used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading How the birds ever found out about it will doubtless remain a mystery.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading One morning I detected about three dozen of the poaching rogues stalking through the grass in the direction of my corn-patch, and, almost before I knew it, the feathered rascals had played havoc with my promising crop of popcorn.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The birds I refer to proved to be blackbirds, although for a time I mistook them for young crows.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
any thing at all
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The birds I refer to proved to be blackbirds, although for a time I mistook them for young crows.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
blackbirdsnounUS /ˈblækbərdz/
plural of “blackbird” — any bird of the family Icteridae whose male is black or predominantly black
From this reading The birds I refer to proved to be blackbirds, although for a time I mistook them for young crows.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
bristledadjectiveUS /ˈbrɪsəld/
having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc.
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
Budd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
ChicagonounUS /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/
largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
corn-patch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One morning I detected about three dozen of the poaching rogues stalking through the grass in the direction of my corn-patch, and, almost before I knew it, the feathered rascals had played havoc with my promising crop of popcorn.
cropnounUS /krɑːp/
the yield from plants in a single growing season
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
crowsnounUS /kroʊz/
plural of “crow” — black birds having a raucous call
From this reading The birds I refer to proved to be blackbirds, although for a time I mistook them for young crows.
detectedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtektəd/
perceived or discerned
From this reading One morning I detected about three dozen of the poaching rogues stalking through the grass in the direction of my corn-patch, and, almost before I knew it, the feathered rascals had played havoc with my promising crop of popcorn.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading One morning I detected about three dozen of the poaching rogues stalking through the grass in the direction of my corn-patch, and, almost before I knew it, the feathered rascals had played havoc with my promising crop of popcorn.
without doubt; certainly
From this reading How the birds ever found out about it will doubtless remain a mystery.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
at any time
From this reading How the birds ever found out about it will doubtless remain a mystery.
featheredadjectiveUS /ˈfeðərd/
adorned with feathers or plumes
From this reading One morning I detected about three dozen of the poaching rogues stalking through the grass in the direction of my corn-patch, and, almost before I knew it, the feathered rascals had played havoc with my promising crop of popcorn.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
set up or found
From this reading How the birds ever found out about it will doubtless remain a mystery.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading One morning I detected about three dozen of the poaching rogues stalking through the grass in the direction of my corn-patch, and, almost before I knew it, the feathered rascals had played havoc with my promising crop of popcorn.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
havocnounUS /ˈhævək/
violent and needless disturbance
From this reading One morning I detected about three dozen of the poaching rogues stalking through the grass in the direction of my corn-patch, and, almost before I knew it, the feathered rascals had played havoc with my promising crop of popcorn.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How the birds ever found out about it will doubtless remain a mystery.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
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 One morning I detected about three dozen of the poaching rogues stalking through the grass in the direction of my corn-patch, and, almost before I knew it, the feathered rascals had played havoc with my promising crop of popcorn.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
luxuriancenoun
the property of being lush and abundant and a pleasure to the senses
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
mistookverbUS /mɪˈstʊk/
inflected form of “mistake” — identify incorrectly
From this reading The birds I refer to proved to be blackbirds, although for a time I mistook them for young crows.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading One morning I detected about three dozen of the poaching rogues stalking through the grass in the direction of my corn-patch, and, almost before I knew it, the feathered rascals had played havoc with my promising crop of popcorn.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading How the birds ever found out about it will doubtless remain a mystery.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One morning I detected about three dozen of the poaching rogues stalking through the grass in the direction of my corn-patch, and, almost before I knew it, the feathered rascals had played havoc with my promising crop of popcorn.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading How the birds ever found out about it will doubtless remain a mystery.
plantedadjectiveUS /ˈplæntɪd/
(used especially of ideas or principles) deeply rooted; firmly fixed or held
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
(of games) engaged in
From this reading One morning I detected about three dozen of the poaching rogues stalking through the grass in the direction of my corn-patch, and, almost before I knew it, the feathered rascals had played havoc with my promising crop of popcorn.
poachingnounUS /ˈpoʊtʃɪŋ/
cooking in simmering liquid
From this reading One morning I detected about three dozen of the poaching rogues stalking through the grass in the direction of my corn-patch, and, almost before I knew it, the feathered rascals had played havoc with my promising crop of popcorn.
popcornnounUS /ˈpɑːpkɔːrn/
corn having small ears and kernels that burst when exposed to dry heat
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
promisingadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːməsɪŋ/
showing possibility of achievement or excellence
From this reading One morning I detected about three dozen of the poaching rogues stalking through the grass in the direction of my corn-patch, and, almost before I knew it, the feathered rascals had played havoc with my promising crop of popcorn.
established beyond doubt
From this reading The birds I refer to proved to be blackbirds, although for a time I mistook them for young crows.
past form of “provide” — give something useful or necessary to
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
rascalsnounUS /ˈræskəlz/
plural of “rascal” — a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading One morning I detected about three dozen of the poaching rogues stalking through the grass in the direction of my corn-patch, and, almost before I knew it, the feathered rascals had played havoc with my promising crop of popcorn.
referverbUS /rəˈfɜːr/
make reference to
From this reading The birds I refer to proved to be blackbirds, although for a time I mistook them for young crows.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading How the birds ever found out about it will doubtless remain a mystery.
roguesnounUS /roʊɡz/
plural of “rogue” — a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading One morning I detected about three dozen of the poaching rogues stalking through the grass in the direction of my corn-patch, and, almost before I knew it, the feathered rascals had played havoc with my promising crop of popcorn.
cut with a saw
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
seednounUS /siːd/
a small hard fruit
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
in the near future
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
having great beauty and splendor
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
stalkingnounUS /ˈstɔːkɪŋ/
a hunt for game carried on by following it stealthily or waiting in ambush
From this reading One morning I detected about three dozen of the poaching rogues stalking through the grass in the direction of my corn-patch, and, almost before I knew it, the feathered rascals had played havoc with my promising crop of popcorn.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement but without being abundant
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
give something useful or necessary to
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
TaylornounUS /ˈteɪlər/
United States composer and music critic (1885-1966)
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The birds I refer to proved to be blackbirds, although for a time I mistook them for young crows.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading One morning I detected about three dozen of the poaching rogues stalking through the grass in the direction of my corn-patch, and, almost before I knew it, the feathered rascals had played havoc with my promising crop of popcorn.
thriftnounUS /θrɪft/
any of numerous sun-loving low-growing evergreens of the genus Armeria having round heads of pink or white flowers
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading One morning I detected about three dozen of the poaching rogues stalking through the grass in the direction of my corn-patch, and, almost before I knew it, the feathered rascals had played havoc with my promising crop of popcorn.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The birds I refer to proved to be blackbirds, although for a time I mistook them for young crows.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I think it likely that, but for the birds, I should have had a crop of popcorn sufficient to supply the Chicago market, for I never before saw anything like that corn for luxuriance and thrift.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading How the birds ever found out about it will doubtless remain a mystery.
in the company of; together with
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading My young friend Budd Taylor provided me with a dozen ears of seed popcorn which I planted in a warm, bright spot and which soon bristled up in splendid style.
