used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading What was to be done about Polly after their return?
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
anew
From this reading They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading What was to be done about Polly after their return?
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED TO POLLY Priscilla’s spirits rose with every mile that brought her nearer home.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
chatterverbUS /ˈtʃætər/
click repeatedly or uncontrollably
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
having the place or position changed
From this reading One question rather puzzled and disturbed her mother.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading What was to be done about Polly after their return?
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED TO POLLY Priscilla’s spirits rose with every mile that brought her nearer home.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
feeling or showing gratitude
From this reading They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
Hannah
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED TO POLLY Priscilla’s spirits rose with every mile that brought her nearer home.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED TO POLLY Priscilla’s spirits rose with every mile that brought her nearer home.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED TO POLLY Priscilla’s spirits rose with every mile that brought her nearer home.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
past form of “listen” — hear with intention
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
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 They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED TO POLLY Priscilla’s spirits rose with every mile that brought her nearer home.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED TO POLLY Priscilla’s spirits rose with every mile that brought her nearer home.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One question rather puzzled and disturbed her mother.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
POLLY
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED TO POLLY Priscilla’s spirits rose with every mile that brought her nearer home.
Priscilla's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED TO POLLY Priscilla’s spirits rose with every mile that brought her nearer home.
filled with bewilderment
From this reading One question rather puzzled and disturbed her mother.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading One question rather puzzled and disturbed her mother.
not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
on the contrary
From this reading One question rather puzzled and disturbed her mother.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading What was to be done about Polly after their return?
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED TO POLLY Priscilla’s spirits rose with every mile that brought her nearer home.
the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
sparrowsnounUS /ˈsperoʊz/
plural of “sparrow” — any of several small dull-colored singing birds feeding on seeds or insects
From this reading They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED TO POLLY Priscilla’s spirits rose with every mile that brought her nearer home.
stormyadjectiveUS /ˈstɔːrmi/
(especially of weather) affected or characterized by storms or commotion
From this reading They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
successionnounUS /səkˈseʃən/
a following of one thing after another in time
From this reading They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
sweetestadjectiveUS /ˈswiːtəst/
superlative of “sweet” — having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED TO POLLY Priscilla’s spirits rose with every mile that brought her nearer home.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading What was to be done about Polly after their return?
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED TO POLLY Priscilla’s spirits rose with every mile that brought her nearer home.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading What was to be done about Polly after their return?
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading Her mother and Hannah watched her shining eyes with satisfaction and listened to the rare sound of her merry chatter as if it had been the sweetest of music.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED TO POLLY Priscilla’s spirits rose with every mile that brought her nearer home.
at the time that
From this reading They were as grateful for the change in her as sparrows are when, after a long succession of stormy days, the sun comes out again.
in the company of; together with
From this reading WHAT HAPPENED TO POLLY Priscilla’s spirits rose with every mile that brought her nearer home.
