used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading THE BACK END Lucy sat on the bridge that spanned the beck just above the farm.
(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 All things looked parched; even the marshes were dry.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading The summer had been as nearly rainless as a summer can be among the dales and fells.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The summer had been as nearly rainless as a summer can be among the dales and fells.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The summer had been as nearly rainless as a summer can be among the dales and fells.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading THE BACK END Lucy sat on the bridge that spanned the beck just above the farm.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The summer had been as nearly rainless as a summer can be among the dales and fells.
becknounUS /bek/
a beckoning gesture
From this reading THE BACK END Lucy sat on the bridge that spanned the beck just above the farm.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The summer had been as nearly rainless as a summer can be among the dales and fells.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Lucy's eyes were fixed upon the low grey house before her.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.
From this reading THE BACK END Lucy sat on the bridge that spanned the beck just above the farm.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading The summer had been as nearly rainless as a summer can be among the dales and fells.
dalesnounUS /deɪlz/
plural of “dale” — an open river valley (in a hilly area)
From this reading The summer had been as nearly rainless as a summer can be among the dales and fells.
diminishedadjectiveUS /dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/
impaired by diminution
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading All things looked parched; even the marshes were dry.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading THE BACK END Lucy sat on the bridge that spanned the beck just above the farm.
divisible by two
From this reading All things looked parched; even the marshes were dry.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Lucy's eyes were fixed upon the low grey house before her.
be a farmer; work as a farmer
From this reading THE BACK END Lucy sat on the bridge that spanned the beck just above the farm.
fellsnounUS /felz/
plural of “fell” — the dressed skin of an animal (especially a large animal)
From this reading The summer had been as nearly rainless as a summer can be among the dales and fells.
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading Lucy's eyes were fixed upon the low grey house before her.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading Lucy's eyes were fixed upon the low grey house before her.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Lucy's eyes were fixed upon the low grey house before her.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Lucy's eyes were fixed upon the low grey house before her.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
and nothing more
From this reading THE BACK END Lucy sat on the bridge that spanned the beck just above the farm.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading All things looked parched; even the marshes were dry.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Lucy's eyes were fixed upon the low grey house before her.
incomplete skeleton of female found in eastern Ethiopia in 1974
From this reading THE BACK END Lucy sat on the bridge that spanned the beck just above the farm.
Lucy'snounUS /ˈluːsiz/
possessive form of “lucy” — incomplete skeleton of female found in eastern Ethiopia in 1974
From this reading Lucy's eyes were fixed upon the low grey house before her.
marshesnounUS /ˈmɑːrʃəz/
plural of “marsh” — low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and water
From this reading All things looked parched; even the marshes were dry.
mossnounUS /mɔːs/
tiny leafy-stemmed flowerless plants
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE BACK END Lucy sat on the bridge that spanned the beck just above the farm.
parchedadjectiveUS /pɑːrtʃt/
dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight
From this reading All things looked parched; even the marshes were dry.
poolsnounUS /puːlz/
plural of “pool” — an excavation that is (usually) filled with water
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
rainlessadjective
lacking rain
From this reading The summer had been as nearly rainless as a summer can be among the dales and fells.
plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading THE BACK END Lucy sat on the bridge that spanned the beck just above the farm.
spannedverbUS /spænd/
inflected form of “span” — to cover or extend over an area or time period
From this reading THE BACK END Lucy sat on the bridge that spanned the beck just above the farm.
plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading The summer had been as nearly rainless as a summer can be among the dales and fells.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE BACK END Lucy sat on the bridge that spanned the beck just above the farm.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE BACK END Lucy sat on the bridge that spanned the beck just above the farm.
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading All things looked parched; even the marshes were dry.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
tricklingverbUS /ˈtrɪklɪŋ/
-ing form of “trickle” — run or flow slowly, as in drops or in an unsteady stream
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Lucy's eyes were fixed upon the low grey house before her.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
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 The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading The water had diminished to a thin stream, trickling between the stones; the pools were nearly empty; the moss on the rocks was yellow instead of green.
