used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
Abner
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
admiringverbUS /ædˈmaɪrɪŋ/
-ing form of “admire” — feel admiration for
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
(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 I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
awfuladjectiveUS /ˈɑːfəl/
exceptionally bad or displeasing
From this reading The awful swiftness of that transition from beauty and power to hateful carrion haunted me for a long time.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading The awful swiftness of that transition from beauty and power to hateful carrion haunted me for a long time.
BeechnounUS /biːtʃ/
any of several large deciduous trees with rounded spreading crowns and smooth grey bark and small sweet edible triangular nuts enclosed in burs; north temperate regions
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
next to; at the side of
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
a youthful male person
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
carrionnounUS /ˈkeriən/
the dead and rotting body of an animal; unfit for human food
From this reading The awful swiftness of that transition from beauty and power to hateful carrion haunted me for a long time.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
crowverbUS /kroʊ/
dwell on with satisfaction
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
crumpleverbUS /ˈkrʌmpəl/
fall apart
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
curvesnounUS /kɜːrvz/
plural of “curve” — the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
distressingadjectiveUS /dɪˈstresɪŋ/
causing distress or worry or anxiety
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
duck-season
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
enlistverbUS /ˌenˈlɪst/
join the military
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
divisible by two
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
feathersnounUS /ˈfeðərz/
plural of “feather” — the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
firedadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪərd/
having lost your job
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
moving swiftly
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The awful swiftness of that transition from beauty and power to hateful carrion haunted me for a long time.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
characterized by beauty of movement, style, form, or execution
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
hatefuladjectiveUS /ˈheɪtfəl/
evoking or deserving hatred
From this reading The awful swiftness of that transition from beauty and power to hateful carrion haunted me for a long time.
hauntedadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːntɪd/
having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something
From this reading The awful swiftness of that transition from beauty and power to hateful carrion haunted me for a long time.
headlongadverbUS /ˈhedlɔːŋ/
with the head foremost
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
not accessible to view
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
hideousadjectiveUS /ˈhɪdiəs/
grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
resulting from one's intentions
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
Jeff
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
jumbledadjectiveUS /ˈdʒʌmbəld/
in utter disorder
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
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 awful swiftness of that transition from beauty and power to hateful carrion haunted me for a long time.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
marsh-reeds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
mid-air
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
olderadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldər/
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
on one occasion
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
the one or ones belonging to us
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading The awful swiftness of that transition from beauty and power to hateful carrion haunted me for a long time.
proudlyadverbUS /ˈpraʊdli/
with pride; in a proud manner
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
rebellionnounUS /rɪˈbeljən/
refusal to accept some authority or code or convention
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
sheennounUS /ʃiːn/
the visual property of something that shines with reflected light
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
a male human offspring
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
having great beauty and splendor
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
sweepverbUS /swiːp/
sweep across or over
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
swiftnessnounUS /ˈswɪftnəs/
a rate (usually rapid) at which something happens
From this reading The awful swiftness of that transition from beauty and power to hateful carrion haunted me for a long time.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The awful swiftness of that transition from beauty and power to hateful carrion haunted me for a long time.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
thiefnounUS /θiːf/
a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
a special situation
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The awful swiftness of that transition from beauty and power to hateful carrion haunted me for a long time.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
transitionnounUS /trænˈzɪʃən/
the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading The awful swiftness of that transition from beauty and power to hateful carrion haunted me for a long time.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The boy beside me fired, and in a flash what I had been admiring changed--even as it stopped headlong in mid-air--into a hideous thing, an evil confusion of jumbled feathers.
at the time that
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
a means of flight or ascent
From this reading Looking up at him, I realized for the first time how beautiful a creature was this common black thief of ours--how splendid his strength and the sheen of his coat, how proudly graceful the sweep and curves of his great slow wings.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Once, in the duck-season, as I lay hidden among the marsh-reeds with an older boy, a crow passed over us, flying low.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I half expected that Abner Beech would crumple up in some such distressing way, all of a sudden, when I told him that his son Jeff was in open rebellion, and intended to go off and enlist.
