used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading It was always a task to separate the bird from her surroundings, though I stood within a few feet of her, and knew exactly where to look.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I wondered what a sharp eye would detect curious or characteristic in the ways of the bird, so I came to the place many times and had a look.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading One had to bear on with his eye, as it were, and refuse to be baffled.
bafflednounUS /ˈbæfəld/
people who are frustrated and perplexed
From this reading One had to bear on with his eye, as it were, and refuse to be baffled.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading One had to bear on with his eye, as it were, and refuse to be baffled.
have
From this reading One had to bear on with his eye, as it were, and refuse to be baffled.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading My foot was within a yard of the mother bird before she flew.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading My foot was within a yard of the mother bird before she flew.
buildsnounUS /bɪldz/
plural of “build” — constitution of the human body
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
characteristicnounUS /ˌkerəktərˈɪstɪk/
a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading I wondered what a sharp eye would detect curious or characteristic in the ways of the bird, so I came to the place many times and had a look.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading I wondered what a sharp eye would detect curious or characteristic in the ways of the bird, so I came to the place many times and had a look.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
detectverbUS /dɪˈtekt/
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading I wondered what a sharp eye would detect curious or characteristic in the ways of the bird, so I came to the place many times and had a look.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
eggsnounUS /eɡz/
oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
ellipticaladjectiveUS /ɪˈlɪptɪkəl/
rounded like an egg
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading It was always a task to separate the bird from her surroundings, though I stood within a few feet of her, and knew exactly where to look.
the organ of sight
From this reading I wondered what a sharp eye would detect curious or characteristic in the ways of the bird, so I came to the place many times and had a look.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading It was always a task to separate the bird from her surroundings, though I stood within a few feet of her, and knew exactly where to look.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading It was always a task to separate the bird from her surroundings, though I stood within a few feet of her, and knew exactly where to look.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading My foot was within a yard of the mother bird before she flew.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading My foot was within a yard of the mother bird before she flew.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It was always a task to separate the bird from her surroundings, though I stood within a few feet of her, and knew exactly where to look.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I wondered what a sharp eye would detect curious or characteristic in the ways of the bird, so I came to the place many times and had a look.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It was always a task to separate the bird from her surroundings, though I stood within a few feet of her, and knew exactly where to look.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading One had to bear on with his eye, as it were, and refuse to be baffled.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
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 It was always a task to separate the bird from her surroundings, though I stood within a few feet of her, and knew exactly where to look.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading I wondered what a sharp eye would detect curious or characteristic in the ways of the bird, so I came to the place many times and had a look.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
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 wondered what a sharp eye would detect curious or characteristic in the ways of the bird, so I came to the place many times and had a look.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading My foot was within a yard of the mother bird before she flew.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My foot was within a yard of the mother bird before she flew.
nestnounUS /nest/
a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
not any; not one
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading One had to bear on with his eye, as it were, and refuse to be baffled.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading I wondered what a sharp eye would detect curious or characteristic in the ways of the bird, so I came to the place many times and had a look.
on the contrary
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
show unwillingness towards
From this reading One had to bear on with his eye, as it were, and refuse to be baffled.
act as a barrier between; stand between
From this reading It was always a task to separate the bird from her surroundings, though I stood within a few feet of her, and knew exactly where to look.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading I wondered what a sharp eye would detect curious or characteristic in the ways of the bird, so I came to the place many times and had a look.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading My foot was within a yard of the mother bird before she flew.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I wondered what a sharp eye would detect curious or characteristic in the ways of the bird, so I came to the place many times and had a look.
spottedadjectiveUS /ˈspɑːtɪd/
having spots or patches (small areas of contrasting color or texture)
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading It was always a task to separate the bird from her surroundings, though I stood within a few feet of her, and knew exactly where to look.
surroundingsnounUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋz/
the environmental condition
From this reading It was always a task to separate the bird from her surroundings, though I stood within a few feet of her, and knew exactly where to look.
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading It was always a task to separate the bird from her surroundings, though I stood within a few feet of her, and knew exactly where to look.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading It was always a task to separate the bird from her surroundings, though I stood within a few feet of her, and knew exactly where to look.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading I wondered what a sharp eye would detect curious or characteristic in the ways of the bird, so I came to the place many times and had a look.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I wondered what a sharp eye would detect curious or characteristic in the ways of the bird, so I came to the place many times and had a look.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
close enough to be walked to
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading My foot was within a yard of the mother bird before she flew.
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading I wondered what a sharp eye would detect curious or characteristic in the ways of the bird, so I came to the place many times and had a look.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading One had to bear on with his eye, as it were, and refuse to be baffled.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I wondered what a sharp eye would detect curious or characteristic in the ways of the bird, so I came to the place many times and had a look.
in or at the place that
From this reading It was always a task to separate the bird from her surroundings, though I stood within a few feet of her, and knew exactly where to look.
WHIP-POOR-WILL
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
whitishadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪtɪʃ/
resembling milk in color; not clear
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
in the company of; together with
From this reading One had to bear on with his eye, as it were, and refuse to be baffled.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading My foot was within a yard of the mother bird before she flew.
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading I wondered what a sharp eye would detect curious or characteristic in the ways of the bird, so I came to the place many times and had a look.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading THE WHIP-POOR-WILL One day in May, walking in the woods, I came upon the nest of a whip-poor-will, or rather its eggs, for it builds no nest,--two elliptical whitish spotted eggs lying upon the dry leaves.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I wondered what a sharp eye would detect curious or characteristic in the ways of the bird, so I came to the place many times and had a look.
a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading My foot was within a yard of the mother bird before she flew.
