used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading To one with the instincts of Clare’s birth and breeding, he did not look a desirable acquaintance.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading The boys went along the fence till they came to the forge, where, looking in, they saw the blacksmith working his bellows.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE BLACKSMITH AND HIS FORGE.
antecedentsnounUS /ˌæntɪˈsiːdənts/
plural of “antecedent” — someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
bellowsnounUS /ˈbeloʊz/
(used in the plural) a mechanical device that blows a strong current of air; used to make a fire burn more fiercely or to sound a musical instrument
From this reading The boys went along the fence till they came to the forge, where, looking in, they saw the blacksmith working his bellows.
the time when something begins (especially life)
From this reading To one with the instincts of Clare’s birth and breeding, he did not look a desirable acquaintance.
BLACKSMITHnounUS /ˈblæksmɪθ/
a smith who forges and shapes iron with a hammer and anvil
From this reading THE BLACKSMITH AND HIS FORGE.
boardedverbUS /ˈbɔːrdəd/
past form of “board” — get on board of (trains, buses, ships, aircraft, etc.)
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
boded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Tommy was less fastidious, but he felt that the scowl on the man’s brows boded little friendliness.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading The boys went along the fence till they came to the forge, where, looking in, they saw the blacksmith working his bellows.
breedingnounUS /ˈbriːdɪŋ/
elegance by virtue of fineness of manner and expression
From this reading To one with the instincts of Clare’s birth and breeding, he did not look a desirable acquaintance.
browsnounUS /braʊz/
plural of “brow” — the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading Tommy was less fastidious, but he felt that the scowl on the man’s brows boded little friendliness.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Tommy was less fastidious, but he felt that the scowl on the man’s brows boded little friendliness.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
Clare's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To one with the instincts of Clare’s birth and breeding, he did not look a desirable acquaintance.
contactnounUS /ˈkɑːntækt/
close interaction
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
desirableadjectiveUS /dɪˈzaɪrəbəl/
worth having or seeking or achieving
From this reading To one with the instincts of Clare’s birth and breeding, he did not look a desirable acquaintance.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
fastidiousadjectiveUS /fæˈstɪdiəs/
giving careful attention to detail; hard to please; excessively concerned with cleanliness
From this reading Tommy was less fastidious, but he felt that the scowl on the man’s brows boded little friendliness.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Tommy was less fastidious, but he felt that the scowl on the man’s brows boded little friendliness.
enclose with a fence
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
FORGEverbUS /fɔːrdʒ/
create by hammering
From this reading THE BLACKSMITH AND HIS FORGE.
forsakenverbUS /fɔːrˈseɪkən/
inflected form of “forsake” — leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
friendlinessnounUS /ˈfrendlinɪs/
a feeling of liking for another person; enjoyment in their company
From this reading Tommy was less fastidious, but he felt that the scowl on the man’s brows boded little friendliness.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading To one with the instincts of Clare’s birth and breeding, he did not look a desirable acquaintance.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE BLACKSMITH AND HIS FORGE.
hovelnounUS /ˈhʌvəl/
small crude shelter used as a dwelling
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
instinctsnounUS /ˈɪnstɪŋkts/
plural of “instinct” — inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli
From this reading To one with the instincts of Clare’s birth and breeding, he did not look a desirable acquaintance.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
jobsnounUS /dʒɑːbz/
plural of “job” — the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Tommy was less fastidious, but he felt that the scowl on the man’s brows boded little friendliness.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Tommy was less fastidious, but he felt that the scowl on the man’s brows boded little friendliness.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading To one with the instincts of Clare’s birth and breeding, he did not look a desirable acquaintance.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading The boys went along the fence till they came to the forge, where, looking in, they saw the blacksmith working his bellows.
man'snounUS /mænz/
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Tommy was less fastidious, but he felt that the scowl on the man’s brows boded little friendliness.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading To one with the instincts of Clare’s birth and breeding, he did not look a desirable acquaintance.
not divisible by two
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Tommy was less fastidious, but he felt that the scowl on the man’s brows boded little friendliness.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading To one with the instincts of Clare’s birth and breeding, he did not look a desirable acquaintance.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
the act of having and controlling property
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
the act of physically reaching or thrusting out
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
cut with a saw
From this reading The boys went along the fence till they came to the forge, where, looking in, they saw the blacksmith working his bellows.
scowlnounUS /skaʊl/
a facial expression of dislike or displeasure
From this reading Tommy was less fastidious, but he felt that the scowl on the man’s brows boded little friendliness.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Tommy was less fastidious, but he felt that the scowl on the man’s brows boded little friendliness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE BLACKSMITH AND HIS FORGE.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The boys went along the fence till they came to the forge, where, looking in, they saw the blacksmith working his bellows.
up to a particular time
From this reading The boys went along the fence till they came to the forge, where, looking in, they saw the blacksmith working his bellows.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
Tommy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Tommy was less fastidious, but he felt that the scowl on the man’s brows boded little friendliness.
not known
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
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 At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The boys went along the fence till they came to the forge, where, looking in, they saw the blacksmith working his bellows.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
in or at the place that
From this reading The boys went along the fence till they came to the forge, where, looking in, they saw the blacksmith working his bellows.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
in the company of; together with
From this reading At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading The boys went along the fence till they came to the forge, where, looking in, they saw the blacksmith working his bellows.
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 At the end of the wall was a rough boarded fence, in contact with it, and reaching, some fifty yards or so, to a hovel in which a blacksmith, of unknown antecedents, had taken possession of a forsaken forge, and did what odd jobs came in his way.
