used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A NEW ACQUAINTANCE It was a beautiful evening.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading In the west the sunset glow still hung above the hills.
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading A NEW ACQUAINTANCE It was a beautiful evening.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Eastward the full moon’s great, golden disk was poised against the darkening blue of the summer sky.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was very still and quiet, and the only sounds that came to them were the soft _pat-pat_ of their shoes on the dusty road.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading A NEW ACQUAINTANCE It was a beautiful evening.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading When half the distance to the house-boat had been covered they slowed down to a walk, panting and puffing.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Eastward the full moon’s great, golden disk was poised against the darkening blue of the summer sky.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading It was very still and quiet, and the only sounds that came to them were the soft _pat-pat_ of their shoes on the dusty road.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading When half the distance to the house-boat had been covered they slowed down to a walk, panting and puffing.
darkeningadjectiveUS /ˈdɑːrkənɪŋ/
becoming dark or darker as from waning light or clouding over
From this reading Eastward the full moon’s great, golden disk was poised against the darkening blue of the summer sky.
disknounUS /dɪsk/
something with a round shape resembling a flat circular plate
From this reading Eastward the full moon’s great, golden disk was poised against the darkening blue of the summer sky.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading When half the distance to the house-boat had been covered they slowed down to a walk, panting and puffing.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading When half the distance to the house-boat had been covered they slowed down to a walk, panting and puffing.
dustyadjectiveUS /ˈdʌsti/
covered with a layer of dust
From this reading It was very still and quiet, and the only sounds that came to them were the soft _pat-pat_ of their shoes on the dusty road.
EastwardadjectiveUS /ˈiːstwərd/
moving toward the east
From this reading Eastward the full moon’s great, golden disk was poised against the darkening blue of the summer sky.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading A NEW ACQUAINTANCE It was a beautiful evening.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading Eastward the full moon’s great, golden disk was poised against the darkening blue of the summer sky.
an alert and refreshed state
From this reading In the west the sunset glow still hung above the hills.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading Eastward the full moon’s great, golden disk was poised against the darkening blue of the summer sky.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Eastward the full moon’s great, golden disk was poised against the darkening blue of the summer sky.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When half the distance to the house-boat had been covered they slowed down to a walk, panting and puffing.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading When half the distance to the house-boat had been covered they slowed down to a walk, panting and puffing.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading In the west the sunset glow still hung above the hills.
house-boat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When half the distance to the house-boat had been covered they slowed down to a walk, panting and puffing.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading In the west the sunset glow still hung above the hills.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the west the sunset glow still hung above the hills.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A NEW ACQUAINTANCE It was a beautiful evening.
moon'snounUS /muːnz/
possessive form of “moon” — the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading Eastward the full moon’s great, golden disk was poised against the darkening blue of the summer sky.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading A NEW ACQUAINTANCE It was a beautiful evening.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Eastward the full moon’s great, golden disk was poised against the darkening blue of the summer sky.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It was very still and quiet, and the only sounds that came to them were the soft _pat-pat_ of their shoes on the dusty road.
and nothing more
From this reading It was very still and quiet, and the only sounds that came to them were the soft _pat-pat_ of their shoes on the dusty road.
pantingnounUS /ˈpæntɪŋ/
breathing heavily (as after exertion)
From this reading When half the distance to the house-boat had been covered they slowed down to a walk, panting and puffing.
pat-pat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was very still and quiet, and the only sounds that came to them were the soft _pat-pat_ of their shoes on the dusty road.
poisedadjectiveUS /pɔɪzd/
marked by balance or equilibrium and readiness for action
From this reading Eastward the full moon’s great, golden disk was poised against the darkening blue of the summer sky.
puffingnounUS /ˈpʌfɪŋ/
blowing tobacco smoke out into the air
From this reading When half the distance to the house-boat had been covered they slowed down to a walk, panting and puffing.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading It was very still and quiet, and the only sounds that came to them were the soft _pat-pat_ of their shoes on the dusty road.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading It was very still and quiet, and the only sounds that came to them were the soft _pat-pat_ of their shoes on the dusty road.
a particular situation
From this reading It was very still and quiet, and the only sounds that came to them were the soft _pat-pat_ of their shoes on the dusty road.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading Eastward the full moon’s great, golden disk was poised against the darkening blue of the summer sky.
slowedverbUS /sloʊd/
past form of “slow” — lose velocity; move more slowly
From this reading When half the distance to the house-boat had been covered they slowed down to a walk, panting and puffing.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading It was very still and quiet, and the only sounds that came to them were the soft _pat-pat_ of their shoes on the dusty road.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading It was very still and quiet, and the only sounds that came to them were the soft _pat-pat_ of their shoes on the dusty road.
not in physical motion
From this reading In the west the sunset glow still hung above the hills.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading Eastward the full moon’s great, golden disk was poised against the darkening blue of the summer sky.
the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon
From this reading In the west the sunset glow still hung above the hills.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was very still and quiet, and the only sounds that came to them were the soft _pat-pat_ of their shoes on the dusty road.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In the west the sunset glow still hung above the hills.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading It was very still and quiet, and the only sounds that came to them were the soft _pat-pat_ of their shoes on the dusty road.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It was very still and quiet, and the only sounds that came to them were the soft _pat-pat_ of their shoes on the dusty road.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When half the distance to the house-boat had been covered they slowed down to a walk, panting and puffing.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was very still and quiet, and the only sounds that came to them were the soft _pat-pat_ of their shoes on the dusty road.
precisely as stated
From this reading It was very still and quiet, and the only sounds that came to them were the soft _pat-pat_ of their shoes on the dusty road.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading When half the distance to the house-boat had been covered they slowed down to a walk, panting and puffing.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A NEW ACQUAINTANCE It was a beautiful evening.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It was very still and quiet, and the only sounds that came to them were the soft _pat-pat_ of their shoes on the dusty road.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading In the west the sunset glow still hung above the hills.
at the time that
From this reading When half the distance to the house-boat had been covered they slowed down to a walk, panting and puffing.
