used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Even the alehouse had a deserted look, and there were no children to be seen playing about in the roadway.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
alehousenounUS /ˈeɪlhaʊs/
a tavern where ale is sold
From this reading Even the alehouse had a deserted look, and there were no children to be seen playing about in the roadway.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading AT PATON HALL.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Even the alehouse had a deserted look, and there were no children to be seen playing about in the roadway.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
changesnounUS /ˈtʃeɪndʒəz/
plural of “change” — an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading Even the alehouse had a deserted look, and there were no children to be seen playing about in the roadway.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading Most of the cottage doors were closed too; and weeds were growing in the path that was usually trodden hard.
a small house with a single story
From this reading Most of the cottage doors were closed too; and weeds were growing in the path that was usually trodden hard.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading Even the alehouse had a deserted look, and there were no children to be seen playing about in the roadway.
plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
divisible by two
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
usually; as a rule
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading Most of the cottage doors were closed too; and weeds were growing in the path that was usually trodden hard.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading AT PATON HALL.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading Most of the cottage doors were closed too; and weeds were growing in the path that was usually trodden hard.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Even the alehouse had a deserted look, and there were no children to be seen playing about in the roadway.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
the location of something surrounded by other things
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Most of the cottage doors were closed too; and weeds were growing in the path that was usually trodden hard.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
not any; not one
From this reading Even the alehouse had a deserted look, and there were no children to be seen playing about in the roadway.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
a course of conduct
From this reading Most of the cottage doors were closed too; and weeds were growing in the path that was usually trodden hard.
PATONnounUS /ˈpætən/
South African writer (1903-1988)
From this reading AT PATON HALL.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading Even the alehouse had a deserted look, and there were no children to be seen playing about in the roadway.
quietnessnounUS /ˈkwaɪətnəs/
the property of making no sound
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
recognitionnounUS /ˌrekəɡˈnɪʃən/
the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
roadwaynounUS /ˈroʊdweɪ/
a road (especially that part of a road) over which vehicles travel
From this reading Even the alehouse had a deserted look, and there were no children to be seen playing about in the roadway.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Even the alehouse had a deserted look, and there were no children to be seen playing about in the roadway.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
in the near future
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
having a supporting base
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
in or at that place or location
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Most of the cottage doors were closed too; and weeds were growing in the path that was usually trodden hard.
troddenverbUS /ˈtrɑːdən/
inflected form of “tread” — put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading Most of the cottage doors were closed too; and weeds were growing in the path that was usually trodden hard.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
under normal conditions
From this reading Most of the cottage doors were closed too; and weeds were growing in the path that was usually trodden hard.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
villagersnounUS /ˈvɪlɪdʒərz/
plural of “villager” — one who has lived in a village most of their life
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
wearinessnounUS /ˈwɪrinəs/
temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
weedsnounUS /wiːdz/
a black garment (dress) worn by a widow as a sign of mourning
From this reading Most of the cottage doors were closed too; and weeds were growing in the path that was usually trodden hard.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
at the time that
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
which person or people
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
in the company of; together with
From this reading They were close to the village, and Miles was looking round for some recognition from the villagers, who were generally standing about their doors at this hour, when he was struck with the quietness of the place.
a late time of life
From this reading MILES PATON had not been home for nearly two years, and during that time there had been changes which, if he heard of, he soon forgot, but which startled him now even in the midst of his pain and weariness.
