used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Maria felt that she no longer cared about Wollaston Lee, that she fairly scorned him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She turned, and ran back as fast as she could, her short fleece of golden hair flying.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She turned, and ran back as fast as she could, her short fleece of golden hair flying.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading She turned, and ran back as fast as she could, her short fleece of golden hair flying.
barbed-wire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
a youthful male person
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
past form of “care” — feel concern or interest
From this reading Maria felt that she no longer cared about Wollaston Lee, that she fairly scorned him.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She turned, and ran back as fast as she could, her short fleece of golden hair flying.
be identical or equivalent to
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading Maria felt that she no longer cared about Wollaston Lee, that she fairly scorned him.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading She turned, and ran back as fast as she could, her short fleece of golden hair flying.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Maria felt that she no longer cared about Wollaston Lee, that she fairly scorned him.
enclose with a fence
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
fleecenounUS /fliːs/
the wool of a sheep or similar animal
From this reading She turned, and ran back as fast as she could, her short fleece of golden hair flying.
moving swiftly
From this reading She turned, and ran back as fast as she could, her short fleece of golden hair flying.
furrowverbUS /ˈfɜːroʊ/
hollow out in the form of a furrow or groove
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading She turned, and ran back as fast as she could, her short fleece of golden hair flying.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading She turned, and ran back as fast as she could, her short fleece of golden hair flying.
past form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Then, suddenly, something occurred to her.
herbagenoun
succulent herbaceous vegetation of pasture land
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Maria felt that she no longer cared about Wollaston Lee, that she fairly scorned him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
past form of “leap” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
the act of departing
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
LeenounUS /liː/
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading Maria felt that she no longer cared about Wollaston Lee, that she fairly scorned him.
for more time
From this reading Maria felt that she no longer cared about Wollaston Lee, that she fairly scorned him.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
MarianounUS /mərˈiːə/
a dark region of considerable extent on the surface of the moon
From this reading Maria felt that she no longer cared about Wollaston Lee, that she fairly scorned him.
not any; not one
From this reading Maria felt that she no longer cared about Wollaston Lee, that she fairly scorned him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading Then, suddenly, something occurred to her.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She turned, and ran back as fast as she could, her short fleece of golden hair flying.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading She stood over him.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading She turned, and ran back as fast as she could, her short fleece of golden hair flying.
scornedadjectiveUS /skɔːrnd/
treated with dislike or contempt
From this reading Maria felt that she no longer cared about Wollaston Lee, that she fairly scorned him.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Maria felt that she no longer cared about Wollaston Lee, that she fairly scorned him.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading She turned, and ran back as fast as she could, her short fleece of golden hair flying.
skirtedverbUS /ˈskɜːrtɪd/
past form of “skirt” — avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
skirtsnounUS /skɜːrts/
plural of “skirt” — cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Then, suddenly, something occurred to her.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading She stood over him.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Then, suddenly, something occurred to her.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Maria felt that she no longer cared about Wollaston Lee, that she fairly scorned him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, suddenly, something occurred to her.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then, suddenly, something occurred to her.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading She turned, and ran back as fast as she could, her short fleece of golden hair flying.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
showing sorrow
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
white-and-gold
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
Wollastonnoun
English chemist and physicist who discovered palladium and rhodium and demonstrated that static and current electricity are the same (1766-1828)
From this reading Maria felt that she no longer cared about Wollaston Lee, that she fairly scorned him.
wormed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak
From this reading She wrapped her short skirts about her, and wormed through the barbed-wire fence which skirted the field--the boy had leaped it, but she was not equal to that--and she hastened, leaving a furrow through the white-and-gold herbage, to the boy lying on his face weeping.
