used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Azalea McBirney, in her dark riding skirt and bright knitted cap and reefer, came running from the cabin with the manner of a girl very much behindhand.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
Ain't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ain’t he there yet, Zalie?” a voice called from the cabin.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Straight, gray and shadowy these smoke-shafts lifted through the lilac-tinted air; and below in the little town, other shafts of smoke ascended as if in friendly answer.
airy-fine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
react verbally
From this reading Straight, gray and shadowy these smoke-shafts lifted through the lilac-tinted air; and below in the little town, other shafts of smoke ascended as if in friendly answer.
inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
ascendedverbUS /əˈsendɪd/
past form of “ascend” — travel up
From this reading Straight, gray and shadowy these smoke-shafts lifted through the lilac-tinted air; and below in the little town, other shafts of smoke ascended as if in friendly answer.
AzaleanounUS /əˈzeɪljə/
any of numerous ornamental shrubs grown for their showy flowers of various colors
From this reading Azalea McBirney, in her dark riding skirt and bright knitted cap and reefer, came running from the cabin with the manner of a girl very much behindhand.
behindhandadjective
behind schedule
From this reading Azalea McBirney, in her dark riding skirt and bright knitted cap and reefer, came running from the cabin with the manner of a girl very much behindhand.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading Straight, gray and shadowy these smoke-shafts lifted through the lilac-tinted air; and below in the little town, other shafts of smoke ascended as if in friendly answer.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading Azalea McBirney, in her dark riding skirt and bright knitted cap and reefer, came running from the cabin with the manner of a girl very much behindhand.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
small room on a ship or boat where people sleep
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
cabinsnounUS /ˈkæbənz/
plural of “cabin” — small room on a ship or boat where people sleep
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading “Ain’t he there yet, Zalie?” a voice called from the cabin.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Azalea McBirney, in her dark riding skirt and bright knitted cap and reefer, came running from the cabin with the manner of a girl very much behindhand.
a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading Azalea McBirney, in her dark riding skirt and bright knitted cap and reefer, came running from the cabin with the manner of a girl very much behindhand.
claynounUS /kleɪ/
a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Azalea McBirney, in her dark riding skirt and bright knitted cap and reefer, came running from the cabin with the manner of a girl very much behindhand.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
delicatelyadverbUS /ˈdeləkətli/
in a delicate manner
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
fernnounUS /fɜːrn/
any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
characteristic of or befitting a friend
From this reading Straight, gray and shadowy these smoke-shafts lifted through the lilac-tinted air; and below in the little town, other shafts of smoke ascended as if in friendly answer.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
frostnounUS /frɔːst/
ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
frostedadjectiveUS /ˈfrɔːstəd/
(of glass) having a roughened coating resembling frost
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
a young female
From this reading Azalea McBirney, in her dark riding skirt and bright knitted cap and reefer, came running from the cabin with the manner of a girl very much behindhand.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading Straight, gray and shadowy these smoke-shafts lifted through the lilac-tinted air; and below in the little town, other shafts of smoke ascended as if in friendly answer.
half-hidden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Ain’t he there yet, Zalie?” a voice called from the cabin.
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Azalea McBirney, in her dark riding skirt and bright knitted cap and reefer, came running from the cabin with the manner of a girl very much behindhand.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Straight, gray and shadowy these smoke-shafts lifted through the lilac-tinted air; and below in the little town, other shafts of smoke ascended as if in friendly answer.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Straight, gray and shadowy these smoke-shafts lifted through the lilac-tinted air; and below in the little town, other shafts of smoke ascended as if in friendly answer.
knittedadjectiveUS /ˈnɪtəd/
made by intertwining threads in a series of connected loops rather than by weaving
From this reading Azalea McBirney, in her dark riding skirt and bright knitted cap and reefer, came running from the cabin with the manner of a girl very much behindhand.
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
held up in the air
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
lilac-tinted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Straight, gray and shadowy these smoke-shafts lifted through the lilac-tinted air; and below in the little town, other shafts of smoke ascended as if in friendly answer.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Straight, gray and shadowy these smoke-shafts lifted through the lilac-tinted air; and below in the little town, other shafts of smoke ascended as if in friendly answer.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Azalea McBirney, in her dark riding skirt and bright knitted cap and reefer, came running from the cabin with the manner of a girl very much behindhand.
McBirney
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Azalea McBirney, in her dark riding skirt and bright knitted cap and reefer, came running from the cabin with the manner of a girl very much behindhand.
McBirneys
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Azalea McBirney, in her dark riding skirt and bright knitted cap and reefer, came running from the cabin with the manner of a girl very much behindhand.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Straight, gray and shadowy these smoke-shafts lifted through the lilac-tinted air; and below in the little town, other shafts of smoke ascended as if in friendly answer.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
reefernounUS /ˈriːfər/
marijuana leaves rolled into a cigarette for smoking
From this reading Azalea McBirney, in her dark riding skirt and bright knitted cap and reefer, came running from the cabin with the manner of a girl very much behindhand.
the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements
From this reading Azalea McBirney, in her dark riding skirt and bright knitted cap and reefer, came running from the cabin with the manner of a girl very much behindhand.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
roadsidenounUS /ˈroʊdsaɪd/
edge of a way or road or path
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading Azalea McBirney, in her dark riding skirt and bright knitted cap and reefer, came running from the cabin with the manner of a girl very much behindhand.
semicirclenoun
a plane figure with the shape of half a circle
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
shadowyadjectiveUS /ˈʃædoʊi/
filled with shade
From this reading Straight, gray and shadowy these smoke-shafts lifted through the lilac-tinted air; and below in the little town, other shafts of smoke ascended as if in friendly answer.
shaftsnounUS /ʃæfts/
plural of “shaft” — a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
shelfnounUS /ʃelf/
A flat horizontal plane used to hold books or scrolls in a library.
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
the display of a motion picture
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
skirtnounUS /skɜːrt/
cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading Azalea McBirney, in her dark riding skirt and bright knitted cap and reefer, came running from the cabin with the manner of a girl very much behindhand.
skirtedverbUS /ˈskɜːrtɪd/
past form of “skirt” — avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
smoke-shafts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Straight, gray and shadowy these smoke-shafts lifted through the lilac-tinted air; and below in the little town, other shafts of smoke ascended as if in friendly answer.
successive (without a break)
From this reading Straight, gray and shadowy these smoke-shafts lifted through the lilac-tinted air; and below in the little town, other shafts of smoke ascended as if in friendly answer.
TennysonnounUS /ˈtenɪsən/
Englishman and Victorian poet (1809-1892)
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “Ain’t he there yet, Zalie?” a voice called from the cabin.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Straight, gray and shadowy these smoke-shafts lifted through the lilac-tinted air; and below in the little town, other shafts of smoke ascended as if in friendly answer.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Straight, gray and shadowy these smoke-shafts lifted through the lilac-tinted air; and below in the little town, other shafts of smoke ascended as if in friendly answer.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Straight, gray and shadowy these smoke-shafts lifted through the lilac-tinted air; and below in the little town, other shafts of smoke ascended as if in friendly answer.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
precisely as stated
From this reading Azalea McBirney, in her dark riding skirt and bright knitted cap and reefer, came running from the cabin with the manner of a girl very much behindhand.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading “Ain’t he there yet, Zalie?” a voice called from the cabin.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading From the half-hidden cabins all around the semicircle of mountains that skirted the valley of Lee, shafts of smoke arose, showing that the people were about the business of the day.
in or at the place that
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
a Caucasian
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
windingadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪndɪŋ/
marked by repeated turns and bends
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The long red clay road, winding down from the cabin where the McBirneys lived on their high shelf of Tennyson mountain, was frosted delicately with white, and by the roadside the curious frost flowers lifted their heads, as airy-fine as fern.
but in spite of that
From this reading “Ain’t he there yet, Zalie?” a voice called from the cabin.
Zalie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ain’t he there yet, Zalie?” a voice called from the cabin.
