used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading As they passed through the crowd on the hill-top, they received similar information, although many added confidently that "something would be done.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading As they passed through the crowd on the hill-top, they received similar information, although many added confidently that "something would be done.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
appallingnounUS /əˈpɔːlɪŋ/
an experience that appalls
From this reading And so far, at least, the picture from the heights was by no means appalling.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As they passed through the crowd on the hill-top, they received similar information, although many added confidently that "something would be done.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading And so far, at least, the picture from the heights was by no means appalling.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading Water mains were broken by the earthquake."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Water mains were broken by the earthquake."
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading The wind was sure to change to the west."
City'snounUS /ˈsɪtiz/
possessive form of “city” — a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
clingingverbUS /ˈklɪŋɪŋ/
-ing form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
confidentlyadverbUS /ˈkɑːnfədəntli/
with confidence; in a confident manner
From this reading As they passed through the crowd on the hill-top, they received similar information, although many added confidently that "something would be done.
crestnounUS /krest/
the top line of a hill, mountain, or wave
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading As they passed through the crowd on the hill-top, they received similar information, although many added confidently that "something would be done.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading As they passed through the crowd on the hill-top, they received similar information, although many added confidently that "something would be done.
earthquakenounUS /ˈɜːrθkweɪk/
shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along a fault plane or from volcanic activity
From this reading Water mains were broken by the earthquake."
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading And so far, at least, the picture from the heights was by no means appalling.
start firing a weapon
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
plural of “fire” — the event of something burning (often destructive)
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
past form of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
Gwynne
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
heightsnounUS /haɪts/
a high place
From this reading And so far, at least, the picture from the heights was by no means appalling.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
hill-top
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As they passed through the crowd on the hill-top, they received similar information, although many added confidently that "something would be done.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
a message received and understood
From this reading As they passed through the crowd on the hill-top, they received similar information, although many added confidently that "something would be done.
invariablyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈveriəbli/
without variation or change, in every case
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
Isabel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading And so far, at least, the picture from the heights was by no means appalling.
mainsnounUS /meɪnz/
plural of “main” — any very large body of (salt) water
From this reading Water mains were broken by the earthquake."
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 As they passed through the crowd on the hill-top, they received similar information, although many added confidently that "something would be done.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading And so far, at least, the picture from the heights was by no means appalling.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
not any; not one
From this reading And so far, at least, the picture from the heights was by no means appalling.
sporadically and infrequently
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
a human being
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading And so far, at least, the picture from the heights was by no means appalling.
possessionsnounUS /pəˈzeʃənz/
plural of “possession” — the act of having and controlling property
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading As they passed through the crowd on the hill-top, they received similar information, although many added confidently that "something would be done.
a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
Identical; not different.
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
marked by correspondence or resemblance
From this reading As they passed through the crowd on the hill-top, they received similar information, although many added confidently that "something would be done.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading And so far, at least, the picture from the heights was by no means appalling.
characterized by or preferring solitude
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading As they passed through the crowd on the hill-top, they received similar information, although many added confidently that "something would be done.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading The wind was sure to change to the west."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading As they passed through the crowd on the hill-top, they received similar information, although many added confidently that "something would be done.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As they passed through the crowd on the hill-top, they received similar information, although many added confidently that "something would be done.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading As they passed through the crowd on the hill-top, they received similar information, although many added confidently that "something would be done.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
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 Water mains were broken by the earthquake."
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading The wind was sure to change to the west."
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The wind was sure to change to the west."
in the company of; together with
From this reading This side of the hill was almost deserted; nearly every one seemed to be watching the fires from the crest; but occasionally Gwynne and Isabel passed a solitary person clinging to his possessions, or a small group; and invariably were greeted with the same remark: "City's on fire.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading As they passed through the crowd on the hill-top, they received similar information, although many added confidently that "something would be done.
