used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
any thing at all
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
behavingverbUS /bɪˈheɪvɪŋ/
-ing form of “behave” — behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself
From this reading That's the way Valpurga was behaving.
a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME I was going to school one day, but was pretty late in getting started.
butternounUS /ˈbʌtər/
an edible emulsion of fat globules made by churning milk or cream; for cooking and table use
From this reading I gave her butter and pepper, for that is good for hens.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME I was going to school one day, but was pretty late in getting started.
CIRCUSnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəs/
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME I was going to school one day, but was pretty late in getting started.
couldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME I was going to school one day, but was pretty late in getting started.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
opinion or judgment
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
feathersnounUS /ˈfeðərz/
plural of “feather” — the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
having or displaying warmth or affection
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I gave her butter and pepper, for that is good for hens.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading I gave her butter and pepper, for that is good for hens.
the act of acquiring something
From this reading WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME I was going to school one day, but was pretty late in getting started.
the act of departing
From this reading WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME I was going to school one day, but was pretty late in getting started.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading I gave her butter and pepper, for that is good for hens.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
hennounUS /hen/
adult female chicken
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
hensnounUS /henz/
plural of “hen” — adult female chicken
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME I was going to school one day, but was pretty late in getting started.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME I was going to school one day, but was pretty late in getting started.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
and nothing more
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
conformity or harmony
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME I was going to school one day, but was pretty late in getting started.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
mopeverbUS /moʊp/
move around slowly and aimlessly
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME I was going to school one day, but was pretty late in getting started.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
pepperverbUS /ˈpepər/
add pepper to
From this reading I gave her butter and pepper, for that is good for hens.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME I was going to school one day, but was pretty late in getting started.
uttered with a trill
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
an educational institution
From this reading WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME I was going to school one day, but was pretty late in getting started.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME I was going to school one day, but was pretty late in getting started.
not in physical motion
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
that's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME I was going to school one day, but was pretty late in getting started.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME I was going to school one day, but was pretty late in getting started.
a source of difficulty
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
Valpurga
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME I was going to school one day, but was pretty late in getting started.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
at the time that
From this reading WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME I was going to school one day, but was pretty late in getting started.
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.
