Chapter II · Chapter 2

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

From this reading This was a new word that he had caught from one of the American tourists and he was immensely proud of having mastered its pronunciation.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

(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 ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading This was a new word that he had caught from one of the American tourists and he was immensely proud of having mastered its pronunciation.

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

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

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

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

From this reading ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

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

From this reading ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

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

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

a youthful male person

From this reading "See, Paolo," the boy cried, "isn't he--GREAT?"

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading This was a new word that he had caught from one of the American tourists and he was immensely proud of having mastered its pronunciation.

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

plural of “coo” — the sound made by a pigeon

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

too numerous to be counted

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading "See, Paolo," the boy cried, "isn't he--GREAT?"

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

a boy or man

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

any material that fills a space or container

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading This was a new word that he had caught from one of the American tourists and he was immensely proud of having mastered its pronunciation.

the act of departing

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading "See, Paolo," the boy cried, "isn't he--GREAT?"

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading This was a new word that he had caught from one of the American tourists and he was immensely proud of having mastered its pronunciation.

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading This was a new word that he had caught from one of the American tourists and he was immensely proud of having mastered its pronunciation.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

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

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

to an exceedingly great extent or degree

From this reading This was a new word that he had caught from one of the American tourists and he was immensely proud of having mastered its pronunciation.

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

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

with curiosity

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

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

From this reading "See, Paolo," the boy cried, "isn't he--GREAT?"

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading This was a new word that he had caught from one of the American tourists and he was immensely proud of having mastered its pronunciation.

lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

a projecting ridge on a mountain or submerged under water

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form

From this reading ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

possessive form of “maria” — a dark region of considerable extent on the surface of the moon

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

possessive form of “mark” — a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)

From this reading ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

understood perfectly

From this reading This was a new word that he had caught from one of the American tourists and he was immensely proud of having mastered its pronunciation.

an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

young bird not yet fledged

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading This was a new word that he had caught from one of the American tourists and he was immensely proud of having mastered its pronunciation.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

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

From this reading "See, Paolo," the boy cried, "isn't he--GREAT?"

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

past form of “perch” — sit, as on a branch

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

plural of “pigeon” — wild and domesticated birds having a heavy body and short legs

From this reading ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

capable of happening or existing

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

superlative of “pretty” — pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

the manner in which someone utters a word

From this reading This was a new word that he had caught from one of the American tourists and he was immensely proud of having mastered its pronunciation.

an unincorporated business owned by a single person who is responsible for its liabilities and entitled to its profits

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride

From this reading This was a new word that he had caught from one of the American tourists and he was immensely proud of having mastered its pronunciation.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "See, Paolo," the boy cried, "isn't he--GREAT?"

established or decided beyond dispute or doubt

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

lift onto one's shoulders

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

in the near future

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

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

From this reading ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

statues collectively

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

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 ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

successive (without a break)

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

plural of “tale” — 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 ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

express in words

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

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

From this reading ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

in or at that place or location

From this reading ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

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

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

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

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

plural of “tourist” — someone who travels for pleasure

From this reading This was a new word that he had caught from one of the American tourists and he was immensely proud of having mastered its pronunciation.

precisely as stated

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

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

From this reading ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

(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 ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

during the time that

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.

make a soft swishing sound

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

a means of flight or ascent

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

hope for; have a wish

From this reading ANDREA'S WISH Of all the old man's tales, there was not one the children liked so well as the story of St. Mark's pigeons.

in the company of; together with

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading This was a new word that he had caught from one of the American tourists and he was immensely proud of having mastered its pronunciation.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading It was strange that, as soon as he began to talk about them, there would be heard the whirr, whirr of wings, and in an instant, countless birds would light on every possible ledge, nestling among the statuary and filling the air with the soft music of their coos.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading On this special day of which I am going to tell you, three of the very prettiest flew straight into Maria's lap and settled there, to her delight, with an air of proprietorship, while one particularly striking fellow perched inquisitively on Andrea's shoulder.