used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading With a small steel knife Redbird cut cattails, dropping them into a basket she carried over her arm.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading With a small steel knife Redbird cut cattails, dropping them into a basket she carried over her arm.
barknounUS /bɑːrk/
tough protective covering of the woody stems and roots of trees and other woody plants
From this reading Only starving people tried to make food from cattail seeds and the inner bark of slippery elm and willow trees.
a container that is usually woven and has handles
From this reading With a small steel knife Redbird cut cattails, dropping them into a basket she carried over her arm.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Redbird moved slowly, pushing her swollen belly before her.
bellynounUS /ˈbeli/
the region of the body of a vertebrate between the thorax and the pelvis
From this reading Redbird moved slowly, pushing her swollen belly before her.
food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading With a small steel knife Redbird cut cattails, dropping them into a basket she carried over her arm.
cattailnoun
tall erect herbs with sword-shaped leaves; cosmopolitan in fresh and salt marshes
From this reading Only starving people tried to make food from cattail seeds and the inner bark of slippery elm and willow trees.
cattails
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With a small steel knife Redbird cut cattails, dropping them into a basket she carried over her arm.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading With a small steel knife Redbird cut cattails, dropping them into a basket she carried over her arm.
droppingadjectiveUS /ˈdrɑːpɪŋ/
coming down freely under the influence of gravity
From this reading With a small steel knife Redbird cut cattails, dropping them into a basket she carried over her arm.
elmnounUS /elm/
any of various trees of the genus Ulmus: important timber or shade trees
From this reading Only starving people tried to make food from cattail seeds and the inner bark of slippery elm and willow trees.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading Only starving people tried to make food from cattail seeds and the inner bark of slippery elm and willow trees.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Only starving people tried to make food from cattail seeds and the inner bark of slippery elm and willow trees.
fuzznounUS /fʌz/
filamentous hairlike growth on a plant
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading With a small steel knife Redbird cut cattails, dropping them into a basket she carried over her arm.
located inward
From this reading Only starving people tried to make food from cattail seeds and the inner bark of slippery elm and willow trees.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading With a small steel knife Redbird cut cattails, dropping them into a basket she carried over her arm.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
the month following May and preceding July
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading With a small steel knife Redbird cut cattails, dropping them into a basket she carried over her arm.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
plural of “land” — the land on which real estate is located
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
engage in
From this reading Only starving people tried to make food from cattail seeds and the inner bark of slippery elm and willow trees.
the food served and eaten at one time
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading Redbird moved slowly, pushing her swollen belly before her.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
and nothing more
From this reading Only starving people tried to make food from cattail seeds and the inner bark of slippery elm and willow trees.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading With a small steel knife Redbird cut cattails, dropping them into a basket she carried over her arm.
painstakinglyadverbUS /ˈpeɪnsteɪkɪŋli/
in a fastidious and painstaking manner
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading Only starving people tried to make food from cattail seeds and the inner bark of slippery elm and willow trees.
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
pushingnounUS /ˈpʊʃɪŋ/
the act of applying force in order to move something away
From this reading Redbird moved slowly, pushing her swollen belly before her.
RedbirdnounUS /ˈredbɜːrd/
the male is bright red with black wings and tail
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
seedsnounUS /siːdz/
plural of “seed” — a small hard fruit
From this reading Only starving people tried to make food from cattail seeds and the inner bark of slippery elm and willow trees.
sharedadjectiveUS /ʃerd/
have in common; held or experienced in common
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading With a small steel knife Redbird cut cattails, dropping them into a basket she carried over her arm.
slipperyadjectiveUS /ˈslɪpəri/
causing or tending to cause things to slip or slide
From this reading Only starving people tried to make food from cattail seeds and the inner bark of slippery elm and willow trees.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading Redbird moved slowly, pushing her swollen belly before her.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading With a small steel knife Redbird cut cattails, dropping them into a basket she carried over her arm.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
starvingadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrvɪŋ/
suffering from lack of food
From this reading Only starving people tried to make food from cattail seeds and the inner bark of slippery elm and willow trees.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading With a small steel knife Redbird cut cattails, dropping them into a basket she carried over her arm.
StrawberriesnounUS /ˈstrɔːberiz/
plural of “strawberry” — sweet fleshy red fruit
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
swollenadjectiveUS /ˈswoʊlən/
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading Redbird moved slowly, pushing her swollen belly before her.
carry out
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading With a small steel knife Redbird cut cattails, dropping them into a basket she carried over her arm.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
plural of “thousand” — the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
very small
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Only starving people tried to make food from cattail seeds and the inner bark of slippery elm and willow trees.
a shaky motion
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading Only starving people tried to make food from cattail seeds and the inner bark of slippery elm and willow trees.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Moon of Strawberries _June_ The Trembling Lands Redbird thought, _Our land by the Rock River was so good to us, and now see what we have come to_.
a Caucasian
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
willownounUS /ˈwɪloʊ/
any of numerous deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Salix
From this reading Only starving people tried to make food from cattail seeds and the inner bark of slippery elm and willow trees.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With a small steel knife Redbird cut cattails, dropping them into a basket she carried over her arm.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It would take thousands of the tiny seeds, painstakingly picked from the white fuzz and then ground into meal, to make a little bread that must be shared among five people.
