adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading A wing of this one had been broken, and out of her wide heaven of freedom and light she had floated down his captive but with all her far-sweeping instincts throbbing on unabated.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Dark-green sedgy cane grew thick around half the margin.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading A wing of this one had been broken, and out of her wide heaven of freedom and light she had floated down his captive but with all her far-sweeping instincts throbbing on unabated.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading One March day some seasons before, Major Falconer had brought down with his rifle from out the turquoise sky a young lone-wandering swan.
BehindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
birdsnounUS /bɜːrdz/
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
broadenedverbUS /ˈbrɔːdənd/
past form of “broaden” — make broader
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
brokenadjectiveUS /ˈbroʊkən/
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading A wing of this one had been broken, and out of her wide heaven of freedom and light she had floated down his captive but with all her far-sweeping instincts throbbing on unabated.
broughtverbUS /brɔːt/
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading One March day some seasons before, Major Falconer had brought down with his rifle from out the turquoise sky a young lone-wandering swan.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading A wing of this one had been broken, and out of her wide heaven of freedom and light she had floated down his captive but with all her far-sweeping instincts throbbing on unabated.
canenounUS /keɪn/
a stick that people can lean on to help them walk
From this reading Dark-green sedgy cane grew thick around half the margin.
captivenounUS /ˈkæptɪv/
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading A wing of this one had been broken, and out of her wide heaven of freedom and light she had floated down his captive but with all her far-sweeping instincts throbbing on unabated.
cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
Dark-greenadjective
of the color between blue and yellow in the color spectrum; similar to the color of fresh grass
From this reading Dark-green sedgy cane grew thick around half the margin.
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading One March day some seasons before, Major Falconer had brought down with his rifle from out the turquoise sky a young lone-wandering swan.
daysnounUS /deɪz/
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
FalconernounUS /ˈfælkənər/
a person who breeds and trains hawks and who follows the sport of falconry
From this reading One March day some seasons before, Major Falconer had brought down with his rifle from out the turquoise sky a young lone-wandering swan.
far-sweeping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A wing of this one had been broken, and out of her wide heaven of freedom and light she had floated down his captive but with all her far-sweeping instincts throbbing on unabated.
feeding-grounds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
flightsnounUS /flaɪts/
plural of “flight” — a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
floatedverbUS /ˈfloʊtəd/
past form of “float” — be in motion due to some air or water current
From this reading A wing of this one had been broken, and out of her wide heaven of freedom and light she had floated down his captive but with all her far-sweeping instincts throbbing on unabated.
footnounUS /fʊt/
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
freedomnounUS /ˈfriːdəm/
the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints
From this reading A wing of this one had been broken, and out of her wide heaven of freedom and light she had floated down his captive but with all her far-sweeping instincts throbbing on unabated.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
grewverbUS /ɡruː/
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading Dark-green sedgy cane grew thick around half the margin.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
halfadjectiveUS /hæf/
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Dark-green sedgy cane grew thick around half the margin.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
heavennounUS /ˈhevən/
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading A wing of this one had been broken, and out of her wide heaven of freedom and light she had floated down his captive but with all her far-sweeping instincts throbbing on unabated.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading A wing of this one had been broken, and out of her wide heaven of freedom and light she had floated down his captive but with all her far-sweeping instincts throbbing on unabated.
hillnounUS /hɪl/
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
homenounUS /hoʊm/
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
instinctsnounUS /ˈɪnstɪŋkts/
plural of “instinct” — inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli
From this reading A wing of this one had been broken, and out of her wide heaven of freedom and light she had floated down his captive but with all her far-sweeping instincts throbbing on unabated.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
lakesnounUS /leɪks/
plural of “lake” — a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading A wing of this one had been broken, and out of her wide heaven of freedom and light she had floated down his captive but with all her far-sweeping instincts throbbing on unabated.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
lone-wandering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One March day some seasons before, Major Falconer had brought down with his rifle from out the turquoise sky a young lone-wandering swan.
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
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 In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
lowerverbUS /ˈloʊər/
move something or somebody to a lower position
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
MajoradjectiveUS /ˈmeɪdʒər/
of greater importance or stature or rank
From this reading One March day some seasons before, Major Falconer had brought down with his rifle from out the turquoise sky a young lone-wandering swan.
MarchverbUS /mɑːrtʃ/
march in a procession
From this reading One March day some seasons before, Major Falconer had brought down with his rifle from out the turquoise sky a young lone-wandering swan.
marginnounUS /ˈmɑːrdʒən/
the boundary line or the area immediately inside the boundary
From this reading Dark-green sedgy cane grew thick around half the margin.
nearadverbUS /nɪr/
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
NorthernadjectiveUS /ˈnɔːrðərn/
in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A wing of this one had been broken, and out of her wide heaven of freedom and light she had floated down his captive but with all her far-sweeping instincts throbbing on unabated.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
pioneernounUS /ˌpaɪəˈnɪr/
someone who helps to open up a new line of research or technology or art
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
placesnounUS /ˈpleɪsəz/
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
pondnounUS /pɑːnd/
a small lake
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
pondsnounUS /pɑːndz/
plural of “pond” — a small lake
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
restingverbUS /ˈrestɪŋ/
-ing form of “rest” — not move; be in a resting position
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
rifleverbUS /ˈraɪfəl/
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading One March day some seasons before, Major Falconer had brought down with his rifle from out the turquoise sky a young lone-wandering swan.
riversnounUS /ˈrɪvərz/
plural of “river” — a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
seasonsnounUS /ˈsiːzənz/
plural of “season” — a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading One March day some seasons before, Major Falconer had brought down with his rifle from out the turquoise sky a young lone-wandering swan.
sedgyadjective
covered with sedges (grasslike marsh plants)
From this reading Dark-green sedgy cane grew thick around half the margin.
servedverbUS /sɜːrvd/
past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A wing of this one had been broken, and out of her wide heaven of freedom and light she had floated down his captive but with all her far-sweeping instincts throbbing on unabated.
skynounUS /skaɪ/
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading One March day some seasons before, Major Falconer had brought down with his rifle from out the turquoise sky a young lone-wandering swan.
slopingadjectiveUS /ˈsloʊpɪŋ/
having an oblique or slanted direction
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading One March day some seasons before, Major Falconer had brought down with his rifle from out the turquoise sky a young lone-wandering swan.
soughtadjectiveUS /sɔːt/
that is looked for
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
SouthernadjectiveUS /ˈsʌðərn/
in or characteristic of a region of the United States south of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
springnounUS /sprɪŋ/
the season of growth
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
swanverbUS /swɑːn/
to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
From this reading One March day some seasons before, Major Falconer had brought down with his rifle from out the turquoise sky a young lone-wandering swan.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
thickadjectiveUS /θɪk/
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading Dark-green sedgy cane grew thick around half the margin.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
throbbingnounUS /ˈθrɑːbɪŋ/
an instance of rapid strong pulsation (of the heart)
From this reading A wing of this one had been broken, and out of her wide heaven of freedom and light she had floated down his captive but with all her far-sweeping instincts throbbing on unabated.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
turquoisenounUS /ˈtɜːrkwɔɪz/
a blue to grey green mineral consisting of copper aluminum phosphate
From this reading One March day some seasons before, Major Falconer had brought down with his rifle from out the turquoise sky a young lone-wandering swan.
unabatedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəˈbeɪtɪd/
continuing at full strength or intensity
From this reading A wing of this one had been broken, and out of her wide heaven of freedom and light she had floated down his captive but with all her far-sweeping instincts throbbing on unabated.
unnumberedadjective
too numerous to be counted
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
waternounUS /ˈwɔːtər/
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
watersnounUS /ˈwɔːtərz/
United States actress and singer (1896-1977)
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading A wing of this one had been broken, and out of her wide heaven of freedom and light she had floated down his captive but with all her far-sweeping instincts throbbing on unabated.
wildernessnounUS /ˈwɪldərnəs/
(politics) a state of disfavor
From this reading In those early days the rivers and ponds of the wilderness served as resting places and feeding-grounds for these unnumbered birds in their long flights between the Southern waters and the Northern lakes.
wingnounUS /wɪŋ/
a movable organ for flying (one of a pair)
From this reading A wing of this one had been broken, and out of her wide heaven of freedom and light she had floated down his captive but with all her far-sweeping instincts throbbing on unabated.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading One March day some seasons before, Major Falconer had brought down with his rifle from out the turquoise sky a young lone-wandering swan.
yardnounUS /jɑːrd/
a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading Behind the house, at the foot of the sloping hill, there was a spring such as every pioneer sought to have near his home; and a little lower down, in one corner of the yard, the water from this had broadened out into a small pond.
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading One March day some seasons before, Major Falconer had brought down with his rifle from out the turquoise sky a young lone-wandering swan.
