used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading In proof of this she named one after each of the twelve months of the year.
Alice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading LOST AND FOUND.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
barsnounUS /bɑːrz/
gymnastic apparatus consisting of two parallel wooden rods supported on uprights
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
broodverbUS /bruːd/
think moodily or anxiously about something
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
chickensnounUS /ˈtʃɪkənz/
plural of “chicken” — the flesh of a chicken used for food
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
chicksnounUS /tʃɪks/
plural of “chick” — young bird especially of domestic fowl
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
cluckingnounUS /ˈklʌkɪŋ/
the sound made by a hen (as in calling her chicks)
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
coopnounUS /kuːp/
a farm building for housing poultry
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
distinguishverbUS /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/
mark as different
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
take in solid food
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
firmly closed or secured
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
fearlessadjectiveUS /ˈfɪrləs/
oblivious of dangers or perils or calmly resolute in facing them
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
feather-ruffling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
feedingnounUS /ˈfiːdɪŋ/
the act of consuming food
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
fluffyadjectiveUS /ˈflʌfi/
like down or as soft as down
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
set up or found
From this reading LOST AND FOUND.
many times at short intervals
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
hatchedadjectiveUS /hætʃt/
emerged from an egg
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
hennounUS /hen/
adult female chicken
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
innocentsnounUS /ˈɪnəsənts/
plural of “innocent” — a person who lacks knowledge of evil
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
lapverbUS /læp/
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading LOST AND FOUND.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading In proof of this she named one after each of the twelve months of the year.
past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading In proof of this she named one after each of the twelve months of the year.
not any; not one
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
any factual evidence that helps to establish the truth of something
From this reading In proof of this she named one after each of the twelve months of the year.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
recognizeverbUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪz/
accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
plural of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
in the near future
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading In proof of this she named one after each of the twelve months of the year.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
precisely as stated
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
which person or people
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
in the company of; together with
From this reading They ran in and out between the bars at pleasure, and very soon made friends with their mistress Alice, who could, or thought she could, distinctly recognize each of the little brothers and sisters, and distinguish one from another.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading By feeding them every day she soon got the whole brood so that it would come at call, and some of the chicks would frequently jump into her lap, or eat from her hand in a perfectly fearless manner.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading In proof of this she named one after each of the twelve months of the year.
yellow-feathered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In about two weeks a brood of twelve chickens was hatched out, and the old hen fastened in the coop made no end of clucking and feather-ruffling in her anxiety that the fluffy, yellow-feathered little innocents should come to no harm.
