used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
at or in the front
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The negro placed the point of his ploughshare a few inches from the first stalk of corn, wound the line around his wrist, and clucked to his horse.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The negro placed the point of his ploughshare a few inches from the first stalk of corn, wound the line around his wrist, and clucked to his horse.
a particular environment or surrounding influence
From this reading The sun was shining brightly, but the atmosphere had dropped a dim veil over the near-by mountain.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading It was a beautiful day.
brightlyadverbUS /ˈbraɪtli/
with brightness
From this reading The sun was shining brightly, but the atmosphere had dropped a dim veil over the near-by mountain.
buryingnounUS /ˈberiɪŋ/
concealing something under the ground
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The sun was shining brightly, but the atmosphere had dropped a dim veil over the near-by mountain.
clucked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The negro placed the point of his ploughshare a few inches from the first stalk of corn, wound the line around his wrist, and clucked to his horse.
tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
crab-grass
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
curlingnounUS /ˈkɜːrlɪŋ/
a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading It was a beautiful day.
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading The sun was shining brightly, but the atmosphere had dropped a dim veil over the near-by mountain.
plural of “direction” — a line leading to a place or point
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading The sun was shining brightly, but the atmosphere had dropped a dim veil over the near-by mountain.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The negro placed the point of his ploughshare a few inches from the first stalk of corn, wound the line around his wrist, and clucked to his horse.
a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The negro placed the point of his ploughshare a few inches from the first stalk of corn, wound the line around his wrist, and clucked to his horse.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The negro placed the point of his ploughshare a few inches from the first stalk of corn, wound the line around his wrist, and clucked to his horse.
the act of giving
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The sun was shining brightly, but the atmosphere had dropped a dim veil over the near-by mountain.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The negro placed the point of his ploughshare a few inches from the first stalk of corn, wound the line around his wrist, and clucked to his horse.
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading The negro placed the point of his ploughshare a few inches from the first stalk of corn, wound the line around his wrist, and clucked to his horse.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
plural of “inch” — a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading The negro placed the point of his ploughshare a few inches from the first stalk of corn, wound the line around his wrist, and clucked to his horse.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a beautiful day.
janglingadjective
like the discordant ringing of nonmusical metallic objects striking together
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
jerkverbUS /dʒɜːrk/
pull, or move with a sudden movement
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading The negro placed the point of his ploughshare a few inches from the first stalk of corn, wound the line around his wrist, and clucked to his horse.
lungedverbUS /lʌndʒd/
past form of “lunge” — make a thrusting forward movement
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
most important element
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
mellowadjectiveUS /ˈmeloʊ/
unhurried and relaxed
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading The sun was shining brightly, but the atmosphere had dropped a dim veil over the near-by mountain.
near-by
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun was shining brightly, but the atmosphere had dropped a dim veil over the near-by mountain.
negronounUS /ˈniːɡroʊ/
a person with African ancestry, "Negro" and "Negroid" are archaic and pejorative today
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
onwardadverbUS /ˈɔːnwərd/
forward in time or order or degree
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The sun was shining brightly, but the atmosphere had dropped a dim veil over the near-by mountain.
parallelnounUS /ˈperəlel/
something having the property of being analogous to something else
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading The negro placed the point of his ploughshare a few inches from the first stalk of corn, wound the line around his wrist, and clucked to his horse.
ploughingnoun
tilling the land with a plow
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
ploughsharenounUS /ˈplaʊʃeɪr/
a sharp steel wedge that cuts loose the top layer of soil
From this reading The negro placed the point of his ploughshare a few inches from the first stalk of corn, wound the line around his wrist, and clucked to his horse.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading The negro placed the point of his ploughshare a few inches from the first stalk of corn, wound the line around his wrist, and clucked to his horse.
polishedadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːlɪʃt/
perfected or made shiny and smooth
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
purslanenoun
a plant of the family Portulacaceae having fleshy succulent obovate leaves often grown as a potherb or salad herb; a weed in some areas
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
one of four equal parts
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
robustadjectiveUS /roʊˈbʌst/
sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
rowsnounUS /roʊz/
plural of “row” — an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
shavingsnounUS /ˈʃeɪvɪŋz/
plural of “shaving” — the act of removing hair with a razor
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading The sun was shining brightly, but the atmosphere had dropped a dim veil over the near-by mountain.
the state of being covered with unclean things
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
spedverbUS /sped/
inflected form of “speed” — move hurridly
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
stalkverbUS /stɔːk/
walk stiffly
From this reading The negro placed the point of his ploughshare a few inches from the first stalk of corn, wound the line around his wrist, and clucked to his horse.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
succulentnounUS /ˈsʌkjəlɪnt/
a plant adapted to arid conditions and characterized by fleshy water-storing tissues that act as water reservoirs
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The sun was shining brightly, but the atmosphere had dropped a dim veil over the near-by mountain.
tenaciousadjectiveUS /təˈneɪʃəs/
good at remembering
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
trace-chains
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
uprootingverbUS /əˈpruːtɪŋ/
-ing form of “uproot” — move (people) forcibly from their homeland into a new and foreign environment
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
a garment that covers the head and face
From this reading The sun was shining brightly, but the atmosphere had dropped a dim veil over the near-by mountain.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
which person or people
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With a jangling jerk of the trace-chains the animal lunged ahead: the polished ploughshare cut into the mellow soil and sped onward, curling the gray earth like shavings, and uprooting and burying the tenacious crab-grass and succulent purslane.
an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)
From this reading The negro placed the point of his ploughshare a few inches from the first stalk of corn, wound the line around his wrist, and clucked to his horse.
wristnounUS /rɪst/
a joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones
From this reading The negro placed the point of his ploughshare a few inches from the first stalk of corn, wound the line around his wrist, and clucked to his horse.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading HE young man stood in the field road giving directions to a robust negro who was ploughing the corn, which, in parallel rows, stretched on to the main road a quarter of a mile distant.
