used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
ailed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
angryadjectiveUS /ˈæŋɡri/
feeling or showing anger
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
beaknounUS /biːk/
beaklike mouth of animals other than birds (e.g., turtles)
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading "Poor thing! its leg is broken," she said, wondering how she could help it.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "Poor thing! its leg is broken," she said, wondering how she could help it.
dazzledadjectiveUS /ˈdæzəld/
having vision overcome temporarily by or as if by intense light
From this reading I leaned out of my nest up there to watch a field mouse, and a ray of sunshine dazzled me so I tumbled down.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading I leaned out of my nest up there to watch a field mouse, and a ray of sunshine dazzled me so I tumbled down.
opinion or judgment
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed
From this reading I leaned out of my nest up there to watch a field mouse, and a ray of sunshine dazzled me so I tumbled down.
flutteringnounUS /ˈflʌtərɪŋ/
the motion made by flapping up and down
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading "Poor thing! its leg is broken," she said, wondering how she could help it.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
hookedadjectiveUS /hʊkt/
curved down like an eagle's beak
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Poor thing! its leg is broken," she said, wondering how she could help it.
be the source of pain
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I leaned out of my nest up there to watch a field mouse, and a ray of sunshine dazzled me so I tumbled down.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Poor thing! its leg is broken," she said, wondering how she could help it.
isn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "No, it isn't; it's my wing.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Poor thing! its leg is broken," she said, wondering how she could help it.
it's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "No, it isn't; it's my wing.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading "Poor thing! its leg is broken," she said, wondering how she could help it.
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading I leaned out of my nest up there to watch a field mouse, and a ray of sunshine dazzled me so I tumbled down.
a human limb; commonly used to refer to a whole limb but technically only the part of the limb between the knee and ankle
From this reading "Poor thing! its leg is broken," she said, wondering how she could help it.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I leaned out of my nest up there to watch a field mouse, and a ray of sunshine dazzled me so I tumbled down.
mousenounUS /maʊs/
any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails
From this reading I leaned out of my nest up there to watch a field mouse, and a ray of sunshine dazzled me so I tumbled down.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "No, it isn't; it's my wing.
nestnounUS /nest/
a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young
From this reading I leaned out of my nest up there to watch a field mouse, and a ray of sunshine dazzled me so I tumbled down.
not any; not one
From this reading "No, it isn't; it's my wing.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I leaned out of my nest up there to watch a field mouse, and a ray of sunshine dazzled me so I tumbled down.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
on one occasion
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading I leaned out of my nest up there to watch a field mouse, and a ray of sunshine dazzled me so I tumbled down.
owlnounUS /aʊl/
nocturnal bird of prey with hawk-like beak and claws and large head with front-facing eyes
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading "Poor thing! its leg is broken," she said, wondering how she could help it.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
raynounUS /reɪ/
a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading I leaned out of my nest up there to watch a field mouse, and a ray of sunshine dazzled me so I tumbled down.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Poor thing! its leg is broken," she said, wondering how she could help it.
cut with a saw
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
snappedverbUS /snæpt/
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I leaned out of my nest up there to watch a field mouse, and a ray of sunshine dazzled me so I tumbled down.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
the rays of the sun
From this reading I leaned out of my nest up there to watch a field mouse, and a ray of sunshine dazzled me so I tumbled down.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
in or at that place or location
From this reading I leaned out of my nest up there to watch a field mouse, and a ray of sunshine dazzled me so I tumbled down.
a special situation
From this reading "Poor thing! its leg is broken," she said, wondering how she could help it.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
tumbledverbUS /ˈtʌmbəld/
past form of “tumble” — fall down, as if collapsing
From this reading I leaned out of my nest up there to watch a field mouse, and a ray of sunshine dazzled me so I tumbled down.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I leaned out of my nest up there to watch a field mouse, and a ray of sunshine dazzled me so I tumbled down.
precisely as stated
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
look attentively
From this reading I leaned out of my nest up there to watch a field mouse, and a ray of sunshine dazzled me so I tumbled down.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading She ran at once to see what ailed the bird, and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry.
wingnounUS /wɪŋ/
a movable organ for flying (one of a pair)
From this reading "No, it isn't; it's my wing.
showing curiosity
From this reading "Poor thing! its leg is broken," she said, wondering how she could help it.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt.
