used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading No matter how frequently I chased him off the roof, I could not keep him in the air more than a quarter of an hour.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Until about the middle of February he could not be made to fly more than ten yards above the roof.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Until about the middle of February he could not be made to fly more than ten yards above the roof.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading No matter how frequently I chased him off the roof, I could not keep him in the air more than a quarter of an hour.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading No matter how frequently I chased him off the roof, I could not keep him in the air more than a quarter of an hour.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At first I thought that it was his lungs that were out of order.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Until about the middle of February he could not be made to fly more than ten yards above the roof.
chasednounUS /tʃeɪst/
a person who is being chased
From this reading No matter how frequently I chased him off the roof, I could not keep him in the air more than a quarter of an hour.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Until about the middle of February he could not be made to fly more than ten yards above the roof.
durationnounUS /ˈdʊˈreɪʃən/
the period of time during which something continues
From this reading The duration of his flight too was very short.
FebruarynounUS /ˈfebjəweri/
the month following January and preceding March
From this reading Until about the middle of February he could not be made to fly more than ten yards above the roof.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading At first I thought that it was his lungs that were out of order.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading The duration of his flight too was very short.
travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading Until about the middle of February he could not be made to fly more than ten yards above the roof.
many times at short intervals
From this reading No matter how frequently I chased him off the roof, I could not keep him in the air more than a quarter of an hour.
GAY-NECK
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MATING OF GAY-NECK Gay-Neck's wounds healed very slowly.
Gay-Neck's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MATING OF GAY-NECK Gay-Neck's wounds healed very slowly.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Until about the middle of February he could not be made to fly more than ten yards above the roof.
healedadjectiveUS /hiːld/
freed from illness or injury
From this reading MATING OF GAY-NECK Gay-Neck's wounds healed very slowly.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading No matter how frequently I chased him off the roof, I could not keep him in the air more than a quarter of an hour.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The duration of his flight too was very short.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading No matter how frequently I chased him off the roof, I could not keep him in the air more than a quarter of an hour.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No matter how frequently I chased him off the roof, I could not keep him in the air more than a quarter of an hour.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading No matter how frequently I chased him off the roof, I could not keep him in the air more than a quarter of an hour.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading No matter how frequently I chased him off the roof, I could not keep him in the air more than a quarter of an hour.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading At first I thought that it was his lungs that were out of order.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading No matter how frequently I chased him off the roof, I could not keep him in the air more than a quarter of an hour.
lungsnounUS /lʌŋz/
plural of “lung” — either of two saclike respiratory organs in the chest of vertebrates; serves to remove carbon dioxide and provide oxygen to the blood
From this reading At first I thought that it was his lungs that were out of order.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Until about the middle of February he could not be made to fly more than ten yards above the roof.
MATINGnounUS /ˈmeɪtɪŋ/
the act of pairing a male and female for reproductive purposes
From this reading MATING OF GAY-NECK Gay-Neck's wounds healed very slowly.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading No matter how frequently I chased him off the roof, I could not keep him in the air more than a quarter of an hour.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading Until about the middle of February he could not be made to fly more than ten yards above the roof.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Until about the middle of February he could not be made to fly more than ten yards above the roof.
not any; not one
From this reading No matter how frequently I chased him off the roof, I could not keep him in the air more than a quarter of an hour.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Until about the middle of February he could not be made to fly more than ten yards above the roof.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading MATING OF GAY-NECK Gay-Neck's wounds healed very slowly.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading No matter how frequently I chased him off the roof, I could not keep him in the air more than a quarter of an hour.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading At first I thought that it was his lungs that were out of order.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading At first I thought that it was his lungs that were out of order.
one of four equal parts
From this reading No matter how frequently I chased him off the roof, I could not keep him in the air more than a quarter of an hour.
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading Until about the middle of February he could not be made to fly more than ten yards above the roof.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading The duration of his flight too was very short.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading MATING OF GAY-NECK Gay-Neck's wounds healed very slowly.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading Until about the middle of February he could not be made to fly more than ten yards above the roof.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Until about the middle of February he could not be made to fly more than ten yards above the roof.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading At first I thought that it was his lungs that were out of order.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Until about the middle of February he could not be made to fly more than ten yards above the roof.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading At first I thought that it was his lungs that were out of order.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Until about the middle of February he could not be made to fly more than ten yards above the roof.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading The duration of his flight too was very short.
UntilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Until about the middle of February he could not be made to fly more than ten yards above the roof.
precisely as stated
From this reading MATING OF GAY-NECK Gay-Neck's wounds healed very slowly.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The duration of his flight too was very short.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading At first I thought that it was his lungs that were out of order.
woundsnounUS /wuːndz/
plural of “wound” — an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)
From this reading MATING OF GAY-NECK Gay-Neck's wounds healed very slowly.
plural of “yard” — 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 Until about the middle of February he could not be made to fly more than ten yards above the roof.
