used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading All on a sudden she stopped, tossed up her nose, and scented the air.
(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 All on a sudden she stopped, tossed up her nose, and scented the air.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "The three soon drew near the pawpaws; and the orioles seeing them, once more set up the scolding concert.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading But the old peccary paid no attention to the birds.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "In going away from the thicket, she crossed the track by which the serpent had retreated.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading But the old peccary paid no attention to the birds.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the old peccary paid no attention to the birds.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "In going away from the thicket, she crossed the track by which the serpent had retreated.
concertnounUS /ˈkɑːnsərt/
a performance of music by players or singers not involving theatrical staging
From this reading "The three soon drew near the pawpaws; and the orioles seeing them, once more set up the scolding concert.
placed crosswise
From this reading "In going away from the thicket, she crossed the track by which the serpent had retreated.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading "The three soon drew near the pawpaws; and the orioles seeing them, once more set up the scolding concert.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "In going away from the thicket, she crossed the track by which the serpent had retreated.
the act of departing
From this reading "In going away from the thicket, she crossed the track by which the serpent had retreated.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "In going away from the thicket, she crossed the track by which the serpent had retreated.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "In going away from the thicket, she crossed the track by which the serpent had retreated.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "The three soon drew near the pawpaws; and the orioles seeing them, once more set up the scolding concert.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading "The three soon drew near the pawpaws; and the orioles seeing them, once more set up the scolding concert.
not any; not one
From this reading But the old peccary paid no attention to the birds.
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
nutnounUS /nʌt/
usually large hard-shelled seed
From this reading They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
sporadically and infrequently
From this reading They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading But the old peccary paid no attention to the birds.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
on one occasion
From this reading "The three soon drew near the pawpaws; and the orioles seeing them, once more set up the scolding concert.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
oriolesnounUS /ˈɔːrioʊlz/
plural of “oriole” — mostly tropical songbird; the male is usually bright orange and black
From this reading "The three soon drew near the pawpaws; and the orioles seeing them, once more set up the scolding concert.
marked by the reception of pay
From this reading But the old peccary paid no attention to the birds.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
pawpaws
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The three soon drew near the pawpaws; and the orioles seeing them, once more set up the scolding concert.
peccarynoun
nocturnal gregarious pig-like wild animals of North America and South America
From this reading But the old peccary paid no attention to the birds.
select carefully from a group
From this reading They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
retreatednounUS /riˈtriːtəd/
people who have retreated
From this reading "In going away from the thicket, she crossed the track by which the serpent had retreated.
scentedadjectiveUS /ˈsentɪd/
having the sense of smell
From this reading All on a sudden she stopped, tossed up her nose, and scented the air.
scoldingnounUS /ˈskoʊldɪŋ/
rebuking a person harshly
From this reading "The three soon drew near the pawpaws; and the orioles seeing them, once more set up the scolding concert.
seednounUS /siːd/
a small hard fruit
From this reading They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading "The three soon drew near the pawpaws; and the orioles seeing them, once more set up the scolding concert.
serpentnounUS /ˈsɜːrpənt/
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading "In going away from the thicket, she crossed the track by which the serpent had retreated.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "The three soon drew near the pawpaws; and the orioles seeing them, once more set up the scolding concert.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
in the near future
From this reading "The three soon drew near the pawpaws; and the orioles seeing them, once more set up the scolding concert.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading All on a sudden she stopped, tossed up her nose, and scented the air.
fastener consisting of a narrow strip of welded metal used to join steel members
From this reading They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading All on a sudden she stopped, tossed up her nose, and scented the air.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "The three soon drew near the pawpaws; and the orioles seeing them, once more set up the scolding concert.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "The three soon drew near the pawpaws; and the orioles seeing them, once more set up the scolding concert.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
thicketnounUS /ˈθɪkɪt/
a dense growth of bushes
From this reading "In going away from the thicket, she crossed the track by which the serpent had retreated.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading "The three soon drew near the pawpaws; and the orioles seeing them, once more set up the scolding concert.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But the old peccary paid no attention to the birds.
tossedverbUS /tɔːst/
past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading All on a sudden she stopped, tossed up her nose, and scented the air.
a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading "In going away from the thicket, she crossed the track by which the serpent had retreated.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "The three soon drew near the pawpaws; and the orioles seeing them, once more set up the scolding concert.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "In going away from the thicket, she crossed the track by which the serpent had retreated.
in the company of; together with
From this reading They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
