used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “I do perceive here a divided duty.”
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading It was early in December, a showery, blustry afternoon; but I was sitting out of doors in the hay.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
attitudesnounUS /ˈætətuːdz/
plural of “attitude” — a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
next to; at the side of
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
blustry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was early in December, a showery, blustry afternoon; but I was sitting out of doors in the hay.
bristlingverbUS /ˈbrɪsəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “bristle” — be in a state of movement or action
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
burrowed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was early in December, a showery, blustry afternoon; but I was sitting out of doors in the hay.
providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
corduroysnoun
cotton trousers made of corduroy cloth
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
the activity of selecting the scenes to be shown and putting them together to create a film
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
DecembernounUS /dɪˈsembər/
the last (12th) month of the year
From this reading It was early in December, a showery, blustry afternoon; but I was sitting out of doors in the hay.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
separated into parts or pieces
From this reading “I do perceive here a divided duty.”
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “I do perceive here a divided duty.”
plural of “dog” — 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 dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading It was early in December, a showery, blustry afternoon; but I was sitting out of doors in the hay.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading “I do perceive here a divided duty.”
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading It was early in December, a showery, blustry afternoon; but I was sitting out of doors in the hay.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
FERRETINGverbUS /ˈferətɪŋ/
-ing form of “ferret” — hound or harry relentlessly
From this reading FERRETING.
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
foundationsnounUS /faʊnˈdeɪʃənz/
plural of “foundation” — the basis on which something is grounded
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
gablenounUS /ˈɡeɪbəl/
the vertical triangular wall between the sloping ends of gable roof
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
gaiters
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
haggardadjectiveUS /ˈhæɡərd/
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
haynounUS /heɪ/
grass mowed and cured for use as fodder
From this reading It was early in December, a showery, blustry afternoon; but I was sitting out of doors in the hay.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “I do perceive here a divided duty.”
an opening into or through something
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I do perceive here a divided duty.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was early in December, a showery, blustry afternoon; but I was sitting out of doors in the hay.
intensest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was early in December, a showery, blustry afternoon; but I was sitting out of doors in the hay.
staying power
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
the force of workers available
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
a particular point in time
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
newlyadverbUS /ˈnuːli/
very recently
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was early in December, a showery, blustry afternoon; but I was sitting out of doors in the hay.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading It was early in December, a showery, blustry afternoon; but I was sitting out of doors in the hay.
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
perceiveverbUS /pərˈsiːv/
to become aware of through the senses
From this reading “I do perceive here a divided duty.”
protrudingadjectiveUS /proʊˈtruːdɪŋ/
extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
ricknounUS /rɪk/
a painful muscle spasm especially in the neck or back (“rick” and “wrick” are British)
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
shornadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrn/
having the hair or wool cut or clipped off as if with shears or clippers
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
showeryadjective
(of weather) wet by periods of rain
From this reading It was early in December, a showery, blustry afternoon; but I was sitting out of doors in the hay.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading It was early in December, a showery, blustry afternoon; but I was sitting out of doors in the hay.
slicenounUS /slaɪs/
a share of something
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
having a supporting base
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was early in December, a showery, blustry afternoon; but I was sitting out of doors in the hay.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
toweredverbUS /ˈtaʊərd/
past form of “tower” — appear very large or occupy a commanding position
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
trussesnounUS /ˈtrʌsɪz/
plural of “truss” — (medicine) a bandage consisting of a pad and belt; worn to hold a hernia in place by pressure
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
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 men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was early in December, a showery, blustry afternoon; but I was sitting out of doors in the hay.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The dogs were standing beside me in different attitudes of intensest attention, their eyes fixed, like mine, upon a hole in the foundations of the rick, from which at this moment a pair of legs in corduroys and gaiters were protruding.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The men had been cutting away the great rick in the haggard; they had taken a slice off it, down almost to the ground, and I had burrowed myself a comfortable bed among the soft trusses, with my back against the bristling, newly shorn wall of hay that towered above me like a gable.
