used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The cradle passed a village which had been built on an eminence and had consequently escaped.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Two daring boys ventured to stand as near the water's edge as possible, in order to see things a little better.
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
English botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1743-1820)
From this reading By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
beamsnounUS /biːmz/
plural of “beam” — a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading Two daring boys ventured to stand as near the water's edge as possible, in order to see things a little better.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading Two daring boys ventured to stand as near the water's edge as possible, in order to see things a little better.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading The cradle passed a village which had been built on an eminence and had consequently escaped.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
collapsedverbUS /kəˈlæpst/
past form of “collapse” — break down, literally or metaphorically
From this reading By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
consequentlyadverbUS /ˈkɑːnsəkwəntli/
(sentence connectors) because of the reason given
From this reading The cradle passed a village which had been built on an eminence and had consequently escaped.
cradlenounUS /ˈkreɪdəl/
a baby bed with sides and rockers
From this reading By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
damagenounUS /ˈdæmədʒ/
the occurrence of a change for the worse
From this reading By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
daringnounUS /ˈderɪŋ/
a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy
From this reading Two daring boys ventured to stand as near the water's edge as possible, in order to see things a little better.
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
driftedverbUS /ˈdrɪftəd/
past form of “drift” — be in motion due to some air or water current
From this reading By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading Two daring boys ventured to stand as near the water's edge as possible, in order to see things a little better.
eminencenounUS /ˈemənəns/
high status importance owing to marked superiority
From this reading The cradle passed a village which had been built on an eminence and had consequently escaped.
constituting the full quantity or extent; complete
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading The cradle passed a village which had been built on an eminence and had consequently escaped.
divisible by two
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
steadfast in affection or allegiance
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
inflected form of “flee” — run away quickly
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
floatingadjectiveUS /ˈfloʊtɪŋ/
borne up by or suspended in a liquid
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
floodnounUS /flʌd/
the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto normally dry land
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
brought together in one place
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
plural of “good” — benefit
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
a social unit living together
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Two daring boys ventured to stand as near the water's edge as possible, in order to see things a little better.
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 By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
and nothing more
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading Two daring boys ventured to stand as near the water's edge as possible, in order to see things a little better.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading The cradle passed a village which had been built on an eminence and had consequently escaped.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading Two daring boys ventured to stand as near the water's edge as possible, in order to see things a little better.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
cut with a saw
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Two daring boys ventured to stand as near the water's edge as possible, in order to see things a little better.
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
for a short time
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
be standing; be upright
From this reading Two daring boys ventured to stand as near the water's edge as possible, in order to see things a little better.
having a supporting base
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
SwiftsnounUS /swɪfts/
plural of “swift” — United States meat-packer who began the use of refrigerated railroad cars (1839-1903)
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Two daring boys ventured to stand as near the water's edge as possible, in order to see things a little better.
thudverbUS /θʌd/
make a dull sound
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Two daring boys ventured to stand as near the water's edge as possible, in order to see things a little better.
the main stem of a tree; usually covered with bark; the bole is usually the part that is commercially useful for lumber
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Two daring boys ventured to stand as near the water's edge as possible, in order to see things a little better.
of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
past form of “venture” — proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
From this reading Two daring boys ventured to stand as near the water's edge as possible, in order to see things a little better.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading The cradle passed a village which had been built on an eminence and had consequently escaped.
villagersnounUS /ˈvɪlɪdʒərz/
plural of “villager” — one who has lived in a village most of their life
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
plural of “wall” — 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 THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
water'snounUS /ˈwɔːtərz/
possessive form of “water” — binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading Two daring boys ventured to stand as near the water's edge as possible, in order to see things a little better.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
which person or people
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE FAITHFUL DOG Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained standing.
shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)
From this reading By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage had been wrought.
distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)
From this reading The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.
