used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
matters of personal concern
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
(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 PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading There was an empty nest among the branches, and there were all sorts of creeping, crawling things at hand to amuse and interest her.
amuseverbUS /əˈmjuːz/
occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion
From this reading There was an empty nest among the branches, and there were all sorts of creeping, crawling things at hand to amuse and interest her.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There was an empty nest among the branches, and there were all sorts of creeping, crawling things at hand to amuse and interest her.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
antsnounUS /ænts/
plural of “ant” — social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There was an empty nest among the branches, and there were all sorts of creeping, crawling things at hand to amuse and interest her.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading Into this little hiding-place she crept and lay down with face upturned towards the leaves and branches overhead.
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading So she stole down the long path to a little corner sheltered by trees on one side and by tall bushes on the other.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
Cassy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
caterpillarnounUS /ˈkætəpɪlər/
a wormlike and often brightly colored and hairy or spiny larva of a butterfly or moth
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
colonynounUS /ˈkɑːləni/
a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state's system of government
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading So she stole down the long path to a little corner sheltered by trees on one side and by tall bushes on the other.
crawlingnounUS /ˈkrɔːlɪŋ/
a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body
From this reading There was an empty nest among the branches, and there were all sorts of creeping, crawling things at hand to amuse and interest her.
creepingnounUS /ˈkriːpɪŋ/
a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body
From this reading There was an empty nest among the branches, and there were all sorts of creeping, crawling things at hand to amuse and interest her.
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading Into this little hiding-place she crept and lay down with face upturned towards the leaves and branches overhead.
recognizable; marked
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading So she stole down the long path to a little corner sheltered by trees on one side and by tall bushes on the other.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading There was an empty nest among the branches, and there were all sorts of creeping, crawling things at hand to amuse and interest her.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Into this little hiding-place she crept and lay down with face upturned towards the leaves and branches overhead.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
arousing or provoking laughter
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
fuzzyadjectiveUS /ˈfʌzi/
covering with fine light hairs
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading There was an empty nest among the branches, and there were all sorts of creeping, crawling things at hand to amuse and interest her.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading There was an empty nest among the branches, and there were all sorts of creeping, crawling things at hand to amuse and interest her.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
hiding-place
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Into this little hiding-place she crept and lay down with face upturned towards the leaves and branches overhead.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading There was an empty nest among the branches, and there were all sorts of creeping, crawling things at hand to amuse and interest her.
IntoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Into this little hiding-place she crept and lay down with face upturned towards the leaves and branches overhead.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Into this little hiding-place she crept and lay down with face upturned towards the leaves and branches overhead.
leafnounUS /liːf/
the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading Into this little hiding-place she crept and lay down with face upturned towards the leaves and branches overhead.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading So she stole down the long path to a little corner sheltered by trees on one side and by tall bushes on the other.
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 So she stole down the long path to a little corner sheltered by trees on one side and by tall bushes on the other.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young
From this reading There was an empty nest among the branches, and there were all sorts of creeping, crawling things at hand to amuse and interest her.
nimbleadjectiveUS /ˈnɪmbəl/
moving quickly and lightly
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was an empty nest among the branches, and there were all sorts of creeping, crawling things at hand to amuse and interest her.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading So she stole down the long path to a little corner sheltered by trees on one side and by tall bushes on the other.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading So she stole down the long path to a little corner sheltered by trees on one side and by tall bushes on the other.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading So she stole down the long path to a little corner sheltered by trees on one side and by tall bushes on the other.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
overheadadverbUS /ˈoʊvərˈhed/
above your head; in the sky
From this reading Into this little hiding-place she crept and lay down with face upturned towards the leaves and branches overhead.
a course of conduct
From this reading So she stole down the long path to a little corner sheltered by trees on one side and by tall bushes on the other.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
shelteredadjectiveUS /ˈʃeltərd/
protected from danger or bad weather
From this reading So she stole down the long path to a little corner sheltered by trees on one side and by tall bushes on the other.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading So she stole down the long path to a little corner sheltered by trees on one side and by tall bushes on the other.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So she stole down the long path to a little corner sheltered by trees on one side and by tall bushes on the other.
plural of “sort” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading There was an empty nest among the branches, and there were all sorts of creeping, crawling things at hand to amuse and interest her.
spidernounUS /ˈspaɪdər/
predatory arachnid with eight legs, two poison fangs, two feelers, and usually two silk-spinning organs at the back end of the body; they spin silk to make cocoons for eggs or traps for prey
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
spunverbUS /spʌn/
inflected form of “spin” — revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
a wide scarf worn about their shoulders by women
From this reading So she stole down the long path to a little corner sheltered by trees on one side and by tall bushes on the other.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading So she stole down the long path to a little corner sheltered by trees on one side and by tall bushes on the other.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was an empty nest among the branches, and there were all sorts of creeping, crawling things at hand to amuse and interest her.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading There was an empty nest among the branches, and there were all sorts of creeping, crawling things at hand to amuse and interest her.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Into this little hiding-place she crept and lay down with face upturned towards the leaves and branches overhead.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
in the direction of
From this reading Into this little hiding-place she crept and lay down with face upturned towards the leaves and branches overhead.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading So she stole down the long path to a little corner sheltered by trees on one side and by tall bushes on the other.
twigverbUS /twɪɡ/
branch out in a twiglike manner
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
upturnedadjective
having been turned so that the bottom is no longer the bottom
From this reading Into this little hiding-place she crept and lay down with face upturned towards the leaves and branches overhead.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was an empty nest among the branches, and there were all sorts of creeping, crawling things at hand to amuse and interest her.
webnounUS /web/
an intricate network suggesting something that was formed by weaving or interweaving
From this reading A fuzzy caterpillar, with a funny face, looked over the side of a leaf at her; a nimble spider spun a web from twig to twig; a busy colony of ants near by ran back and forth as if the affairs of the nation had to be settled.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There was an empty nest among the branches, and there were all sorts of creeping, crawling things at hand to amuse and interest her.
in or at the place that
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Into this little hiding-place she crept and lay down with face upturned towards the leaves and branches overhead.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading PLANS After looking out upon the garden from where she stood upon the porch, Cassy decided that she would like to be by herself for a while and think over all that had been taking place.
