pigeon
puffin
raven
robin
rook
sparrow
starling
stork
swallow
swan
thrush
woodpecker
bit NOUN
A bit of something is a small amount of it.
chunk
Sam broke off a chunk of chocolate and gobbled it up.
fraction
I arrived a fraction of a moment too late. The bus was just leaving.
fragment
Fragments of the wrecked aircraft were found all over the field.
morsel
“Kind sir, please spare me a morsel of food,” begged Oliver.
part
A part of me wanted to stay and yet I was also desperate to leave.
piece
Marina cut the cake into pieces and took the largest one for herself.
scrap
My dad writes reminders to himself on scraps of paper.
bite VERB
If you bite something, you use your teeth to hold, cut or tear it.
champ
The horse champed at the bit as it waited impatiently for the race to begin.
chomp
Dad says that I chomp my food like a waste-disposal unit.
gnaw
Mice had gnawed through the electric wires.
nibble
Some creature had nibbled at the chair leg.
bitter ADJECTIVE
A bitter taste is sharp and unpleasant.
sour
If you leave milk in the sun, it turns sour.
tart
The lemon cake was slightly tart.
blame VERB
If someone blames a person for something bad that has happened, they believe that person caused it to happen.
accuse
The woman was accused of kidnapping the young child.
charge
Police charged the man with being drunk and disorderly.
hold responsible
At the enquiry, the bus company was held responsible for the accident.
block (1) VERB
If someone or something blocks a road or channel, they put something across it so that nothing can get through.
bar
Access to the back road was barred by a police checkpoint.
bung up INFORMAL
I could hardly breathe, my nose was so bunged up.
choke
The traffic jam choked the road into town for many hours.
clog up
Don’t pour liquid fat down the sink as it clogs up the drains when it sets.
dam
Beavers dam streams with logs to create a pool which will not freeze solid in winter.
obstruct
Uncle Pete tried to obstruct the door as I went through, but I ducked under his arm!
block (2) VERB
If someone tries to block something, they try to stop it happening.
hinder
Our dog, Jim, hinders Mum by attacking the vacuum cleaner.
impede
The walkers’ progress was impeded by an angry goat on the path.
obstruct
The protesters were arrested for obstructing the police.
prevent
Residents prevented a nightclub from being built near their houses.
thwart
The wicked baron was thwarted in his evil plans by a quick-thinking boy.
block (3) NOUN
A block is something put across a road or channel so that nothing can get through.
barrier
For the parade, barriers were erected to keep the crowds back.
blockage
“There’s a blockage in the drain under the sink,” the plumber said.
obstacle
Alpa had to overcome many obstacles on his road to success.
obstruction
If you swallow chewing gum, it may cause an obstruction in your stomach.
block (4) NOUN
A block is a large, rectangular, three-dimensional piece of something.
bar
The robbers put the gold bars in the back of the getaway van.
chunk
A chunk of metal fell off the back of the truck as it left the scrap yard.
lump
With
