used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
anew
From this reading Then once again he rose and took the great brush and wrote the same big words on the sky.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Then once again he rose and took the great brush and wrote the same big words on the sky.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
brushverbUS /brʌʃ/
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading Then once again he rose and took the great brush and wrote the same big words on the sky.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By this time the Earth King was nearly discouraged.
chatteringnounUS /ˈtʃætərɪŋ/
the rapid series of noises made by the parts of a machine
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did not know what in the world to do.
discouragedadjectiveUS /dɪˈskɜːrədʒd/
made less hopeful or enthusiastic
From this reading By this time the Earth King was nearly discouraged.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading He did not know what in the world to do.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading By this time the Earth King was nearly discouraged.
elbownounUS /ˈelboʊ/
hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped
From this reading He rested his elbow on his knee and his great head in his hand and thought and wondered.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
at any time
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading He rested his elbow on his knee and his great head in his hand and thought and wondered.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading He rested his elbow on his knee and his great head in his hand and thought and wondered.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He did not know what in the world to do.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He rested his elbow on his knee and his great head in his hand and thought and wondered.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He rested his elbow on his knee and his great head in his hand and thought and wondered.
holesnounUS /hoʊlz/
plural of “hole” — an opening into or through something
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading By this time the Earth King was nearly discouraged.
hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading He rested his elbow on his knee and his great head in his hand and thought and wondered.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He did not know what in the world to do.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
the time between one event, process, or period and another
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading By this time the Earth King was nearly discouraged.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
nestsnounUS /nests/
plural of “nest” — a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He did not know what in the world to do.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He rested his elbow on his knee and his great head in his hand and thought and wondered.
on one occasion
From this reading Then once again he rose and took the great brush and wrote the same big words on the sky.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
out-of-the-wayadjective
exceptional, unusual, or remarkable
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
with speed
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
with low volume
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
not tired; refreshed as by sleeping or relaxing
From this reading He rested his elbow on his knee and his great head in his hand and thought and wondered.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Then once again he rose and took the great brush and wrote the same big words on the sky.
in an unfortunate way
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Then once again he rose and took the great brush and wrote the same big words on the sky.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading Then once again he rose and took the great brush and wrote the same big words on the sky.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading By this time the Earth King was nearly discouraged.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He rested his elbow on his knee and his great head in his hand and thought and wondered.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading By this time the Earth King was nearly discouraged.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Then once again he rose and took the great brush and wrote the same big words on the sky.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading By this time the Earth King was nearly discouraged.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He did not know what in the world to do.
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading He rested his elbow on his knee and his great head in his hand and thought and wondered.
the words that are spoken
From this reading Then once again he rose and took the great brush and wrote the same big words on the sky.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Then the birds flew sadly away as quietly and quickly as ever they could, and set to work building their nests in holes in the trees and holes in the ground and in out-of-the-way places, making such a chattering meantime that neither they, nor any one else, could hear themselves think.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading He did not know what in the world to do.
inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work
From this reading Then once again he rose and took the great brush and wrote the same big words on the sky.
