Chapter II · Chapter 2

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

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Coyotes catch all finely shaded inflections and interpret them as unerringly as a man notes the difference between a bawling cow and a blatting sheep.

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

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Mate communicates with mate through all the coyote refrains of the night; half-grown coyotes answer their mother's voice but are silent when another calls.

react verbally

From this reading Mate communicates with mate through all the coyote refrains of the night; half-grown coyotes answer their mother's voice but are silent when another calls.

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Mate communicates with mate through all the coyote refrains of the night; half-grown coyotes answer their mother's voice but are silent when another calls.

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

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

loud cries made while weeping

From this reading Coyotes catch all finely shaded inflections and interpret them as unerringly as a man notes the difference between a bawling cow and a blatting sheep.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading A widely scattered bunch of range cows will graze placidly for hours, and suddenly every head will be raised and every cow gaze off in the same direction.

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Coyotes catch all finely shaded inflections and interpret them as unerringly as a man notes the difference between a bawling cow and a blatting sheep.

warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

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

From this reading Coyotes catch all finely shaded inflections and interpret them as unerringly as a man notes the difference between a bawling cow and a blatting sheep.

a grouping of a number of similar things

From this reading A widely scattered bunch of range cows will graze placidly for hours, and suddenly every head will be raised and every cow gaze off in the same direction.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Mate communicates with mate through all the coyote refrains of the night; half-grown coyotes answer their mother's voice but are silent when another calls.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

(prosody) the accent in a metrical foot of verse

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

plural of “call” — a telephone connection

From this reading Mate communicates with mate through all the coyote refrains of the night; half-grown coyotes answer their mother's voice but are silent when another calls.

discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading Coyotes catch all finely shaded inflections and interpret them as unerringly as a man notes the difference between a bawling cow and a blatting sheep.

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

plural of “chuckle” — a soft partly suppressed laugh

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

third-person singular of “communicate” — transmit information

From this reading Mate communicates with mate through all the coyote refrains of the night; half-grown coyotes answer their mother's voice but are silent when another calls.

satisfied or showing satisfaction with things as they are

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

female of domestic cattle: "“moo-cow” is a child's term"

From this reading A widely scattered bunch of range cows will graze placidly for hours, and suddenly every head will be raised and every cow gaze off in the same direction.

domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age

From this reading A widely scattered bunch of range cows will graze placidly for hours, and suddenly every head will be raised and every cow gaze off in the same direction.

small wolf native to western North America

From this reading Mate communicates with mate through all the coyote refrains of the night; half-grown coyotes answer their mother's voice but are silent when another calls.

plural of “coyote” — small wolf native to western North America

From this reading Coyotes catch all finely shaded inflections and interpret them as unerringly as a man notes the difference between a bawling cow and a blatting sheep.

the quality of being unlike or dissimilar

From this reading Coyotes catch all finely shaded inflections and interpret them as unerringly as a man notes the difference between a bawling cow and a blatting sheep.

a line leading to a place or point

From this reading A widely scattered bunch of range cows will graze placidly for hours, and suddenly every head will be raised and every cow gaze off in the same direction.

plural of “doubt” — the state of being unsure of something

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

any material that fills a space or container

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

in tiny pieces

From this reading Coyotes catch all finely shaded inflections and interpret them as unerringly as a man notes the difference between a bawling cow and a blatting sheep.

a formation of aircraft in flight

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading A widely scattered bunch of range cows will graze placidly for hours, and suddenly every head will be raised and every cow gaze off in the same direction.

a long fixed look

From this reading A widely scattered bunch of range cows will graze placidly for hours, and suddenly every head will be raised and every cow gaze off in the same direction.

feed as in a meadow or pasture

From this reading A widely scattered bunch of range cows will graze placidly for hours, and suddenly every head will be raised and every cow gaze off in the same direction.

the act of shooting a gun

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

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

From this reading Mate communicates with mate through all the coyote refrains of the night; half-grown coyotes answer their mother's voice but are silent when another calls.

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading A widely scattered bunch of range cows will graze placidly for hours, and suddenly every head will be raised and every cow gaze off in the same direction.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading A widely scattered bunch of range cows will graze placidly for hours, and suddenly every head will be raised and every cow gaze off in the same direction.

a vague idea in which some confidence is placed

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

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

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

a change in the form of a word (usually by adding a suffix) to indicate a change in its grammatical function

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

plural of “inflection” — a change in the form of a word (usually by adding a suffix) to indicate a change in its grammatical function

From this reading Coyotes catch all finely shaded inflections and interpret them as unerringly as a man notes the difference between a bawling cow and a blatting sheep.

make sense of; assign a meaning to

From this reading Coyotes catch all finely shaded inflections and interpret them as unerringly as a man notes the difference between a bawling cow and a blatting sheep.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

raise from a lower to a higher position

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

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 No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

plural of “make” — a recognizable kind

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and water

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

the officer below the master on a commercial ship

From this reading Mate communicates with mate through all the coyote refrains of the night; half-grown coyotes answer their mother's voice but are silent when another calls.

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading Mate communicates with mate through all the coyote refrains of the night; half-grown coyotes answer their mother's voice but are silent when another calls.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Mate communicates with mate through all the coyote refrains of the night; half-grown coyotes answer their mother's voice but are silent when another calls.

not any; not one

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

a brief written record

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

plural of “note” — a brief written record

From this reading Coyotes catch all finely shaded inflections and interpret them as unerringly as a man notes the difference between a bawling cow and a blatting sheep.

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading A widely scattered bunch of range cows will graze placidly for hours, and suddenly every head will be raised and every cow gaze off in the same direction.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

on one occasion

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

To move from a closed position.

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

have ownership or possession of

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

in a quiet and tranquil manner

From this reading A widely scattered bunch of range cows will graze placidly for hours, and suddenly every head will be raised and every cow gaze off in the same direction.

located or moved above the surround or above the normal position

From this reading A widely scattered bunch of range cows will graze placidly for hours, and suddenly every head will be raised and every cow gaze off in the same direction.

an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"

From this reading A widely scattered bunch of range cows will graze placidly for hours, and suddenly every head will be raised and every cow gaze off in the same direction.

plural of “refrain” — the part of a song where a soloist is joined by a group of singers

From this reading Mate communicates with mate through all the coyote refrains of the night; half-grown coyotes answer their mother's voice but are silent when another calls.

past form of “rouse” — become active

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

Identical; not different.

From this reading A widely scattered bunch of range cows will graze placidly for hours, and suddenly every head will be raised and every cow gaze off in the same direction.

occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space

From this reading A widely scattered bunch of range cows will graze placidly for hours, and suddenly every head will be raised and every cow gaze off in the same direction.

protected from heat and light with shade or shadow

From this reading Coyotes catch all finely shaded inflections and interpret them as unerringly as a man notes the difference between a bawling cow and a blatting sheep.

woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat

From this reading Coyotes catch all finely shaded inflections and interpret them as unerringly as a man notes the difference between a bawling cow and a blatting sheep.

marked by absence of sound

From this reading Mate communicates with mate through all the coyote refrains of the night; half-grown coyotes answer their mother's voice but are silent when another calls.

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

happening unexpectedly

From this reading A widely scattered bunch of range cows will graze placidly for hours, and suddenly every head will be raised and every cow gaze off in the same direction.

of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement but without being abundant

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

abundantly filled with especially living things

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

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

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Coyotes catch all finely shaded inflections and interpret them as unerringly as a man notes the difference between a bawling cow and a blatting sheep.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Mate communicates with mate through all the coyote refrains of the night; half-grown coyotes answer their mother's voice but are silent when another calls.

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

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

a social division of (usually preliterate) people

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

without making errors

From this reading Coyotes catch all finely shaded inflections and interpret them as unerringly as a man notes the difference between a bawling cow and a blatting sheep.

a listing of the words used in some enterprise

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

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

From this reading Mate communicates with mate through all the coyote refrains of the night; half-grown coyotes answer their mother's voice but are silent when another calls.

notify of danger, potential harm, or risk

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

look attentively

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

the act of observing; taking a patient look

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

freshwater aquatic bird

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

at the time that

From this reading Mate communicates with mate through all the coyote refrains of the night; half-grown coyotes answer their mother's voice but are silent when another calls.

which person or people

From this reading No man who has lived long in the open and observed the ways of animals and birds doubts that each tribe has a language of its own,--the vocabulary of cadence and inflection.

to a great degree

From this reading A widely scattered bunch of range cows will graze placidly for hours, and suddenly every head will be raised and every cow gaze off in the same direction.

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

a movable organ for flying (one of a pair)

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

in the company of; together with

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.

but in spite of that

From this reading A man may watch a marsh teeming with waterfowl, their contented chuckles filling his ears; then every wing will lift at once, every bird roused to sudden flight by the change of a single note so faint that it makes no impression on the ear of the watching man, yet sufficient to warn the birds as surely as a gunshot.