Chapter X

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

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

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

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

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

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

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

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

beaklike mouth of animals other than birds (e.g., turtles)

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

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

From this reading The birds did not know what to make of it.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

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

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

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

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

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

From this reading The birds did not know what to make of it.

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

take in solid food

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

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

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

a farewell remark

From this reading GOOD-BYE.

an established custom

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

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

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

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

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

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

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The birds did not know what to make of it.

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading The birds did not know what to make of it.

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

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

engage in

From this reading The birds did not know what to make of it.

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The birds did not know what to make of it.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The birds did not know what to make of it.

To move from a closed position.

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

move with force

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

to cause to separate and go in different directions

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

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

From this reading The birds did not know what to make of it.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

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

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

a special situation

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

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

From this reading The birds did not know what to make of it.

a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

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

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

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

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

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

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading The birds did not know what to make of it.

at the time that

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

in or at the place that

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

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

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

a means of flight or ascent

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

in the company of; together with

From this reading It had come to be an understood thing that when they came to the places where the air was hard, they should flap and beat against it with wings and beak.

plural of “worm” — any of numerous relatively small elongated soft-bodied animals especially of the phyla Annelida and Chaetognatha and Nematoda and Nemertea and Platyhelminthes; also many insect larvae

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading At first--for several days--they flew at the windows, as they were in the habit of doing when they felt that a little change from worms would be pleasant.

to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling)

From this reading Then their friend would push up the hard air, or open his tree and come out, and would scatter food for them, food which they could not name, but which was easy and pleasant to eat, and did not wriggle.