adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
AsconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
aspennounUS /ˈæspən/
any of several trees of the genus Populus having leaves on flattened stalks so that they flutter in the lightest wind
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Paddy the Beaver was hard at work.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
BeavernounUS /ˈbiːvər/
the soft brown fur of the beaver
From this reading Paddy the Beaver was hard at work.
catchverbUS /kætʃ/
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
CoyotenounUS /kaɪˈoʊti/
small wolf native to western North America
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
cutverbUS /kʌt/
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
cuttingnounUS /ˈkʌtɪŋ/
the activity of selecting the scenes to be shown and putting them together to create a film
From this reading That was why he was at work cutting his food supply in the daytime.
daytimenounUS /ˈdeɪtaɪm/
the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside
From this reading That was why he was at work cutting his food supply in the daytime.
discoveredadjectiveUS /dɪˈskʌvərd/
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
foodnounUS /fuːd/
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
footprintnounUS /ˈfʊtprɪnt/
a mark of a foot or shoe on a surface
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
gnawingverbUS /ˈnɔːɪŋ/
-ing form of “gnaw” — bite or chew on with the teeth
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
guardnounUS /ɡɑːrd/
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
hangingnounUS /ˈhæŋɪŋ/
decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading Paddy the Beaver was hard at work.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Paddy knew it just as well as if Old Man Coyote had told him so.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
hopingverbUS /ˈhoʊpɪŋ/
-ing form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Paddy knew it just as well as if Old Man Coyote had told him so.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
justadverbUS /dʒʌst/
and nothing more
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
knewverbUS /nuː/
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
lengthsnounUS /leŋkθs/
plural of “length” — the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
lotnounUS /lɑːt/
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
MannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
meantverbUS /ment/
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
mudnounUS /mʌd/
water soaked soil; soft wet earth
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
offadverbUS /ɔːf/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
OldadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
PaddynounUS /ˈpædi/
(ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Irish descent
From this reading Paddy the Beaver was hard at work.
patchnounUS /pætʃ/
a small contrasting part of something
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
pilenounUS /paɪl/
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
pondnounUS /pɑːnd/
a small lake
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
putverbUS /pʊt/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
sizedadjectiveUS /saɪzd/
having a specified size
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Paddy knew it just as well as if Old Man Coyote had told him so.
supplyverbUS /səˈplaɪ/
give something useful or necessary to
From this reading That was why he was at work cutting his food supply in the daytime.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Paddy the Beaver was hard at work.
thinkingnounUS /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
toldverbUS /toʊld/
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading Paddy knew it just as well as if Old Man Coyote had told him so.
treenounUS /triː/
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading He had just cut down a good- sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to put in his food pile in the pond.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Paddy the Beaver was hard at work.
welladverbUS /wel/
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Paddy knew it just as well as if Old Man Coyote had told him so.
whynounUS /waɪ/
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading That was why he was at work cutting his food supply in the daytime.
workverbUS /wɜːrk/
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Paddy the Beaver was hard at work.
workedverbUS /wɜːrkt/
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading As he worked, Paddy was doing a lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch Paddy off his guard.
