used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Three axes against thirty thousand trees.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
altitudenounUS /ˈæltətuːd/
elevation especially above sea level or above the earth's surface
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
amidprepositionUS /əˈmɪd/
in the middle of; surrounded by
From this reading Three men stood with their axes amid the primeval forest.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
axesnounUS /ˈæksɪz/
plural of “ax” — an edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle
From this reading Three men stood with their axes amid the primeval forest.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
boughnounUS /baʊ/
any of the larger branches of a tree
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
boundlessadjectiveUS /ˈbaʊndləs/
seemingly boundless in amount, number, degree, or especially extent
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
contiguitynoun
the attribute of being so near as to be touching
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
denseadjectiveUS /dens/
permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
dryads
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
empirenounUS /ˈempaɪər/
the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
divisible by two
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
a feeling of favorable regard
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading Three men stood with their axes amid the primeval forest.
hardwoodsnounUS /ˈhɑːrdwʊdz/
plural of “hardwood” — the wood of broad-leaved dicotyledonous trees (as distinguished from the wood of conifers)
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
immemorialadjectiveUS /ˌɪməˈmɔːriəl/
long past; beyond the limits of memory or tradition or recorded history
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
immenselyadverbUS /ˌɪˈmensli/
to an exceedingly great extent or degree
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
impenetrableadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpenətrəbəl/
not admitting of penetration or passage into or through
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
inertiae
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
junglenounUS /ˈdʒʌŋɡəl/
a location marked by an intense competition and struggle for survival
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
leafnounUS /liːf/
the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
the force of workers available
From this reading Three men stood with their axes amid the primeval forest.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
oddsnounUS /ɑːdz/
the likelihood of a thing occurring rather than not occurring
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
win a victory over
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
pinesnounUS /paɪnz/
plural of “pine” — a coniferous tree
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
primevaladjectiveUS /praɪˈmiːvəl/
having existed from the beginning; in an earliest or original stage or state
From this reading Three men stood with their axes amid the primeval forest.
punyadjectiveUS /ˈpjuːni/
inferior in strength or significance
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
shrubsnounUS /ʃrʌbz/
plural of “shrub” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Three men stood with their axes amid the primeval forest.
STOREKEEPERnounUS /ˈstɔːrkiːpər/
a merchant who owns or manages a shop
From this reading THE YANKEE STOREKEEPER.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE YANKEE STOREKEEPER.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Three men stood with their axes amid the primeval forest.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading Three axes against thirty thousand trees.
threateningadjectiveUS /ˈθretənɪŋ/
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Three men stood with their axes amid the primeval forest.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Three axes against thirty thousand trees.
trunksnounUS /trʌŋks/
(used in the plural) trousers that end at or above the knee
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
undergrowthnounUS /ˈʌndərɡroʊθ/
the brush (small trees and bushes and ferns etc.) growing beneath taller trees in a wood or forest
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
visnounUS /vɪs/
plural of “vi” — the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The odds were immensely in the dryads' favour; the pines and hardwoods might have laughed in every leaf at the puny power threatening their immemorial empire, and settled that _vis inertiae_ alone must overcome.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Three men stood with their axes amid the primeval forest.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Vast trunks rose around them to an altitude of thirty or even fifty feet without a bough; above, 'a boundless contiguity of shade,' and below, a dense undergrowth of shrubs, which seemed in some places impenetrable jungle.
YANKEEnounUS /ˈjæŋki/
an American who lives in the North (especially during the American Civil War)
From this reading THE YANKEE STOREKEEPER.
