used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a lovely spring morning.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
(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 The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the first cottages they passed, the women were beginning their day’s work, sweeping clean their floors and door-steps.
beadyadjectiveUS /ˈbiːdi/
small and round and shiny like a shiny bead or button
From this reading Every sort of gem sparkled on their feathery or beady tops, and their long slender blades.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading At the first cottages they passed, the women were beginning their day’s work, sweeping clean their floors and door-steps.
bladesnounUS /bleɪdz/
plural of “blade” — especially a leaf of grass or the broad portion of a leaf as distinct from the petiole
From this reading Every sort of gem sparkled on their feathery or beady tops, and their long slender blades.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits
From this reading At the first cottages they passed, the women were beginning their day’s work, sweeping clean their floors and door-steps.
cottagesnounUS /ˈkɑːtɪdʒɪz/
plural of “cottage” — a small house with a single story
From this reading At the first cottages they passed, the women were beginning their day’s work, sweeping clean their floors and door-steps.
day'snounUS /deɪz/
possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading At the first cottages they passed, the women were beginning their day’s work, sweeping clean their floors and door-steps.
plural of “degree” — a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
dewnounUS /duː/
water that has condensed on a cool surface overnight from water vapor in the air
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
door-steps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the first cottages they passed, the women were beginning their day’s work, sweeping clean their floors and door-steps.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Every sort of gem sparkled on their feathery or beady tops, and their long slender blades.
featheryadjectiveUS /ˈfeðəri/
resembling or suggesting a feather or feathers
From this reading Every sort of gem sparkled on their feathery or beady tops, and their long slender blades.
FIRSTadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading THEIR FIRST HELPER.
floorsnounUS /flɔːrz/
plural of “floor” — the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading At the first cottages they passed, the women were beginning their day’s work, sweeping clean their floors and door-steps.
gemnounUS /dʒem/
art highly prized for its beauty or perfection
From this reading Every sort of gem sparkled on their feathery or beady tops, and their long slender blades.
gem-plants
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
grassesnounUS /ˈɡræsəz/
plural of “grass” — narrow-leaved green herbage: grown as lawns; used as pasture for grazing animals; cut and dried as hay
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
HELPERnounUS /ˈhelpər/
a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
From this reading THEIR FIRST HELPER.
the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a lovely spring morning.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
liquidadjectiveUS /ˈlɪkwəd/
existing as or having characteristics of a liquid; especially tending to flow
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
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 Every sort of gem sparkled on their feathery or beady tops, and their long slender blades.
appealing to the emotions as well as the eye
From this reading It was a lovely spring morning.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading It was a lovely spring morning.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Every sort of gem sparkled on their feathery or beady tops, and their long slender blades.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading At the first cottages they passed, the women were beginning their day’s work, sweeping clean their floors and door-steps.
radiancenounUS /ˈreɪdiːəns/
the amount of electromagnetic radiation leaving or arriving at a point on a surface
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
roadsidenounUS /ˈroʊdsaɪd/
edge of a way or road or path
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading Every sort of gem sparkled on their feathery or beady tops, and their long slender blades.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading Every sort of gem sparkled on their feathery or beady tops, and their long slender blades.
sparkledverbUS /ˈspɑːrkəld/
past form of “sparkle” — reflect brightly
From this reading Every sort of gem sparkled on their feathery or beady tops, and their long slender blades.
the season of growth
From this reading It was a lovely spring morning.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
sweepingadjectiveUS /ˈswiːpɪŋ/
taking in or moving over (or as if over) a wide area; often used in combination
From this reading At the first cottages they passed, the women were beginning their day’s work, sweeping clean their floors and door-steps.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading THEIR FIRST HELPER.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At the first cottages they passed, the women were beginning their day’s work, sweeping clean their floors and door-steps.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
topsadjectiveUS /tɑːps/
of the highest quality
From this reading Every sort of gem sparkled on their feathery or beady tops, and their long slender blades.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a lovely spring morning.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading At the first cottages they passed, the women were beginning their day’s work, sweeping clean their floors and door-steps.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading At the first cottages they passed, the women were beginning their day’s work, sweeping clean their floors and door-steps.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading At the first cottages they passed, the women were beginning their day’s work, sweeping clean their floors and door-steps.
but in spite of that
From this reading The sun was about thirty degrees above the horizon, shining with a liquid radiance, as if he had already drawn up and was shining through the dew of the morning, though it lay yet on all the grasses by the roadside, turning them into gem-plants.
