used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading SHARP EYES SEES SOMETHING Away up in the North Woods lived a family of foxes.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They had big, bushy tails, like a dust brush, and they wore furry coats.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The foxes had long sharp noses and sharp teeth, and they were very sly and cunning, as they had need to be.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading SHARP EYES SEES SOMETHING Away up in the North Woods lived a family of foxes.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The foxes had long sharp noses and sharp teeth, and they were very sly and cunning, as they had need to be.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading They had big, bushy tails, like a dust brush, and they wore furry coats.
brushverbUS /brʌʃ/
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading They had big, bushy tails, like a dust brush, and they wore furry coats.
bushyadjectiveUS /ˈbʊʃi/
used of hair; thick and poorly groomed
From this reading They had big, bushy tails, like a dust brush, and they wore furry coats.
chickennounUS /ˈtʃɪkən/
the flesh of a chicken used for food
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
coatsnounUS /koʊts/
plural of “coat” — an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading They had big, bushy tails, like a dust brush, and they wore furry coats.
a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect
From this reading Some of these furry coats were of a reddish-yellow color, and some of them a sort of gray.
cunningadjectiveUS /ˈkʌnɪŋ/
attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness
From this reading The foxes had long sharp noses and sharp teeth, and they were very sly and cunning, as they had need to be.
duckverbUS /dʌk/
to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
remove the dust from
From this reading They had big, bushy tails, like a dust brush, and they wore furry coats.
opinion or judgment
From this reading SHARP EYES SEES SOMETHING Away up in the North Woods lived a family of foxes.
a social unit living together
From this reading SHARP EYES SEES SOMETHING Away up in the North Woods lived a family of foxes.
farmyardnounUS /ˈfɑːrmjɑːrd/
an area adjacent to farm buildings
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
having an (over)abundance of flesh
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
foxesnounUS /ˈfɑːksəz/
plural of “fox” — alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs
From this reading SHARP EYES SEES SOMETHING Away up in the North Woods lived a family of foxes.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
furryadjectiveUS /ˈfɜːri/
covered with a dense coat of fine silky hairs
From this reading They had big, bushy tails, like a dust brush, and they wore furry coats.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading Some of these furry coats were of a reddish-yellow color, and some of them a sort of gray.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had big, bushy tails, like a dust brush, and they wore furry coats.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading SHARP EYES SEES SOMETHING Away up in the North Woods lived a family of foxes.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading They had big, bushy tails, like a dust brush, and they wore furry coats.
large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading SHARP EYES SEES SOMETHING Away up in the North Woods lived a family of foxes.
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 foxes had long sharp noses and sharp teeth, and they were very sly and cunning, as they had need to be.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading The foxes had long sharp noses and sharp teeth, and they were very sly and cunning, as they had need to be.
not any; not one
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading SHARP EYES SEES SOMETHING Away up in the North Woods lived a family of foxes.
nosesnounUS /ˈnoʊzɪz/
plural of “nose” — the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading The foxes had long sharp noses and sharp teeth, and they were very sly and cunning, as they had need to be.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading SHARP EYES SEES SOMETHING Away up in the North Woods lived a family of foxes.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
reddish-yellow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some of these furry coats were of a reddish-yellow color, and some of them a sort of gray.
plural of “see” — the seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located
From this reading SHARP EYES SEES SOMETHING Away up in the North Woods lived a family of foxes.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading SHARP EYES SEES SOMETHING Away up in the North Woods lived a family of foxes.
slyadjectiveUS /slaɪ/
marked by skill in deception
From this reading The foxes had long sharp noses and sharp teeth, and they were very sly and cunning, as they had need to be.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some of these furry coats were of a reddish-yellow color, and some of them a sort of gray.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading SHARP EYES SEES SOMETHING Away up in the North Woods lived a family of foxes.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading Some of these furry coats were of a reddish-yellow color, and some of them a sort of gray.
stealverbUS /stiːl/
take without the owner's consent
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
tailsnounUS /teɪlz/
formalwear consisting of full evening dress for men
From this reading They had big, bushy tails, like a dust brush, and they wore furry coats.
the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal
From this reading The foxes had long sharp noses and sharp teeth, and they were very sly and cunning, as they had need to be.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading SHARP EYES SEES SOMETHING Away up in the North Woods lived a family of foxes.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Some of these furry coats were of a reddish-yellow color, and some of them a sort of gray.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Some of these furry coats were of a reddish-yellow color, and some of them a sort of gray.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had big, bushy tails, like a dust brush, and they wore furry coats.
tigernounUS /ˈtaɪɡər/
a fierce or audacious person
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The foxes had long sharp noses and sharp teeth, and they were very sly and cunning, as they had need to be.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading SHARP EYES SEES SOMETHING Away up in the North Woods lived a family of foxes.
precisely as stated
From this reading The foxes had long sharp noses and sharp teeth, and they were very sly and cunning, as they had need to be.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Some of these furry coats were of a reddish-yellow color, and some of them a sort of gray.
at the time that
From this reading For a fox is not strong, like a lion or a tiger, and to get his food he must be quick and sly, and steal up when no one sees him, to get a fat duck or a chicken from the farmyard.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading SHARP EYES SEES SOMETHING Away up in the North Woods lived a family of foxes.
inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in
From this reading They had big, bushy tails, like a dust brush, and they wore furry coats.
