used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading As the door closed Miriam’s eye went up from her book to the little slope of grass showing above the concrete wall of the area.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading In the mist the area railings stood hard and solid against the edge of empty space.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading The grass gleamed along the edge of a bank of mist.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
areanounUS /ˈeriə/
a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography)
From this reading As the door closed Miriam’s eye went up from her book to the little slope of grass showing above the concrete wall of the area.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the door closed Miriam’s eye went up from her book to the little slope of grass showing above the concrete wall of the area.
ashyadjectiveUS /ˈæʃi/
of a light grey
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Several times she glanced at the rich green, feeling that neither ‘emerald,’ ‘emerald velvet,’ nor ‘velvety enamel’ quite expressed it.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading The grass gleamed along the edge of a bank of mist.
basementnounUS /ˈbeɪsmənt/
the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
bonily
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading As the door closed Miriam’s eye went up from her book to the little slope of grass showing above the concrete wall of the area.
plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
cindersnounUS /ˈsɪndərz/
plural of “cinder” — a fragment of incombustible matter left after a wood or coal or charcoal fire
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading As the door closed Miriam’s eye went up from her book to the little slope of grass showing above the concrete wall of the area.
concreteadjectiveUS /kənˈkriːt/
capable of being perceived by the senses; not abstract or imaginary
From this reading As the door closed Miriam’s eye went up from her book to the little slope of grass showing above the concrete wall of the area.
prepare a hot meal
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
dampenedverbUS /ˈdæmpənd/
past form of “dampen” — suppress or constrain so as to lessen in intensity
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading As the door closed Miriam’s eye went up from her book to the little slope of grass showing above the concrete wall of the area.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading The grass gleamed along the edge of a bank of mist.
emeraldnounUS /ˈemrəld/
a green transparent form of beryl; highly valued as a gemstone
From this reading Several times she glanced at the rich green, feeling that neither ‘emerald,’ ‘emerald velvet,’ nor ‘velvety enamel’ quite expressed it.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading In the mist the area railings stood hard and solid against the edge of empty space.
enamelnounUS /ɪˈnæməl/
hard white substance covering the crown of a tooth
From this reading Several times she glanced at the rich green, feeling that neither ‘emerald,’ ‘emerald velvet,’ nor ‘velvety enamel’ quite expressed it.
communicated in words
From this reading Several times she glanced at the rich green, feeling that neither ‘emerald,’ ‘emerald velvet,’ nor ‘velvety enamel’ quite expressed it.
the organ of sight
From this reading As the door closed Miriam’s eye went up from her book to the little slope of grass showing above the concrete wall of the area.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading Several times she glanced at the rich green, feeling that neither ‘emerald,’ ‘emerald velvet,’ nor ‘velvety enamel’ quite expressed it.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading As the door closed Miriam’s eye went up from her book to the little slope of grass showing above the concrete wall of the area.
past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading Several times she glanced at the rich green, feeling that neither ‘emerald,’ ‘emerald velvet,’ nor ‘velvety enamel’ quite expressed it.
gleamedverbUS /ɡliːmd/
past form of “gleam” — be shiny, as if wet
From this reading The grass gleamed along the edge of a bank of mist.
destroyed or killed
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading As the door closed Miriam’s eye went up from her book to the little slope of grass showing above the concrete wall of the area.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading Several times she glanced at the rich green, feeling that neither ‘emerald,’ ‘emerald velvet,’ nor ‘velvety enamel’ quite expressed it.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading In the mist the area railings stood hard and solid against the edge of empty space.
heelless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Several times she glanced at the rich green, feeling that neither ‘emerald,’ ‘emerald velvet,’ nor ‘velvety enamel’ quite expressed it.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading As the door closed Miriam’s eye went up from her book to the little slope of grass showing above the concrete wall of the area.
Miriam's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the door closed Miriam’s eye went up from her book to the little slope of grass showing above the concrete wall of the area.
become covered with mist
From this reading The grass gleamed along the edge of a bank of mist.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading Several times she glanced at the rich green, feeling that neither ‘emerald,’ ‘emerald velvet,’ nor ‘velvety enamel’ quite expressed it.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Several times she glanced at the rich green, feeling that neither ‘emerald,’ ‘emerald velvet,’ nor ‘velvety enamel’ quite expressed it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
oilclothnoun
cloth treated on one side with a drying oil or synthetic resin
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
plasterverbUS /ˈplæstər/
apply a heavy coat to
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Several times she glanced at the rich green, feeling that neither ‘emerald,’ ‘emerald velvet,’ nor ‘velvety enamel’ quite expressed it.
railingsnounUS /ˈreɪlɪŋz/
plural of “railing” — a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading In the mist the area railings stood hard and solid against the edge of empty space.
possessing material wealth
From this reading Several times she glanced at the rich green, feeling that neither ‘emerald,’ ‘emerald velvet,’ nor ‘velvety enamel’ quite expressed it.
schoolroomnounUS /ˈskuːlruːm/
a room in a school where lessons take place
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Several times she glanced at the rich green, feeling that neither ‘emerald,’ ‘emerald velvet,’ nor ‘velvety enamel’ quite expressed it.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Several times she glanced at the rich green, feeling that neither ‘emerald,’ ‘emerald velvet,’ nor ‘velvety enamel’ quite expressed it.
the display of a motion picture
From this reading As the door closed Miriam’s eye went up from her book to the little slope of grass showing above the concrete wall of the area.
an elevated geological formation
From this reading As the door closed Miriam’s eye went up from her book to the little slope of grass showing above the concrete wall of the area.
solidadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːləd/
characterized by good substantial quality
From this reading In the mist the area railings stood hard and solid against the edge of empty space.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading In the mist the area railings stood hard and solid against the edge of empty space.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading In the mist the area railings stood hard and solid against the edge of empty space.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Several times she glanced at the rich green, feeling that neither ‘emerald,’ ‘emerald velvet,’ nor ‘velvety enamel’ quite expressed it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Several times she glanced at the rich green, feeling that neither ‘emerald,’ ‘emerald velvet,’ nor ‘velvety enamel’ quite expressed it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As the door closed Miriam’s eye went up from her book to the little slope of grass showing above the concrete wall of the area.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading As the door closed Miriam’s eye went up from her book to the little slope of grass showing above the concrete wall of the area.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
velvetnounUS /ˈvelvət/
a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back
From this reading Several times she glanced at the rich green, feeling that neither ‘emerald,’ ‘emerald velvet,’ nor ‘velvety enamel’ quite expressed it.
velvetyadjectiveUS /ˈvelvəti/
smooth and soft to sight or hearing or touch or taste
From this reading Several times she glanced at the rich green, feeling that neither ‘emerald,’ ‘emerald velvet,’ nor ‘velvety enamel’ quite expressed it.
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 As the door closed Miriam’s eye went up from her book to the little slope of grass showing above the concrete wall of the area.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading As the door closed Miriam’s eye went up from her book to the little slope of grass showing above the concrete wall of the area.
WheezingadjectiveUS /ˈwiːzɪŋ/
relating to breathing with a whistling sound
From this reading Wheezing, cook had spread a plaster of dampened ashy cinders upon the basement schoolroom fire and gone bonily away across the oilcloth in her heelless boots.
