used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading In climbing the tree, after setting Walter Skinner's horse loose, Humphrey had noticed a hollow in one of the lower branches.
(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 No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading But, although he was once very near the concealed horses and hound, he found nothing to reward him.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The return to the little vale was even more tiresome than the journey from it had been.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading In climbing the tree, after setting Walter Skinner's horse loose, Humphrey had noticed a hollow in one of the lower branches.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But, although he was once very near the concealed horses and hound, he found nothing to reward him.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
catchingnounUS /ˈkætʃɪŋ/
(baseball) playing the position of catcher on a baseball team
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
climbingnounUS /ˈklaɪmɪŋ/
an event that involves rising to a higher point (as in altitude or temperature or intensity etc.)
From this reading In climbing the tree, after setting Walter Skinner's horse loose, Humphrey had noticed a hollow in one of the lower branches.
not accessible to view
From this reading But, although he was once very near the concealed horses and hound, he found nothing to reward him.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
dusknounUS /dʌsk/
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
divisible by two
From this reading The return to the little vale was even more tiresome than the journey from it had been.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
set up or found
From this reading But, although he was once very near the concealed horses and hound, he found nothing to reward him.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The return to the little vale was even more tiresome than the journey from it had been.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The return to the little vale was even more tiresome than the journey from it had been.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But, although he was once very near the concealed horses and hound, he found nothing to reward him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
not solid; having a space or gap or cavity
From this reading In climbing the tree, after setting Walter Skinner's horse loose, Humphrey had noticed a hollow in one of the lower branches.
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading In climbing the tree, after setting Walter Skinner's horse loose, Humphrey had noticed a hollow in one of the lower branches.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading But, although he was once very near the concealed horses and hound, he found nothing to reward him.
houndnounUS /haʊnd/
any of several breeds of dog used for hunting typically having large drooping ears
From this reading But, although he was once very near the concealed horses and hound, he found nothing to reward him.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
HugonounUS /ˈhjuːɡoʊ/
French poet and novelist and dramatist; leader of the romantic movement in France (1802-1885)
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
Humphrey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The return to the little vale was even more tiresome than the journey from it had been.
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading The return to the little vale was even more tiresome than the journey from it had been.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The return to the little vale was even more tiresome than the journey from it had been.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading In climbing the tree, after setting Walter Skinner's horse loose, Humphrey had noticed a hollow in one of the lower branches.
move something or somebody to a lower position
From this reading In climbing the tree, after setting Walter Skinner's horse loose, Humphrey had noticed a hollow in one of the lower branches.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The return to the little vale was even more tiresome than the journey from it had been.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading But, although he was once very near the concealed horses and hound, he found nothing to reward him.
not any; not one
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading But, although he was once very near the concealed horses and hound, he found nothing to reward him.
being perceived or observed
From this reading In climbing the tree, after setting Walter Skinner's horse loose, Humphrey had noticed a hollow in one of the lower branches.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
oaknounUS /oʊk/
the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
on one occasion
From this reading But, although he was once very near the concealed horses and hound, he found nothing to reward him.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading In climbing the tree, after setting Walter Skinner's horse loose, Humphrey had noticed a hollow in one of the lower branches.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
a person who is being chased
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
past form of “push” — move with force
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading The return to the little vale was even more tiresome than the journey from it had been.
a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
From this reading But, although he was once very near the concealed horses and hound, he found nothing to reward him.
rootnounUS /ruːt/
(botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading In climbing the tree, after setting Walter Skinner's horse loose, Humphrey had noticed a hollow in one of the lower branches.
shineverbUS /ʃaɪn/
be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
Skinner'snounUS /ˈskɪnərz/
possessive form of “skinner” — United States actor (1858-1942)
From this reading In climbing the tree, after setting Walter Skinner's horse loose, Humphrey had noticed a hollow in one of the lower branches.
sorelyadverbUS /ˈsɔːrli/
to a great degree
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
spyverbUS /spaɪ/
catch sight of
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
past form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
stragglingadjective
spreading out in different directions or distributed irregularly
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
stumblingverbUS /ˈstʌmbəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “stumble” — walk unsteadily
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The return to the little vale was even more tiresome than the journey from it had been.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
up to a particular time
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
tiresomeadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərsəm/
so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
From this reading The return to the little vale was even more tiresome than the journey from it had been.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But, although he was once very near the concealed horses and hound, he found nothing to reward him.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
underbrushnounUS /ˈʌndərbrʌʃ/
the brush (small trees and bushes and ferns etc.) growing beneath taller trees in a wood or forest
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
valenounUS /veɪl/
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading The return to the little vale was even more tiresome than the journey from it had been.
precisely as stated
From this reading But, although he was once very near the concealed horses and hound, he found nothing to reward him.
vinenounUS /vaɪn/
a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading In climbing the tree, after setting Walter Skinner's horse loose, Humphrey had noticed a hollow in one of the lower branches.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But, although he was once very near the concealed horses and hound, he found nothing to reward him.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
at the time that
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Till the set of sun and the dusk of the evening the spy pursued the search, now stumbling over a tree root, now catching his foot in a straggling vine, and every now and then sorely struck in the face by the underbrush through which he pushed his way.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading No moon would shine for an hour, and it was quite dark when he once more reached the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey had stayed all day, but from which they had a few moments before descended.
