used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
(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 She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
any person at all
From this reading The Vicar could give her more information than anyone else.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The Vicar could give her more information than anyone else.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
eageradjectiveUS /ˈiːɡər/
having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy
From this reading She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Vicar could give her more information than anyone else.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading All she learnt from him she repeated to Billy.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The Vicar could give her more information than anyone else.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading All she learnt from him she repeated to Billy.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
indoorsadverbUS /ˈɪndɔːrz/
within a building
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
a message received and understood
From this reading The Vicar could give her more information than anyone else.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
gain knowledge or skills
From this reading She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
learntverbUS /lɜːrnt/
inflected form of “learn” — gain knowledge or skills
From this reading All she learnt from him she repeated to Billy.
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 THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
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 THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The Vicar could give her more information than anyone else.
verbal abuse; a crude substitute for argument
From this reading She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
picturedadjectiveUS /ˈpɪktʃərd/
seen in the mind as a mental image
From this reading She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
poringverbUS /ˈpɔːrɪŋ/
-ing form of “pore” — direct one's attention on something
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
established beyond doubt
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
recurring again and again
From this reading All she learnt from him she repeated to Billy.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
depleted of energy, force, or strength
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
the season of growth
From this reading SPRING.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The Vicar could give her more information than anyone else.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
VicarnounUS /ˈvɪkər/
a Roman Catholic priest who acts for another higher-ranking clergyman
From this reading The Vicar could give her more information than anyone else.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was quick to learn the names of the pictured birds she did not already know by sight, and eager to find out all about them.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
at the time that
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading THE bird picture book proved indeed a great joy to May, as Billy had thought it would, and many were the hours she spent poring over it during the long winter days when bad weather kept her indoors.
