used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But nothing happened for a long time, and then nothing but misery.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading None of us cared to talk, and there was nothing but misery to talk about.
(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 “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But nothing happened for a long time, and then nothing but misery.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
cagenounUS /keɪdʒ/
an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
cagesnounUS /ˈkeɪdʒɪz/
plural of “cage” — an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
past form of “care” — feel concern or interest
From this reading None of us cared to talk, and there was nothing but misery to talk about.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
continualadjectiveUS /kənˈtɪnjuːəl/
recurring regularly or frequently in a prolonged and closely spaced series
From this reading The room was full of these cages, and there was a continual noise of hysterical fluttering and sorrowful twittering.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
past form of “examine” — consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
flutteredverbUS /ˈflʌtərd/
past form of “flutter” — move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
flutteringnounUS /ˈflʌtərɪŋ/
the motion made by flapping up and down
From this reading The room was full of these cages, and there was a continual noise of hysterical fluttering and sorrowful twittering.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But nothing happened for a long time, and then nothing but misery.
set up or found
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading The room was full of these cages, and there was a continual noise of hysterical fluttering and sorrowful twittering.
the act of departing
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
come to pass
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading But nothing happened for a long time, and then nothing but misery.
only a very short time before
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
hystericaladjectiveUS /hɪˈsterɪkəl/
characterized by or arising from psychoneurotic hysteria
From this reading The room was full of these cages, and there was a continual noise of hysterical fluttering and sorrowful twittering.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
joltingadjectiveUS /ˈdʒoʊltɪŋ/
causing or characterized by jolts and irregular movements
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
immediately past
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
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 But nothing happened for a long time, and then nothing but misery.
a state of ill-being due to affliction or misfortune
From this reading But nothing happened for a long time, and then nothing but misery.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading The room was full of these cages, and there was a continual noise of hysterical fluttering and sorrowful twittering.
not one, and not any
From this reading None of us cared to talk, and there was nothing but misery to talk about.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading But nothing happened for a long time, and then nothing but misery.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The room was full of these cages, and there was a continual noise of hysterical fluttering and sorrowful twittering.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
scrambledadjectiveUS /ˈskræmbəld/
thrown together in a disorderly fashion
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
act as a barrier between; stand between
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
the act of causing something to move up and down (or back and forth) with quick movements
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
sorrowfuladjectiveUS /ˈsɑːroʊfəl/
experiencing or marked by or expressing sorrow especially that associated with irreparable loss
From this reading The room was full of these cages, and there was a continual noise of hysterical fluttering and sorrowful twittering.
swayingverbUS /ˈsweɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading None of us cared to talk, and there was nothing but misery to talk about.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading But nothing happened for a long time, and then nothing but misery.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The room was full of these cages, and there was a continual noise of hysterical fluttering and sorrowful twittering.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The room was full of these cages, and there was a continual noise of hysterical fluttering and sorrowful twittering.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading But nothing happened for a long time, and then nothing but misery.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
twittering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The room was full of these cages, and there was a continual noise of hysterical fluttering and sorrowful twittering.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading None of us cared to talk, and there was nothing but misery to talk about.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “At last the cage was taken up: we all fluttered and scrambled over each other, thinking something better was going to happen now.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
in or at the place that
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Half dead with jolting, shaking, and swaying, we found ourselves at last in a small close room, where we were taken out and examined one by one, and put into separate small cages, so small that we could hardly turn round in them.
