Chapter XXVI · Chapter 26

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "I tell you he's a-comin' up the river now.

higher than, or over, something

From this reading But she lay still--her heart beating high--and so sure that her instinct was true that she was not even surprised when she heard a voice in the thicket above--a low voice, but one she knew perfectly well:

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

in the past

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

somewhat ill or prone to illness

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

the act of overcoming or outdoing

From this reading But she lay still--her heart beating high--and so sure that her instinct was true that she was not even surprised when she heard a voice in the thicket above--a low voice, but one she knew perfectly well:

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

at or toward the back of something

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

form a curve

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

a large smooth mass of rock detached from its place of origin

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

a stick that people can lean on to help them walk

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

a small piece of paper that is supposed to be removed when a hole is punched in a card or paper tape

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

the time of person's life when they are a child

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

satisfied or showing satisfaction with things as they are

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

sleep lightly or for a short period of time

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

past form of “doze” — sleep lightly or for a short period of time

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

coming down freely under the influence of gravity

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

half asleep

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

take in solid food

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

divisible by two

From this reading But she lay still--her heart beating high--and so sure that her instinct was true that she was not even surprised when she heard a voice in the thicket above--a low voice, but one she knew perfectly well:

plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

made afraid

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "I tell you he's a-comin' up the river now.

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading But she lay still--her heart beating high--and so sure that her instinct was true that she was not even surprised when she heard a voice in the thicket above--a low voice, but one she knew perfectly well:

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading But she lay still--her heart beating high--and so sure that her instinct was true that she was not even surprised when she heard a voice in the thicket above--a low voice, but one she knew perfectly well:

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading But she lay still--her heart beating high--and so sure that her instinct was true that she was not even surprised when she heard a voice in the thicket above--a low voice, but one she knew perfectly well:

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

the pursuit and killing or capture of wild animals regarded as a sport

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I tell you he's a-comin' up the river now.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

an irritating cutaneous sensation that produces a desire to scratch

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

a small worthless amount

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

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 But she lay still--her heart beating high--and so sure that her instinct was true that she was not even surprised when she heard a voice in the thicket above--a low voice, but one she knew perfectly well:

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

immediately past

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading But she lay still--her heart beating high--and so sure that her instinct was true that she was not even surprised when she heard a voice in the thicket above--a low voice, but one she knew perfectly well:

the act of departing

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

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 Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading But she lay still--her heart beating high--and so sure that her instinct was true that she was not even surprised when she heard a voice in the thicket above--a low voice, but one she knew perfectly well:

having or bringing misfortune

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

a genus of Old World mints of the family Labiatae

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

not any; not one

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading "I tell you he's a-comin' up the river now.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading But she lay still--her heart beating high--and so sure that her instinct was true that she was not even surprised when she heard a voice in the thicket above--a low voice, but one she knew perfectly well:

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading But she lay still--her heart beating high--and so sure that her instinct was true that she was not even surprised when she heard a voice in the thicket above--a low voice, but one she knew perfectly well:

by chance

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

an excavation that is (usually) filled with water

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

belonging to an early stage of technical development; characterized by simplicity and (often) crudeness

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

steal goods; take as spoils

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

Identical; not different.

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

a general conscious awareness

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

plural of “set” — a group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

a person, without saying who

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

affording physical relief

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

the season of growth

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

a kind of arboreal rodent having a long bushy tail

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

not in physical motion

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

the rays of the sun

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading But she lay still--her heart beating high--and so sure that her instinct was true that she was not even surprised when she heard a voice in the thicket above--a low voice, but one she knew perfectly well:

taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment

From this reading But she lay still--her heart beating high--and so sure that her instinct was true that she was not even surprised when she heard a voice in the thicket above--a low voice, but one she knew perfectly well:

express in words

From this reading "I tell you he's a-comin' up the river now.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

in or at that place or location

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

a dense growth of bushes

From this reading But she lay still--her heart beating high--and so sure that her instinct was true that she was not even surprised when she heard a voice in the thicket above--a low voice, but one she knew perfectly well:

the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading As she sat there, contented and luckless, the sun grew so warm that she got drowsy and dozed--how long she did not know--but she awoke with a start and with a frightened sense that someone was near her, though she could hear no sound.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading But she lay still--her heart beating high--and so sure that her instinct was true that she was not even surprised when she heard a voice in the thicket above--a low voice, but one she knew perfectly well:

United States slave and insurrectionist who in 1831 led a rebellion of slaves in Virginia; he was captured and executed (1800-1831)

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading "I tell you he's a-comin' up the river now.

precisely as stated

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading But she lay still--her heart beating high--and so sure that her instinct was true that she was not even surprised when she heard a voice in the thicket above--a low voice, but one she knew perfectly well:

having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER AT LAST It was the first warm day of spring and the sunshine was very soothing to Melissa as she sat on the old porch early in the afternoon.

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

(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 But she lay still--her heart beating high--and so sure that her instinct was true that she was not even surprised when she heard a voice in the thicket above--a low voice, but one she knew perfectly well:

at the time that

From this reading But she lay still--her heart beating high--and so sure that her instinct was true that she was not even surprised when she heard a voice in the thicket above--a low voice, but one she knew perfectly well:

which person or people

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

any of numerous relatively small elongated soft-bodied animals especially of the phyla Annelida and Chaetognatha and Nematoda and Nemertea and Platyhelminthes; also many insect larvae

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion

From this reading Perhaps it was a memory of childhood, perhaps she was thinking of the happy days she and Chad had spent on the river bank long ago, and perhaps it was the sudden thought that, with the little they had to eat in the house and that little the same three times a day, week in and week out, Mother Turner, who had been ailing, would like to have some fish; perhaps it was the primitive hunting instinct that, on such a day, sets a country boy's fingers itching for a squirrel rifle or a cane fishing-pole, but she sprang from her seat, leaving old Jack to doze on the porch, and, in half an hour, was crouched down behind a boulder below the river bend, dropping a wriggling worm into a dark, still pool.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I tell you he's a-comin' up the river now.