used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading The young robins would flop to the ground, when she urged them, then hop around after Mrs. Red-breast as she pulled grubs and worms from the ground for them.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The young robins would flop to the ground, when she urged them, then hop around after Mrs. Red-breast as she pulled grubs and worms from the ground for them.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Fuzzy would watch, and sometimes make a playful dash at them; but at such times they would suddenly find they could fly out of reach.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
beamnounUS /biːm/
a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
have
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Fuzzy would watch, and sometimes make a playful dash at them; but at such times they would suddenly find they could fly out of reach.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading They soon learned to look for the crumbs the children threw them.
claynounUS /kleɪ/
a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Fuzzy would watch, and sometimes make a playful dash at them; but at such times they would suddenly find they could fly out of reach.
crumbsnounUS /krʌmz/
plural of “crumb” — a very small quantity of something
From this reading They soon learned to look for the crumbs the children threw them.
dashverbUS /dæʃ/
run or move very quickly or hastily
From this reading Fuzzy would watch, and sometimes make a playful dash at them; but at such times they would suddenly find they could fly out of reach.
having an (over)abundance of flesh
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading Fuzzy would watch, and sometimes make a playful dash at them; but at such times they would suddenly find they could fly out of reach.
fledglings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
flopverbUS /flɑːp/
fall loosely
From this reading The young robins would flop to the ground, when she urged them, then hop around after Mrs. Red-breast as she pulled grubs and worms from the ground for them.
travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading Fuzzy would watch, and sometimes make a playful dash at them; but at such times they would suddenly find they could fly out of reach.
people in general (often used in the plural)
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The young robins would flop to the ground, when she urged them, then hop around after Mrs. Red-breast as she pulled grubs and worms from the ground for them.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
FuzzyadjectiveUS /ˈfʌzi/
covering with fine light hairs
From this reading Fuzzy would watch, and sometimes make a playful dash at them; but at such times they would suddenly find they could fly out of reach.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading The young robins would flop to the ground, when she urged them, then hop around after Mrs. Red-breast as she pulled grubs and worms from the ground for them.
grubsnounUS /ɡrʌbz/
plural of “grub” — informal terms for a meal
From this reading The young robins would flop to the ground, when she urged them, then hop around after Mrs. Red-breast as she pulled grubs and worms from the ground for them.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
hopverbUS /hɑːp/
jump lightly
From this reading The young robins would flop to the ground, when she urged them, then hop around after Mrs. Red-breast as she pulled grubs and worms from the ground for them.
having or showing interest; especially curiosity or fascination or concern
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
lawnnounUS /lɔːn/
a field of cultivated and mowed grass
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
having or showing profound knowledge
From this reading They soon learned to look for the crumbs the children threw them.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading They soon learned to look for the crumbs the children threw them.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
engage in
From this reading Fuzzy would watch, and sometimes make a playful dash at them; but at such times they would suddenly find they could fly out of reach.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading The young robins would flop to the ground, when she urged them, then hop around after Mrs. Red-breast as she pulled grubs and worms from the ground for them.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Fuzzy would watch, and sometimes make a playful dash at them; but at such times they would suddenly find they could fly out of reach.
playfuladjectiveUS /ˈpleɪfəl/
full of fun and high spirits
From this reading Fuzzy would watch, and sometimes make a playful dash at them; but at such times they would suddenly find they could fly out of reach.
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading The young robins would flop to the ground, when she urged them, then hop around after Mrs. Red-breast as she pulled grubs and worms from the ground for them.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
Ranger'snounUS /ˈreɪndʒərz/
possessive form of “ranger” — a member of the Texas state highway patrol; formerly a mounted lawman who maintained order on the frontier
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Fuzzy would watch, and sometimes make a playful dash at them; but at such times they would suddenly find they could fly out of reach.
Red-breast
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The young robins would flop to the ground, when she urged them, then hop around after Mrs. Red-breast as she pulled grubs and worms from the ground for them.
small Old World songbird with a reddish breast
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
robinsnounUS /ˈrɑːbənz/
plural of “robin” — small Old World songbird with a reddish breast
From this reading The young robins would flop to the ground, when she urged them, then hop around after Mrs. Red-breast as she pulled grubs and worms from the ground for them.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
shelteredadjectiveUS /ˈʃeltərd/
protected from danger or bad weather
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading Fuzzy would watch, and sometimes make a playful dash at them; but at such times they would suddenly find they could fly out of reach.
in the near future
From this reading They soon learned to look for the crumbs the children threw them.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Fuzzy would watch, and sometimes make a playful dash at them; but at such times they would suddenly find they could fly out of reach.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Fuzzy would watch, and sometimes make a playful dash at them; but at such times they would suddenly find they could fly out of reach.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The young robins would flop to the ground, when she urged them, then hop around after Mrs. Red-breast as she pulled grubs and worms from the ground for them.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The young robins would flop to the ground, when she urged them, then hop around after Mrs. Red-breast as she pulled grubs and worms from the ground for them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They soon learned to look for the crumbs the children threw them.
a special situation
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading They soon learned to look for the crumbs the children threw them.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Fuzzy would watch, and sometimes make a playful dash at them; but at such times they would suddenly find they could fly out of reach.
very small
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
plural of “trouble” — a source of difficulty
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
past form of “urge” — force or impel in an indicated direction
From this reading The young robins would flop to the ground, when she urged them, then hop around after Mrs. Red-breast as she pulled grubs and worms from the ground for them.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
look attentively
From this reading Fuzzy would watch, and sometimes make a playful dash at them; but at such times they would suddenly find they could fly out of reach.
at the time that
From this reading The young robins would flop to the ground, when she urged them, then hop around after Mrs. Red-breast as she pulled grubs and worms from the ground for them.
in or at the place that
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
which person or people
From this reading TINY FOLK AND THEIR TROUBLES ONE thing that always interested the little bear was the robin who used to bring her fat fledglings, nearly as big as herself, to the Ranger’s lawn.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
wormsnounUS /wɜːrmz/
plural of “worm” — any of numerous relatively small elongated soft-bodied animals especially of the phyla Annelida and Chaetognatha and Nematoda and Nemertea and Platyhelminthes; also many insect larvae
From this reading The young robins would flop to the ground, when she urged them, then hop around after Mrs. Red-breast as she pulled grubs and worms from the ground for them.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading She had made her big clay nest on a beam of the porch, where the young birds would be sheltered from wind and rain.
