used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Now and then something moved in the undergrowth with a swift rustle or a blackbird raised a long ripple of alarm.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading Now and then something moved in the undergrowth with a swift rustle or a blackbird raised a long ripple of alarm.
(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 But for the most part all was still.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading THE TRAP It was an evening of golden silence, and the larch copse in its stillness was like an enchanted wood.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE TRAP It was an evening of golden silence, and the larch copse in its stillness was like an enchanted wood.
barriernounUS /ˈbæriər/
a structure or object that impedes free movement
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
blackbirdnounUS /ˈblækbərd/
any bird of the family Icteridae whose male is black or predominantly black
From this reading Now and then something moved in the undergrowth with a swift rustle or a blackbird raised a long ripple of alarm.
a slight wind (usually refreshing)
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
lacking funds
From this reading A soft low whistle broke the stillness or mingled with it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But for the most part all was still.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
make overcast or cloudy
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
copsenoun
a dense growth of bushes
From this reading THE TRAP It was an evening of golden silence, and the larch copse in its stillness was like an enchanted wood.
enchantedadjectiveUS /ɪnˈtʃæn.tɪd/
Filled with or placed under the influence of magical power or charm.
From this reading THE TRAP It was an evening of golden silence, and the larch copse in its stillness was like an enchanted wood.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading THE TRAP It was an evening of golden silence, and the larch copse in its stillness was like an enchanted wood.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But for the most part all was still.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading THE TRAP It was an evening of golden silence, and the larch copse in its stillness was like an enchanted wood.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
hillsidenounUS /ˈhɪlsaɪd/
the side or slope of a hill
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE TRAP It was an evening of golden silence, and the larch copse in its stillness was like an enchanted wood.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE TRAP It was an evening of golden silence, and the larch copse in its stillness was like an enchanted wood.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading THE TRAP It was an evening of golden silence, and the larch copse in its stillness was like an enchanted wood.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
larchnounUS /lɑːrtʃ/
wood of a larch tree
From this reading THE TRAP It was an evening of golden silence, and the larch copse in its stillness was like an enchanted wood.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading THE TRAP It was an evening of golden silence, and the larch copse in its stillness was like an enchanted wood.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Now and then something moved in the undergrowth with a swift rustle or a blackbird raised a long ripple of alarm.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading A soft low whistle broke the stillness or mingled with it.
past form of “mingle” — to bring or combine together or with something else
From this reading A soft low whistle broke the stillness or mingled with it.
used to form the superlative
From this reading But for the most part all was still.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading Now and then something moved in the undergrowth with a swift rustle or a blackbird raised a long ripple of alarm.
not any; not one
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now and then something moved in the undergrowth with a swift rustle or a blackbird raised a long ripple of alarm.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE TRAP It was an evening of golden silence, and the larch copse in its stillness was like an enchanted wood.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Now and then something moved in the undergrowth with a swift rustle or a blackbird raised a long ripple of alarm.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading But for the most part all was still.
radiancenounUS /ˈreɪdiːəns/
the amount of electromagnetic radiation leaving or arriving at a point on a surface
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading Now and then something moved in the undergrowth with a swift rustle or a blackbird raised a long ripple of alarm.
raysnounUS /reɪz/
plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
ripplenounUS /ˈrɪpəl/
a small wave on the surface of a liquid
From this reading Now and then something moved in the undergrowth with a swift rustle or a blackbird raised a long ripple of alarm.
rustleverbUS /ˈrʌsəl/
make a dry crackling sound
From this reading Now and then something moved in the undergrowth with a swift rustle or a blackbird raised a long ripple of alarm.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading THE TRAP It was an evening of golden silence, and the larch copse in its stillness was like an enchanted wood.
slantedadjectiveUS /ˈslæntɪd/
having an oblique or slanted direction
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading A soft low whistle broke the stillness or mingled with it.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Now and then something moved in the undergrowth with a swift rustle or a blackbird raised a long ripple of alarm.
not in physical motion
From this reading But for the most part all was still.
stillnessnounUS /ˈstɪlnəs/
(poetic) tranquil silence
From this reading THE TRAP It was an evening of golden silence, and the larch copse in its stillness was like an enchanted wood.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
moving very fast
From this reading Now and then something moved in the undergrowth with a swift rustle or a blackbird raised a long ripple of alarm.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE TRAP It was an evening of golden silence, and the larch copse in its stillness was like an enchanted wood.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Now and then something moved in the undergrowth with a swift rustle or a blackbird raised a long ripple of alarm.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
transformingverbUS /trænˈsfɔːrmɪŋ/
-ing form of “transform” — subject to a mathematical transformation
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
TRAPnounUS /træp/
a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned
From this reading THE TRAP It was an evening of golden silence, and the larch copse in its stillness was like an enchanted wood.
undergrowthnounUS /ˈʌndərɡroʊθ/
the brush (small trees and bushes and ferns etc.) growing beneath taller trees in a wood or forest
From this reading Now and then something moved in the undergrowth with a swift rustle or a blackbird raised a long ripple of alarm.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE TRAP It was an evening of golden silence, and the larch copse in its stillness was like an enchanted wood.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading No breeze came up the hillside, and in the west a long black line of cloud lay like a barrier across the sun, so that great rays slanted out over land and sea, transforming all things with their radiance.
whistleverbUS /ˈwɪsəl/
make whistling sounds
From this reading A soft low whistle broke the stillness or mingled with it.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Now and then something moved in the undergrowth with a swift rustle or a blackbird raised a long ripple of alarm.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading THE TRAP It was an evening of golden silence, and the larch copse in its stillness was like an enchanted wood.
