used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading It was some time before he succeeded in finding her, with her box of matches on her arm, going about from house to house.
acquaintverbUS /əˈkweɪnt/
cause to come to know personally
From this reading THE sparrow flew at once to acquaint Mrs. Polly and the canary with the result of his expedition.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE sparrow flew at once to acquaint Mrs. Polly and the canary with the result of his expedition.
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 It was some time before he succeeded in finding her, with her box of matches on her arm, going about from house to house.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE sparrow flew at once to acquaint Mrs. Polly and the canary with the result of his expedition.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading They were both greatly relieved to see him safely back, and rejoiced at his success.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It was some time before he succeeded in finding her, with her box of matches on her arm, going about from house to house.
next to; at the side of
From this reading He lighted on a fence beside her, and flaunted the red ribbon with the gold figures on it in a very enticing manner.
the two together, not just one
From this reading They were both greatly relieved to see him safely back, and rejoiced at his success.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading It was some time before he succeeded in finding her, with her box of matches on her arm, going about from house to house.
canarynounUS /kəˈneri/
someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police
From this reading THE sparrow flew at once to acquaint Mrs. Polly and the canary with the result of his expedition.
-ing form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
clawnounUS /klɔː/
sharp curved horny process on the toe of a bird or some mammals or reptiles
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
enticingadjectiveUS /enˈtaɪsɪŋ/
highly attractive and able to arouse hope or desire
From this reading He lighted on a fence beside her, and flaunted the red ribbon with the gold figures on it in a very enticing manner.
a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country
From this reading THE sparrow flew at once to acquaint Mrs. Polly and the canary with the result of his expedition.
enclose with a fence
From this reading He lighted on a fence beside her, and flaunted the red ribbon with the gold figures on it in a very enticing manner.
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading He lighted on a fence beside her, and flaunted the red ribbon with the gold figures on it in a very enticing manner.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading It was some time before he succeeded in finding her, with her box of matches on her arm, going about from house to house.
flauntedverbUS /ˈflɔːntɪd/
past form of “flaunt” — display proudly; act ostentatiously or pretentiously
From this reading He lighted on a fence beside her, and flaunted the red ribbon with the gold figures on it in a very enticing manner.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading THE sparrow flew at once to acquaint Mrs. Polly and the canary with the result of his expedition.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It was some time before he succeeded in finding her, with her box of matches on her arm, going about from house to house.
the act of departing
From this reading It was some time before he succeeded in finding her, with her box of matches on her arm, going about from house to house.
coins made of gold
From this reading He lighted on a fence beside her, and flaunted the red ribbon with the gold figures on it in a very enticing manner.
to an extraordinary extent or degree
From this reading They were both greatly relieved to see him safely back, and rejoiced at his success.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It was some time before he succeeded in finding her, with her box of matches on her arm, going about from house to house.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading They were both greatly relieved to see him safely back, and rejoiced at his success.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE sparrow flew at once to acquaint Mrs. Polly and the canary with the result of his expedition.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading It was some time before he succeeded in finding her, with her box of matches on her arm, going about from house to house.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was some time before he succeeded in finding her, with her box of matches on her arm, going about from house to house.
set afire or burning
From this reading He lighted on a fence beside her, and flaunted the red ribbon with the gold figures on it in a very enticing manner.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
take the midday meal
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He lighted on a fence beside her, and flaunted the red ribbon with the gold figures on it in a very enticing manner.
matchesnounUS /ˈmætʃəz/
plural of “match” — lighter consisting of a thin piece of wood or cardboard tipped with combustible chemical; ignites with friction
From this reading It was some time before he succeeded in finding her, with her box of matches on her arm, going about from house to house.
merrilyadverbUS /ˈmerəli/
in a joyous manner
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading THE sparrow flew at once to acquaint Mrs. Polly and the canary with the result of his expedition.
NancynounUS /ˈnænsi/
a city in northeastern France in Lorraine
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE sparrow flew at once to acquaint Mrs. Polly and the canary with the result of his expedition.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It was some time before he succeeded in finding her, with her box of matches on her arm, going about from house to house.
on one occasion
From this reading THE sparrow flew at once to acquaint Mrs. Polly and the canary with the result of his expedition.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
Polly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE sparrow flew at once to acquaint Mrs. Polly and the canary with the result of his expedition.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
rejoicedverbUS /rɪˈdʒɔɪst/
past form of “rejoice” — feel happiness or joy
From this reading They were both greatly relieved to see him safely back, and rejoiced at his success.
(of pain or sorrow) made easier to bear
From this reading They were both greatly relieved to see him safely back, and rejoiced at his success.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading THE sparrow flew at once to acquaint Mrs. Polly and the canary with the result of his expedition.
ribbonnounUS /ˈrɪbən/
any long object resembling a thin line
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
with safety; in a safe manner
From this reading They were both greatly relieved to see him safely back, and rejoiced at his success.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading They were both greatly relieved to see him safely back, and rejoiced at his success.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading It was some time before he succeeded in finding her, with her box of matches on her arm, going about from house to house.
sparrownounUS /ˈsperoʊ/
any of several small dull-colored singing birds feeding on seeds or insects
From this reading THE sparrow flew at once to acquaint Mrs. Polly and the canary with the result of his expedition.
past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal
From this reading It was some time before he succeeded in finding her, with her box of matches on her arm, going about from house to house.
an event that accomplishes its intended purpose
From this reading They were both greatly relieved to see him safely back, and rejoiced at his success.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE sparrow flew at once to acquaint Mrs. Polly and the canary with the result of his expedition.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were both greatly relieved to see him safely back, and rejoiced at his success.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It was some time before he succeeded in finding her, with her box of matches on her arm, going about from house to house.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE sparrow flew at once to acquaint Mrs. Polly and the canary with the result of his expedition.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
precisely as stated
From this reading He lighted on a fence beside her, and flaunted the red ribbon with the gold figures on it in a very enticing manner.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was some time before he succeeded in finding her, with her box of matches on her arm, going about from house to house.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were both greatly relieved to see him safely back, and rejoiced at his success.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE sparrow flew at once to acquaint Mrs. Polly and the canary with the result of his expedition.
wormnounUS /wɜːrm/
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 Then after a short rest and a worm or two for lunch, he flew merrily off to find little Nancy, carrying the piece of red ribbon safely in his claw.
