used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The ground had been cropped clean of lichens and moss and it was necessary to reach high for the balsam twigs.
antlersnounUS /ˈæntlərz/
plural of “antler” — deciduous horn of a member of the deer family
From this reading In March the big buck shed his antlers, leaving them lying upon the snow where the fawns sniffed curiously at them.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the long winter dragged on, food became more scarce.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading In March the big buck shed his antlers, leaving them lying upon the snow where the fawns sniffed curiously at them.
balsamnounUS /ˈbɔːlsəm/
any seed plant yielding balsam
From this reading The ground had been cropped clean of lichens and moss and it was necessary to reach high for the balsam twigs.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading As the long winter dragged on, food became more scarce.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The ground had been cropped clean of lichens and moss and it was necessary to reach high for the balsam twigs.
bendingnounUS /ˈbendɪŋ/
movement that causes the formation of a curve
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading In March the big buck shed his antlers, leaving them lying upon the snow where the fawns sniffed curiously at them.
plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
buckverbUS /bʌk/
to strive with determination
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits
From this reading The ground had been cropped clean of lichens and moss and it was necessary to reach high for the balsam twigs.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
croppedadjectiveUS /krɑːpt/
(of land or soil) used for growing crops
From this reading The ground had been cropped clean of lichens and moss and it was necessary to reach high for the balsam twigs.
curiouslyadverbUS /ˈkjʊriəsli/
in a manner differing from the usual or expected
From this reading In March the big buck shed his antlers, leaving them lying upon the snow where the fawns sniffed curiously at them.
doenounUS /doʊ/
the federal department responsible for maintaining a national energy policy of the United States; created in 1977
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance
From this reading As the long winter dragged on, food became more scarce.
faredverbUS /ferd/
past form of “fare” — proceed or get along
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
fawns
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading As the long winter dragged on, food became more scarce.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The ground had been cropped clean of lichens and moss and it was necessary to reach high for the balsam twigs.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading As it was, their sides grew lean and their skin hung loosely upon them.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading The ground had been cropped clean of lichens and moss and it was necessary to reach high for the balsam twigs.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The ground had been cropped clean of lichens and moss and it was necessary to reach high for the balsam twigs.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
past form of “help” — give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The ground had been cropped clean of lichens and moss and it was necessary to reach high for the balsam twigs.
advanced in complexity or elaboration
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading In March the big buck shed his antlers, leaving them lying upon the snow where the fawns sniffed curiously at them.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading As it was, their sides grew lean and their skin hung loosely upon them.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In March the big buck shed his antlers, leaving them lying upon the snow where the fawns sniffed curiously at them.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The ground had been cropped clean of lichens and moss and it was necessary to reach high for the balsam twigs.
leanverbUS /liːn/
to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading As it was, their sides grew lean and their skin hung loosely upon them.
the act of departing
From this reading In March the big buck shed his antlers, leaving them lying upon the snow where the fawns sniffed curiously at them.
lichensnounUS /ˈlaɪkənz/
plural of “lichen” — any of several eruptive skin diseases characterized by hard thick lesions grouped together and resembling lichens growing on rocks
From this reading The ground had been cropped clean of lichens and moss and it was necessary to reach high for the balsam twigs.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading As the long winter dragged on, food became more scarce.
looselyadverbUS /ˈluːsli/
in a relaxed manner; not rigid
From this reading As it was, their sides grew lean and their skin hung loosely upon them.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading In March the big buck shed his antlers, leaving them lying upon the snow where the fawns sniffed curiously at them.
march in a procession
From this reading In March the big buck shed his antlers, leaving them lying upon the snow where the fawns sniffed curiously at them.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading As the long winter dragged on, food became more scarce.
mossnounUS /mɔːs/
tiny leafy-stemmed flowerless plants
From this reading The ground had been cropped clean of lichens and moss and it was necessary to reach high for the balsam twigs.
absolutely essential
From this reading The ground had been cropped clean of lichens and moss and it was necessary to reach high for the balsam twigs.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The ground had been cropped clean of lichens and moss and it was necessary to reach high for the balsam twigs.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading As the long winter dragged on, food became more scarce.
and nothing more
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading The ground had been cropped clean of lichens and moss and it was necessary to reach high for the balsam twigs.
only a very short time before
From this reading As the long winter dragged on, food became more scarce.
get rid of
From this reading In March the big buck shed his antlers, leaving them lying upon the snow where the fawns sniffed curiously at them.
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading As it was, their sides grew lean and their skin hung loosely upon them.
a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch
From this reading As it was, their sides grew lean and their skin hung loosely upon them.
sniffedverbUS /snɪft/
past form of “sniff” — perceive by inhaling through the nose
From this reading In March the big buck shed his antlers, leaving them lying upon the snow where the fawns sniffed curiously at them.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading In March the big buck shed his antlers, leaving them lying upon the snow where the fawns sniffed curiously at them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As the long winter dragged on, food became more scarce.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading As it was, their sides grew lean and their skin hung loosely upon them.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The ground had been cropped clean of lichens and moss and it was necessary to reach high for the balsam twigs.
twigsnounUS /twɪɡz/
plural of “twig” — a small branch or division of a branch (especially a terminal division); usually applied to branches of the current or preceding year
From this reading The ground had been cropped clean of lichens and moss and it was necessary to reach high for the balsam twigs.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading As it was, their sides grew lean and their skin hung loosely upon them.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The ground had been cropped clean of lichens and moss and it was necessary to reach high for the balsam twigs.
in or at the place that
From this reading In March the big buck shed his antlers, leaving them lying upon the snow where the fawns sniffed curiously at them.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading As the long winter dragged on, food became more scarce.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The doe and fawns would have fared ill had not the buck helped them by bending down the higher branches which only he could reach.
