Chapter II

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

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

filled with fear or apprehension

From this reading “Why should we be afraid of that creature?” asked the eldest: “he eats fish, not Sandpipers.”

later than; following

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

anew

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

(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 There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

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

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading “Why should we be afraid of that creature?” asked the eldest: “he eats fish, not Sandpipers.”

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading So they had to stop at home while the heron was there, and it was past midday when at last he flew away.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading “Why should we be afraid of that creature?” asked the eldest: “he eats fish, not Sandpipers.”

earlier than; in front of

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

a statute in draft before it becomes law

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

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

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

a young person of either sex

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

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

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading “Why should we be afraid of that creature?” asked the eldest: “he eats fish, not Sandpipers.”

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

plural of “duckling” — flesh of a young domestic duck

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

informal terms for a meal

From this reading “Why should we be afraid of that creature?” asked the eldest: “he eats fish, not Sandpipers.”

first in order of birth

From this reading “Why should we be afraid of that creature?” asked the eldest: “he eats fish, not Sandpipers.”

a social unit living together

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills

From this reading “Why should we be afraid of that creature?” asked the eldest: “he eats fish, not Sandpipers.”

inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne

From this reading So they had to stop at home while the heron was there, and it was past midday when at last he flew away.

travel through the air; be airborne

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy

From this reading Then out they came again, and were making their way with glad hearts down to the water, when the warning “wheet-whee-et” was heard very loud indeed.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

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

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

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

From this reading “Why should we be afraid of that creature?” asked the eldest: “he eats fish, not Sandpipers.”

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

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading Then out they came again, and were making their way with glad hearts down to the water, when the warning “wheet-whee-et” was heard very loud indeed.

a form of whist in which players avoid winning tricks containing hearts or the queen of spades

From this reading Then out they came again, and were making their way with glad hearts down to the water, when the warning “wheet-whee-et” was heard very loud indeed.

Greek mathematician and inventor who devised a way to determine the area of a triangle and who described various mechanical devices (first century)

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

prevent from being seen or discovered

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

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

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

where you live at a particular time

From this reading So they had to stop at home while the heron was there, and it was past midday when at last he flew away.

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading So they had to stop at home while the heron was there, and it was past midday when at last he flew away.

and nothing more

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

immediately past

From this reading So they had to stop at home while the heron was there, and it was past midday when at last he flew away.

the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

inflected form of “learn” — gain knowledge or skills

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

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

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

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 “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity

From this reading Then out they came again, and were making their way with glad hearts down to the water, when the warning “wheet-whee-et” was heard very loud indeed.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

engage in

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading Then out they came again, and were making their way with glad hearts down to the water, when the warning “wheet-whee-et” was heard very loud indeed.

the food served and eaten at one time

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

the middle of the day

From this reading So they had to stop at home while the heron was there, and it was past midday when at last he flew away.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “Why should we be afraid of that creature?” asked the eldest: “he eats fish, not Sandpipers.”

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “Why should we be afraid of that creature?” asked the eldest: “he eats fish, not Sandpipers.”

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Then out they came again, and were making their way with glad hearts down to the water, when the warning “wheet-whee-et” was heard very loud indeed.

above and across; more than

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

the time that has elapsed

From this reading So they had to stop at home while the heron was there, and it was past midday when at last he flew away.

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

accomplished rapidly and without delay

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

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

From this reading “Why should we be afraid of that creature?” asked the eldest: “he eats fish, not Sandpipers.”

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading “Why should we be afraid of that creature?” asked the eldest: “he eats fish, not Sandpipers.”

utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

come to a halt, stop moving

From this reading So they had to stop at home while the heron was there, and it was past midday when at last he flew away.

fastener consisting of a narrow strip of welded metal used to join steel members

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

travel through water

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “Why should we be afraid of that creature?” asked the eldest: “he eats fish, not Sandpipers.”

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

From this reading “Why should we be afraid of that creature?” asked the eldest: “he eats fish, not Sandpipers.”

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then out they came again, and were making their way with glad hearts down to the water, when the warning “wheet-whee-et” was heard very loud indeed.

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

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

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

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

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

flesh of any of several primarily freshwater game and food fishes

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

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

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

precisely as stated

From this reading Then out they came again, and were making their way with glad hearts down to the water, when the warning “wheet-whee-et” was heard very loud indeed.

a message informing of danger

From this reading Then out they came again, and were making their way with glad hearts down to the water, when the warning “wheet-whee-et” was heard very loud indeed.

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

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading Then out they came again, and were making their way with glad hearts down to the water, when the warning “wheet-whee-et” was heard very loud indeed.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Then out they came again, and were making their way with glad hearts down to the water, when the warning “wheet-whee-et” was heard very loud indeed.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “Why should we be afraid of that creature?” asked the eldest: “he eats fish, not Sandpipers.”

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

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

From this reading Then out they came again, and were making their way with glad hearts down to the water, when the warning “wheet-whee-et” was heard very loud indeed.

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

From this reading Then out they came again, and were making their way with glad hearts down to the water, when the warning “wheet-whee-et” was heard very loud indeed.

at the time that

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

during the time that

From this reading So they had to stop at home while the heron was there, and it was past midday when at last he flew away.

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading “Why should we be afraid of that creature?” asked the eldest: “he eats fish, not Sandpipers.”

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

in the company of; together with

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading There was a wild duck up the stream which had a nice little family just learning to swim, when down came a heron before they could hide themselves—and indeed they can’t hide themselves so well, poor things, as you have learnt to—and he just took those ducklings one after another, and made such a good meal of them that he went away without stopping to fish, and the poor parents had to make another nest and go through their work all over again.”

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Let him see you, my child,” said the father, “and he’ll snap you up with that long bill of his as quick as a trout can snap a fly.