used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
(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 Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading My Pets Like my games, my stockings, and my frocks, they were home-made.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
bird-song
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading We had no caged birds.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
cagedverbUS /keɪdʒd/
past form of “cage” — confine in a cage
From this reading We had no caged birds.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
canarynounUS /kəˈneri/
someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
being one more than seven
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
apart from; not including
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
something many people believe that is false
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
FeathersnounUS /ˈfeðərz/
plural of “feather” — the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
a boy or man
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
frocksnounUS /frɑːks/
plural of “frock” — a long, loose outer garment
From this reading My Pets Like my games, my stockings, and my frocks, they were home-made.
gamesnounUS /ɡeɪmz/
plural of “game” — a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading My Pets Like my games, my stockings, and my frocks, they were home-made.
grown-uppers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading We had no caged birds.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
home-made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My Pets Like my games, my stockings, and my frocks, they were home-made.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
JulynounUS /ˌdʒuːˈlaɪ/
the month following June and preceding August
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
the month following May and preceding July
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
staying power
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading My Pets Like my games, my stockings, and my frocks, they were home-made.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
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 Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
mocking-birds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My Pets Like my games, my stockings, and my frocks, they were home-made.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
nightingalenounUS /ˈnaɪtɪŋɡeɪl/
European songbird noted for its melodious nocturnal song
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
not any; not one
From this reading We had no caged birds.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
PetsnounUS /pets/
plural of “pet” — a domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusement
From this reading My Pets Like my games, my stockings, and my frocks, they were home-made.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
deliver by singing
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
stockingsnounUS /ˈstɑːkɪŋz/
plural of “stocking” — close-fitting hosiery to cover the foot and leg; come in matched pairs (usually used in the plural)
From this reading My Pets Like my games, my stockings, and my frocks, they were home-made.
storiedadjectiveUS /ˈstɔːrid/
having an illustrious past
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
sweeteradjectiveUS /ˈswiːtər/
comparative of “sweet” — having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading My Pets Like my games, my stockings, and my frocks, they were home-made.
thrilledadjectiveUS /θrɪld/
feeling intense pleasurable excitement
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
tunenounUS /tuːn/
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
variedadjectiveUS /ˈverid/
characterized by variety
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
versesnounUS /ˈvɜːrsəz/
plural of “verse” — literature in metrical form
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We had no caged birds.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading My Pets Like my games, my stockings, and my frocks, they were home-made.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
at the time that
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading I had never seen a canary, and knew nothing of him except as I had read of one in what I called a "pair of verses" to which I took a fancy.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading Our yards and woods thrilled with bird-song all day long for eight months of the year, and mocking-birds filled June and July nights with music sweeter and more varied than the storied strain of the nightingale.
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading I used to sing them to a tune of my own making when grown-uppers were not listening:-- "Mary had a little bird, Feathers bright and yellow, Slender legs--upon my word He was a pretty fellow.
