used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She watched a blue flame curl over the edge of an unburned coal and die down again.
to or in a foreign country
From this reading A few years before in Oxford, where she had stayed a month during her one trip abroad, she had longed for just such a life.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
afternoonsnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːnz/
plural of “afternoon” — the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
anew
From this reading She watched a blue flame curl over the edge of an unburned coal and die down again.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She watched a blue flame curl over the edge of an unburned coal and die down again.
anchorites
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For her the oak stairways up from the cloisters led to anchorites' cells where men worked through endless, still, summer days.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She watched a blue flame curl over the edge of an unburned coal and die down again.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading A few years before in Oxford, where she had stayed a month during her one trip abroad, she had longed for just such a life.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading She watched a blue flame curl over the edge of an unburned coal and die down again.
cellsnounUS /selz/
plural of “cell” — any small compartment
From this reading For her the oak stairways up from the cloisters led to anchorites' cells where men worked through endless, still, summer days.
past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
cloistersnounUS /ˈklɔɪstərz/
plural of “cloister” — residence that is a place of religious seclusion (such as a monastery)
From this reading For her the oak stairways up from the cloisters led to anchorites' cells where men worked through endless, still, summer days.
clungverbUS /klʌŋ/
inflected form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
coalnounUS /koʊl/
fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading She watched a blue flame curl over the edge of an unburned coal and die down again.
copingnounUS /ˈkoʊpɪŋ/
brick that is laid sideways at the top of a wall
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
curlverbUS /kɜːrl/
form a curl, curve, or kink
From this reading She watched a blue flame curl over the edge of an unburned coal and die down again.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading For her the oak stairways up from the cloisters led to anchorites' cells where men worked through endless, still, summer days.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
From this reading She well understood this desire and had even felt it herself.
pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading She watched a blue flame curl over the edge of an unburned coal and die down again.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading She watched a blue flame curl over the edge of an unburned coal and die down again.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading A few years before in Oxford, where she had stayed a month during her one trip abroad, she had longed for just such a life.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading She watched a blue flame curl over the edge of an unburned coal and die down again.
endlessadjectiveUS /ˈendləs/
tiresomely long; seemingly without end
From this reading For her the oak stairways up from the cloisters led to anchorites' cells where men worked through endless, still, summer days.
divisible by two
From this reading She well understood this desire and had even felt it herself.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading She well understood this desire and had even felt it herself.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading A few years before in Oxford, where she had stayed a month during her one trip abroad, she had longed for just such a life.
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading She watched a blue flame curl over the edge of an unburned coal and die down again.
floweringnounUS /ˈflaʊərɪŋ/
the time and process of budding and unfolding of blossoms
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A few years before in Oxford, where she had stayed a month during her one trip abroad, she had longed for just such a life.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading For her the oak stairways up from the cloisters led to anchorites' cells where men worked through endless, still, summer days.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She well understood this desire and had even felt it herself.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading A few years before in Oxford, where she had stayed a month during her one trip abroad, she had longed for just such a life.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She well understood this desire and had even felt it herself.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A few years before in Oxford, where she had stayed a month during her one trip abroad, she had longed for just such a life.
inscriptionsnounUS /ˌɪnˈskrɪpʃənz/
plural of “inscription” — letters inscribed (especially words engraved or carved) on something
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She well understood this desire and had even felt it herself.
and nothing more
From this reading A few years before in Oxford, where she had stayed a month during her one trip abroad, she had longed for just such a life.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading For her the oak stairways up from the cloisters led to anchorites' cells where men worked through endless, still, summer days.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading A few years before in Oxford, where she had stayed a month during her one trip abroad, she had longed for just such a life.
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 She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
longedverbUS /lɔːŋd/
past form of “long” — desire strongly or persistently
From this reading A few years before in Oxford, where she had stayed a month during her one trip abroad, she had longed for just such a life.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
the force of workers available
From this reading For her the oak stairways up from the cloisters led to anchorites' cells where men worked through endless, still, summer days.
one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading A few years before in Oxford, where she had stayed a month during her one trip abroad, she had longed for just such a life.
the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring
From this reading For her the oak stairways up from the cloisters led to anchorites' cells where men worked through endless, still, summer days.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She watched a blue flame curl over the edge of an unburned coal and die down again.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading A few years before in Oxford, where she had stayed a month during her one trip abroad, she had longed for just such a life.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading She watched a blue flame curl over the edge of an unburned coal and die down again.
OxfordnounUS /ˈɑːksfərd/
a city in southern England to the northwest of London; site of Oxford University
From this reading A few years before in Oxford, where she had stayed a month during her one trip abroad, she had longed for just such a life.
quadnounUS /kwɑːd/
one of four children born at the same time from the same pregnancy
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
rosebushnounUS /ˈroʊzbʊʃ/
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She watched a blue flame curl over the edge of an unburned coal and die down again.
stairwaysnounUS /ˈsterweɪz/
plural of “stairway” — a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading For her the oak stairways up from the cloisters led to anchorites' cells where men worked through endless, still, summer days.
past form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading A few years before in Oxford, where she had stayed a month during her one trip abroad, she had longed for just such a life.
not in physical motion
From this reading For her the oak stairways up from the cloisters led to anchorites' cells where men worked through endless, still, summer days.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading A few years before in Oxford, where she had stayed a month during her one trip abroad, she had longed for just such a life.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
sunlitadjectiveUS /ˈsʌnlɪt/
lighted by sunlight
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She watched a blue flame curl over the edge of an unburned coal and die down again.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
in or at that place or location
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading She well understood this desire and had even felt it herself.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading For her the oak stairways up from the cloisters led to anchorites' cells where men worked through endless, still, summer days.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
tracerynoun
decoration consisting of an open pattern of interlacing ribs
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
a journey for some purpose (usually including the return)
From this reading A few years before in Oxford, where she had stayed a month during her one trip abroad, she had longed for just such a life.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
unburned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She watched a blue flame curl over the edge of an unburned coal and die down again.
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading She well understood this desire and had even felt it herself.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading For her the oak stairways up from the cloisters led to anchorites' cells where men worked through endless, still, summer days.
vacationnounUS /veɪˈkeɪʃən/
leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading She watched a blue flame curl over the edge of an unburned coal and die down again.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading She well understood this desire and had even felt it herself.
in or at the place that
From this reading A few years before in Oxford, where she had stayed a month during her one trip abroad, she had longed for just such a life.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
a Caucasian
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
which person or people
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading She remembered how, on one of those summer afternoons in the long vacation, she had sat on the coping of a deserted quad and looked across the tall sunlit grass to a flowering white rosebush which clung and climbed over the grey stone tracery, and then had turned back to the worn inscriptions on the wall behind her in memory of those who had worked there many years before.
a late time of life
From this reading A few years before in Oxford, where she had stayed a month during her one trip abroad, she had longed for just such a life.
