used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “There was a strange boy with him,” cawed an old crow.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading This shy little bird who watched the two boys so narrowly, was the nuthatch.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Even the blue jays, who were usually very chary of their praise, had a pleasant word for their friend Sam, who so often brought them food.
a youthful male person
From this reading “There was a strange boy with him,” cawed an old crow.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading This shy little bird who watched the two boys so narrowly, was the nuthatch.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading The chickadees were loudly singing the praises of the visitors who had brought them such a delicious treat.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
cawed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “There was a strange boy with him,” cawed an old crow.
charyadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɑːri/
characterized by great caution and wariness
From this reading Even the blue jays, who were usually very chary of their praise, had a pleasant word for their friend Sam, who so often brought them food.
chickadees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The chickadees were loudly singing the praises of the visitors who had brought them such a delicious treat.
creepingnounUS /ˈkriːpɪŋ/
a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
crowverbUS /kroʊ/
dwell on with satisfaction
From this reading “There was a strange boy with him,” cawed an old crow.
deliciousadjectiveUS /dɪˈlɪʃəs/
greatly pleasing or entertaining
From this reading The chickadees were loudly singing the praises of the visitors who had brought them such a delicious treat.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
downwardadjectiveUS /ˈdaʊnwərd/
extending or moving from a higher to a lower place
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
compelled forcibly by an outside agency
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
the act of consuming food
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
divisible by two
From this reading Even the blue jays, who were usually very chary of their praise, had a pleasant word for their friend Sam, who so often brought them food.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading Even the blue jays, who were usually very chary of their praise, had a pleasant word for their friend Sam, who so often brought them food.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Even the blue jays, who were usually very chary of their praise, had a pleasant word for their friend Sam, who so often brought them food.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading Even the blue jays, who were usually very chary of their praise, had a pleasant word for their friend Sam, who so often brought them food.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “There was a strange boy with him,” cawed an old crow.
jaysnounUS /dʒeɪz/
plural of “jay” — United States diplomat and jurist who negotiated peace treaties with Britain and served as the first chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1745-1829)
From this reading Even the blue jays, who were usually very chary of their praise, had a pleasant word for their friend Sam, who so often brought them food.
kernelnounUS /ˈkɜːrnəl/
the inner and usually edible part of a seed or grain or nut or fruit stone
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading This shy little bird who watched the two boys so narrowly, was the nuthatch.
loudlyadverbUS /ˈlaʊdli/
with relatively high volume
From this reading The chickadees were loudly singing the praises of the visitors who had brought them such a delicious treat.
narrowlyadverbUS /ˈneroʊli/
in a narrow manner; not allowing for exceptions
From this reading This shy little bird who watched the two boys so narrowly, was the nuthatch.
nutnounUS /nʌt/
usually large hard-shelled seed
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
nuthatchnoun
any of various small short-tailed songbirds with strong feet and a sharp beak that feed on small nuts and insects
From this reading This shy little bird who watched the two boys so narrowly, was the nuthatch.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
many times at short intervals
From this reading Even the blue jays, who were usually very chary of their praise, had a pleasant word for their friend Sam, who so often brought them food.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading “There was a strange boy with him,” cawed an old crow.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading Even the blue jays, who were usually very chary of their praise, had a pleasant word for their friend Sam, who so often brought them food.
an expression of approval and commendation
From this reading Even the blue jays, who were usually very chary of their praise, had a pleasant word for their friend Sam, who so often brought them food.
praisesnounUS /ˈpreɪzəz/
plural of “praise” — an expression of approval and commendation
From this reading The chickadees were loudly singing the praises of the visitors who had brought them such a delicious treat.
a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
From this reading Even the blue jays, who were usually very chary of their praise, had a pleasant word for their friend Sam, who so often brought them food.
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
shyverbUS /ʃaɪ/
start suddenly, as from fright
From this reading This shy little bird who watched the two boys so narrowly, was the nuthatch.
the act of singing vocal music
From this reading The chickadees were loudly singing the praises of the visitors who had brought them such a delicious treat.
sleighnounUS /sleɪ/
a vehicle mounted on runners and pulled by horses or dogs; for transportation over snow
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading This shy little bird who watched the two boys so narrowly, was the nuthatch.
in the near future
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
squirrelnounUS /ˈskwɜːrəl/
a kind of arboreal rodent having a long bushy tail
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading “There was a strange boy with him,” cawed an old crow.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading The chickadees were loudly singing the praises of the visitors who had brought them such a delicious treat.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading This shy little bird who watched the two boys so narrowly, was the nuthatch.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Even the blue jays, who were usually very chary of their praise, had a pleasant word for their friend Sam, who so often brought them food.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The chickadees were loudly singing the praises of the visitors who had brought them such a delicious treat.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “There was a strange boy with him,” cawed an old crow.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This shy little bird who watched the two boys so narrowly, was the nuthatch.
interact in a certain way
From this reading The chickadees were loudly singing the praises of the visitors who had brought them such a delicious treat.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
the main stem of a tree; usually covered with bark; the bole is usually the part that is commercially useful for lumber
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading This shy little bird who watched the two boys so narrowly, was the nuthatch.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading As soon as the sleigh had driven away, the nuthatch came down from the tree, creeping along the trunk, head downward, and seized upon the fine kernel of a nut a squirrel was eating.
under normal conditions
From this reading Even the blue jays, who were usually very chary of their praise, had a pleasant word for their friend Sam, who so often brought them food.
precisely as stated
From this reading Even the blue jays, who were usually very chary of their praise, had a pleasant word for their friend Sam, who so often brought them food.
plural of “visitor” — someone who visits
From this reading The chickadees were loudly singing the praises of the visitors who had brought them such a delicious treat.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This shy little bird who watched the two boys so narrowly, was the nuthatch.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading This shy little bird who watched the two boys so narrowly, was the nuthatch.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The chickadees were loudly singing the praises of the visitors who had brought them such a delicious treat.
which person or people
From this reading This shy little bird who watched the two boys so narrowly, was the nuthatch.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “There was a strange boy with him,” cawed an old crow.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading Even the blue jays, who were usually very chary of their praise, had a pleasant word for their friend Sam, who so often brought them food.
