Chapter IV · Chapter 4

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

(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 The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading BEES AND OTHER FELLOW-CREATURES.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

plural of “bee” — any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species

From this reading BEES AND OTHER FELLOW-CREATURES.

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

a small vessel for travel on water

From this reading They were sitting in a row on the edge of the boat.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

make a buzzing sound

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

speak softly or lovingly

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

any of numerous small pigeons

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

the boundary of a surface

From this reading They were sitting in a row on the edge of the boat.

opinion or judgment

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

plural of “fairy” — a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading BEES AND OTHER FELLOW-CREATURES.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

set up or found

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

any of various small biting flies: midges; biting midges; black flies; sand flies

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading They were sitting in a row on the edge of the boat.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

a small worthless amount

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

set down according to a plan

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

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 dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

the flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) used as food

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

the natural satellite of the Earth

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

not any; not one

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading They were sitting in a row on the edge of the boat.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading They were sitting in a row on the edge of the boat.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

and nothing more

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading BEES AND OTHER FELLOW-CREATURES.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

select carefully from a group

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

dish baked in pastry-lined pan often with a pastry top

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

participate in games or sport

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

plural of “pocket” — a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

plural of “raven” — large black bird with a straight bill and long wedge-shaped tail

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line

From this reading They were sitting in a row on the edge of the boat.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

marked by exceptional merit

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading They were sitting in a row on the edge of the boat.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

plural of “stick” — an implement consisting of a length of wood

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

in or at that place or location

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They were sitting in a row on the edge of the boat.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

proclaim on, or as if on, a trumpet

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading The dove laid some little sticks, Then began to coo; The gnat took his trumpet up To play the day through; The pie chattered soft and long-- But that she always does; The bee did all he had to do, And only said, "Buzz."

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading They were sitting in a row on the edge of the boat.

at the time that

From this reading When Jack at length opened his eyes, he found that it was night, for the full moon was shining; but it was not at all a dark night, for he could see distinctly some black birds, that looked like ravens.

hope for; have a wish

From this reading Now that he had fairies in his pockets, he could understand bird-talk, and he heard one of these ravens saying, "There is no meat so tender; I wish I could pick their little eyes out."