used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They had come upon a large low adobe house on a plateau, looking down over a shelving table-land upon the ocean, a mile below.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “It’s about eighty years old,” said Rollins, “which is antique in this country.
quickly and without warning
From this reading The forest had ended abruptly.
adobenounUS /əˈdoʊbi/
the clay from which adobe bricks are made
From this reading They had come upon a large low adobe house on a plateau, looking down over a shelving table-land upon the ocean, a mile below.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading It belonged to one of the grandees of the old time, and Miss Belmont bought it shortly after her father’s death.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It belonged to one of the grandees of the old time, and Miss Belmont bought it shortly after her father’s death.
antiqueadjectiveUS /ænˈtiːk/
made in or typical of earlier times and valued for its age
From this reading “It’s about eighty years old,” said Rollins, “which is antique in this country.
BelmontnounUS /ˈbelmɑːnt/
a racetrack for thoroughbred racing in Elmont on Long Island; site of the Belmont Stakes
From this reading It belonged to one of the grandees of the old time, and Miss Belmont bought it shortly after her father’s death.
past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading It belonged to one of the grandees of the old time, and Miss Belmont bought it shortly after her father’s death.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading They had come upon a large low adobe house on a plateau, looking down over a shelving table-land upon the ocean, a mile below.
inflected form of “buy” — obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction
From this reading It belonged to one of the grandees of the old time, and Miss Belmont bought it shortly after her father’s death.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She has several houses, but this is her favorite.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading They had come upon a large low adobe house on a plateau, looking down over a shelving table-land upon the ocean, a mile below.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading “It’s about eighty years old,” said Rollins, “which is antique in this country.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading It belonged to one of the grandees of the old time, and Miss Belmont bought it shortly after her father’s death.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading They had come upon a large low adobe house on a plateau, looking down over a shelving table-land upon the ocean, a mile below.
eightyadjectiveUS /ˈeɪti/
being ten more than seventy
From this reading “It’s about eighty years old,” said Rollins, “which is antique in this country.
endedadjectiveUS /ˈendəd/
having come or been brought to a conclusion
From this reading The forest had ended abruptly.
father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading It belonged to one of the grandees of the old time, and Miss Belmont bought it shortly after her father’s death.
favoritenounUS /ˈfeɪvərɪt/
something regarded with special favor or liking
From this reading She has several houses, but this is her favorite.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading The forest had ended abruptly.
grandees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It belonged to one of the grandees of the old time, and Miss Belmont bought it shortly after her father’s death.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The forest had ended abruptly.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She has several houses, but this is her favorite.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It belonged to one of the grandees of the old time, and Miss Belmont bought it shortly after her father’s death.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading They had come upon a large low adobe house on a plateau, looking down over a shelving table-land upon the ocean, a mile below.
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading She has several houses, but this is her favorite.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “It’s about eighty years old,” said Rollins, “which is antique in this country.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “It’s about eighty years old,” said Rollins, “which is antique in this country.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It belonged to one of the grandees of the old time, and Miss Belmont bought it shortly after her father’s death.
It's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It’s about eighty years old,” said Rollins, “which is antique in this country.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading They had come upon a large low adobe house on a plateau, looking down over a shelving table-land upon the ocean, a mile below.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading They had come upon a large low adobe house on a plateau, looking down over a shelving table-land upon the ocean, a mile below.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading They had come upon a large low adobe house on a plateau, looking down over a shelving table-land upon the ocean, a mile below.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading They had come upon a large low adobe house on a plateau, looking down over a shelving table-land upon the ocean, a mile below.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading It belonged to one of the grandees of the old time, and Miss Belmont bought it shortly after her father’s death.
a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere
From this reading They had come upon a large low adobe house on a plateau, looking down over a shelving table-land upon the ocean, a mile below.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It belonged to one of the grandees of the old time, and Miss Belmont bought it shortly after her father’s death.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading “It’s about eighty years old,” said Rollins, “which is antique in this country.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They had come upon a large low adobe house on a plateau, looking down over a shelving table-land upon the ocean, a mile below.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It belonged to one of the grandees of the old time, and Miss Belmont bought it shortly after her father’s death.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading They had come upon a large low adobe house on a plateau, looking down over a shelving table-land upon the ocean, a mile below.
plateaunounUS /plæˈtoʊ/
a relatively flat highland
From this reading They had come upon a large low adobe house on a plateau, looking down over a shelving table-land upon the ocean, a mile below.
Rollins
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It’s about eighty years old,” said Rollins, “which is antique in this country.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “It’s about eighty years old,” said Rollins, “which is antique in this country.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading She has several houses, but this is her favorite.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She has several houses, but this is her favorite.
shelvingverbUS /ˈʃelvɪŋ/
-ing form of “shelve” — hold back to a later time
From this reading They had come upon a large low adobe house on a plateau, looking down over a shelving table-land upon the ocean, a mile below.
for a short time
From this reading It belonged to one of the grandees of the old time, and Miss Belmont bought it shortly after her father’s death.
table-land
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had come upon a large low adobe house on a plateau, looking down over a shelving table-land upon the ocean, a mile below.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The forest had ended abruptly.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had come upon a large low adobe house on a plateau, looking down over a shelving table-land upon the ocean, a mile below.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “It’s about eighty years old,” said Rollins, “which is antique in this country.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It belonged to one of the grandees of the old time, and Miss Belmont bought it shortly after her father’s death.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It belonged to one of the grandees of the old time, and Miss Belmont bought it shortly after her father’s death.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading They had come upon a large low adobe house on a plateau, looking down over a shelving table-land upon the ocean, a mile below.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading “It’s about eighty years old,” said Rollins, “which is antique in this country.
a late time of life
From this reading “It’s about eighty years old,” said Rollins, “which is antique in this country.
