a crop that is harvested
From this reading Then, picking up the nearest by the scruff of its neck, she rose to the doorway.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Silvergray backed in again and down, dropped the young one, then put her head out.
racketnounUS /ˈrækɪt/
a loud and disturbing noise
From this reading Now a great racket sounded in the woods.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Then, picking up the nearest by the scruff of its neck, she rose to the doorway.
scruffnoun
the back side of the neck
From this reading Then, picking up the nearest by the scruff of its neck, she rose to the doorway.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then, picking up the nearest by the scruff of its neck, she rose to the doorway.
Silvergray
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Silvergray had fed the babies and looked out and about, and had come back and looked again.
in the near future
From this reading THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG IT was very early in the morning, soon after sunrise, that they took the hazard of moving the young.
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading Now a great racket sounded in the woods.
sunrisenounUS /ˈsʌnraɪz/
the first light of day
From this reading THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG IT was very early in the morning, soon after sunrise, that they took the hazard of moving the young.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG IT was very early in the morning, soon after sunrise, that they took the hazard of moving the young.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG IT was very early in the morning, soon after sunrise, that they took the hazard of moving the young.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, picking up the nearest by the scruff of its neck, she rose to the doorway.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG IT was very early in the morning, soon after sunrise, that they took the hazard of moving the young.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then, picking up the nearest by the scruff of its neck, she rose to the doorway.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG IT was very early in the morning, soon after sunrise, that they took the hazard of moving the young.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Then, picking up the nearest by the scruff of its neck, she rose to the doorway.
precisely as stated
From this reading THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG IT was very early in the morning, soon after sunrise, that they took the hazard of moving the young.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG IT was very early in the morning, soon after sunrise, that they took the hazard of moving the young.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading Now a great racket sounded in the woods.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG IT was very early in the morning, soon after sunrise, that they took the hazard of moving the young.
