used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A gaunt, graceless place, this cemetery, a place where the insignificant dead lived only in the few notches of a mason’s chisel upon stone.
acresnounUS /ˈeɪkərz/
extensive landed property (especially in the country) retained by the owner for his own use
From this reading A high yellow brick wall encompassed its many acres.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading On either side of the main walk a row of sickly aspens lifted their slender branches against a hueless sky.
aspensnounUS /ˈæspənz/
plural of “aspen” — any of several trees of the genus Populus having leaves on flattened stalks so that they flutter in the lightest wind
From this reading On either side of the main walk a row of sickly aspens lifted their slender branches against a hueless sky.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
English botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1743-1820)
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading On either side of the main walk a row of sickly aspens lifted their slender branches against a hueless sky.
bricknounUS /brɪk/
rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading A high yellow brick wall encompassed its many acres.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading Immediately within the iron gates stood a tin chapel, a building that might have stood for the Temple of Ugliness, the deity of commercialized towns.
cemeterynounUS /ˈseməteri/
a tract of land used for burials
From this reading A gaunt, graceless place, this cemetery, a place where the insignificant dead lived only in the few notches of a mason’s chisel upon stone.
chapelnounUS /ˈtʃæpəl/
a place of worship that has its own altar
From this reading Immediately within the iron gates stood a tin chapel, a building that might have stood for the Temple of Ugliness, the deity of commercialized towns.
children's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
chiselnounUS /ˈtʃɪzəl/
an edge tool with a flat steel blade with a cutting edge
From this reading A gaunt, graceless place, this cemetery, a place where the insignificant dead lived only in the few notches of a mason’s chisel upon stone.
commercializedadjectiveUS /kəˈmɜːrʃəlaɪzd/
organized principally for financial gain
From this reading Immediately within the iron gates stood a tin chapel, a building that might have stood for the Temple of Ugliness, the deity of commercialized towns.
damnedadjectiveUS /dæmd/
expletives used informally as intensifiers
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading A gaunt, graceless place, this cemetery, a place where the insignificant dead lived only in the few notches of a mason’s chisel upon stone.
deitynounUS /ˈdiːəti/
any supernatural being worshipped as controlling some part of the world or some aspect of life or who is the personification of a force
From this reading Immediately within the iron gates stood a tin chapel, a building that might have stood for the Temple of Ugliness, the deity of commercialized towns.
one or the other of two
From this reading On either side of the main walk a row of sickly aspens lifted their slender branches against a hueless sky.
encompassedverbUS /enˈkʌmpəst/
past form of “encompass” — include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory
From this reading A high yellow brick wall encompassed its many acres.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading A gaunt, graceless place, this cemetery, a place where the insignificant dead lived only in the few notches of a mason’s chisel upon stone.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Immediately within the iron gates stood a tin chapel, a building that might have stood for the Temple of Ugliness, the deity of commercialized towns.
United States computer entrepreneur whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of the United States (born in 1955)
From this reading Immediately within the iron gates stood a tin chapel, a building that might have stood for the Temple of Ugliness, the deity of commercialized towns.
gauntadjectiveUS /ɡɔːnt/
very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
From this reading A gaunt, graceless place, this cemetery, a place where the insignificant dead lived only in the few notches of a mason’s chisel upon stone.
gracelessadjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪsləs/
lacking graciousness
From this reading A gaunt, graceless place, this cemetery, a place where the insignificant dead lived only in the few notches of a mason’s chisel upon stone.
gravesnounUS /ɡreɪvz/
English writer known for his interest in mythology and in the classics (1895-1985)
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Immediately within the iron gates stood a tin chapel, a building that might have stood for the Temple of Ugliness, the deity of commercialized towns.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading A high yellow brick wall encompassed its many acres.
hill-side
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
huelessadjective
of something totally lacking in saturation and therefore having no hue
From this reading On either side of the main walk a row of sickly aspens lifted their slender branches against a hueless sky.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Immediately within the iron gates stood a tin chapel, a building that might have stood for the Temple of Ugliness, the deity of commercialized towns.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
insignificantadjectiveUS /ˌɪnsɪɡˈnjɪfɪkənt/
signifying nothing
From this reading A gaunt, graceless place, this cemetery, a place where the insignificant dead lived only in the few notches of a mason’s chisel upon stone.
a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
From this reading Immediately within the iron gates stood a tin chapel, a building that might have stood for the Temple of Ugliness, the deity of commercialized towns.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading A high yellow brick wall encompassed its many acres.
held up in the air
From this reading On either side of the main walk a row of sickly aspens lifted their slender branches against a hueless sky.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading A gaunt, graceless place, this cemetery, a place where the insignificant dead lived only in the few notches of a mason’s chisel upon stone.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
most important element
From this reading On either side of the main walk a row of sickly aspens lifted their slender branches against a hueless sky.
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 There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
mason'snounUS /ˈmeɪsənz/
possessive form of “mason” — American Revolutionary leader from Virginia whose objections led to the drafting of the Bill of Rights (1725-1792)
From this reading A gaunt, graceless place, this cemetery, a place where the insignificant dead lived only in the few notches of a mason’s chisel upon stone.
the force of workers available
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Immediately within the iron gates stood a tin chapel, a building that might have stood for the Temple of Ugliness, the deity of commercialized towns.
mythicaladjectiveUS /ˈmɪθəkəl/
based on or told of in traditional stories; lacking factual basis or historical validity
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
notchesnounUS /ˈnɑːtʃəz/
plural of “notch” — a V-shaped indentation
From this reading A gaunt, graceless place, this cemetery, a place where the insignificant dead lived only in the few notches of a mason’s chisel upon stone.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
and nothing more
From this reading A gaunt, graceless place, this cemetery, a place where the insignificant dead lived only in the few notches of a mason’s chisel upon stone.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading A gaunt, graceless place, this cemetery, a place where the insignificant dead lived only in the few notches of a mason’s chisel upon stone.
rangedverbUS /reɪndʒd/
past form of “range” — change or be different within limits
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line
From this reading On either side of the main walk a row of sickly aspens lifted their slender branches against a hueless sky.
sicklyadjectiveUS /ˈsɪkli/
unhealthy looking
From this reading On either side of the main walk a row of sickly aspens lifted their slender branches against a hueless sky.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading On either side of the main walk a row of sickly aspens lifted their slender branches against a hueless sky.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading On either side of the main walk a row of sickly aspens lifted their slender branches against a hueless sky.
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading On either side of the main walk a row of sickly aspens lifted their slender branches against a hueless sky.
an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading A gaunt, graceless place, this cemetery, a place where the insignificant dead lived only in the few notches of a mason’s chisel upon stone.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Immediately within the iron gates stood a tin chapel, a building that might have stood for the Temple of Ugliness, the deity of commercialized towns.
place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
From this reading Immediately within the iron gates stood a tin chapel, a building that might have stood for the Temple of Ugliness, the deity of commercialized towns.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Immediately within the iron gates stood a tin chapel, a building that might have stood for the Temple of Ugliness, the deity of commercialized towns.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading A gaunt, graceless place, this cemetery, a place where the insignificant dead lived only in the few notches of a mason’s chisel upon stone.
tinnounUS /tɪn/
a silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxide
From this reading Immediately within the iron gates stood a tin chapel, a building that might have stood for the Temple of Ugliness, the deity of commercialized towns.
townsnounUS /taʊnz/
plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Immediately within the iron gates stood a tin chapel, a building that might have stood for the Temple of Ugliness, the deity of commercialized towns.
turfnounUS /tɜːrf/
surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
UglinessnounUS /ˈʌɡlinəs/
qualities of appearance that do not give pleasure to the senses
From this reading Immediately within the iron gates stood a tin chapel, a building that might have stood for the Temple of Ugliness, the deity of commercialized towns.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading A gaunt, graceless place, this cemetery, a place where the insignificant dead lived only in the few notches of a mason’s chisel upon stone.
wailedverbUS /weɪld/
past form of “wail” — emit long loud cries
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading On either side of the main walk a row of sickly aspens lifted their slender branches against a hueless sky.
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 A high yellow brick wall encompassed its many acres.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
in or at the place that
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
which person or people
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
WiltonnounUS /ˈwɪltən/
a carpet woven on a Jacquard loom with loops like a Brussels carpet but having the loops cut to form a close velvety pile
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading There were many men in Wilton who had looked at their children’s graves, little banks of green turf ranged on the hill-side where the winds wailed in winter like the mythical spirits of the damned.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading Immediately within the iron gates stood a tin chapel, a building that might have stood for the Temple of Ugliness, the deity of commercialized towns.
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading A high yellow brick wall encompassed its many acres.
