used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There they were, like the chorus to the thing he was thinking about.
(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 They were all thinking about it, too.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading As he went he was unconscious, as he was always unconscious, of the little street.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
disposed or placed in a particular kind of order
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As he went he was unconscious, as he was always unconscious, of the little street.
backgroundnounUS /ˈbækɡraʊnd/
a person's social heritage: previous experience or training
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
beingsnounUS /ˈbiːɪŋz/
plural of “being” — the state or fact of existing
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
boughsnounUS /baʊz/
plural of “bough” — any of the larger branches of a tree
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
buyingnounUS /ˈbaɪɪŋ/
the act of buying
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
chorusnounUS /ˈkɔːrəs/
any utterance produced simultaneously by a group
From this reading There they were, like the chorus to the thing he was thinking about.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
well known or easily recognized
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As he went he was unconscious, as he was always unconscious, of the little street.
heapedverbUS /hiːpt/
past form of “heap” — bestow in large quantities
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading They were all thinking about it, too.
keepersnounUS /ˈkiːpərz/
plural of “keeper” — someone in charge of other people
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
ladenadjectiveUS /ˈleɪdən/
filled with a great quantity
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading As he went he was unconscious, as he was always unconscious, of the little street.
livelihoodnounUS /ˈlaɪvlihʊd/
the financial means whereby one lives
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As he went he was unconscious, as he was always unconscious, of the little street.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
providingverbUS /prəˈvaɪdɪŋ/
-ing form of “provide” — give something useful or necessary to
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
roofsnounUS /ruːfs/
plural of “roof” — a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
cut with a saw
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
sellingnounUS /ˈselɪŋ/
the exchange of goods for an agreed sum of money
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
shopsnounUS /ʃɑːps/
plural of “shop” — a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
make square
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
having a supporting base
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading As he went he was unconscious, as he was always unconscious, of the little street.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As he went he was unconscious, as he was always unconscious, of the little street.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There they were, like the chorus to the thing he was thinking about.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There they were, like the chorus to the thing he was thinking about.
a special situation
From this reading There they were, like the chorus to the thing he was thinking about.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading There they were, like the chorus to the thing he was thinking about.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading They were all thinking about it, too.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead
From this reading As he went he was unconscious, as he was always unconscious, of the little street.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As he went he was unconscious, as he was always unconscious, of the little street.
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading As he went he was unconscious, as he was always unconscious, of the little street.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
a Caucasian
From this reading Beyond these was a familiar setting, arranged that day with white background and heaped roofs and laden boughs, the houses standing side by side, like human beings.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He saw the market square, not as the heart of the town, but as a place for buying and selling, and the little shops were to him not ways of providing the town with life, but ways of providing their keepers with a livelihood.
