used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading In front the sleek leather back of his companion humped stubbornly, sheeted with rain.
baed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
BALLADnounUS /ˈbæləd/
a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
From this reading BALLAD OF LADY MAISRY Lord Peter peered out through the cold scurry of cloud.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
briggs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
canounUS /kʌ/
a white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light; the fifth most abundant element in the earth's crust; an important component of most plants and animals
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
a boy or man
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
make overcast or cloudy
From this reading BALLAD OF LADY MAISRY Lord Peter peered out through the cold scurry of cloud.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading BALLAD OF LADY MAISRY Lord Peter peered out through the cold scurry of cloud.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading In front the sleek leather back of his companion humped stubbornly, sheeted with rain.
confidentadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːnfədənt/
having or marked by confidence or assurance
From this reading He hoped that Grant was feeling confident.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
dizzied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading He hoped that Grant was feeling confident.
fragileadjectiveUS /ˈfrædʒəl/
easily broken or damaged or destroyed
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading In front the sleek leather back of his companion humped stubbornly, sheeted with rain.
United States computer entrepreneur whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of the United States (born in 1955)
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
gleamverbUS /ɡliːm/
be shiny, as if wet
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
glintverbUS /ɡlɪnt/
be shiny, as if wet
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
let have
From this reading He hoped that Grant was feeling confident.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
growin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
past form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading He hoped that Grant was feeling confident.
humpedadjectiveUS /hʌmpt/
characteristic of or suffering from kyphosis, an abnormality of the vertebral column
From this reading In front the sleek leather back of his companion humped stubbornly, sheeted with rain.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In front the sleek leather back of his companion humped stubbornly, sheeted with rain.
incrediblyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈkredəbli/
not easy to believe
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading BALLAD OF LADY MAISRY Lord Peter peered out through the cold scurry of cloud.
lapverbUS /læp/
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
leathernounUS /ˈleðər/
an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning
From this reading In front the sleek leather back of his companion humped stubbornly, sheeted with rain.
without good reason
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
MAISRY
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BALLAD OF LADY MAISRY Lord Peter peered out through the cold scurry of cloud.
mapverbUS /mæp/
make a map of; show or establish the features of details of
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
nanounUS /nɑː/
a silvery soft waxy metallic element of the alkali metal group
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading BALLAD OF LADY MAISRY Lord Peter peered out through the cold scurry of cloud.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading BALLAD OF LADY MAISRY Lord Peter peered out through the cold scurry of cloud.
peeredverbUS /pɪrd/
past form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading BALLAD OF LADY MAISRY Lord Peter peered out through the cold scurry of cloud.
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading BALLAD OF LADY MAISRY Lord Peter peered out through the cold scurry of cloud.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading In front the sleek leather back of his companion humped stubbornly, sheeted with rain.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
revolvingverbUS /riˈvɑːlvɪŋ/
-ing form of “revolve” — turn on or around an axis or a center
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
scurryverbUS /ˈskɜːri/
to move about or proceed hurriedly
From this reading BALLAD OF LADY MAISRY Lord Peter peered out through the cold scurry of cloud.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
sheeted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In front the sleek leather back of his companion humped stubbornly, sheeted with rain.
shoone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
slackedverbUS /slækt/
past form of “slack” — avoid responsibilities and work, be idle
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
sleekadjectiveUS /sliːk/
well-groomed and neatly tailored; especially too well-groomed
From this reading In front the sleek leather back of his companion humped stubbornly, sheeted with rain.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
a lightweight cord
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
strutsnounUS /strʌts/
plural of “strut” — a proud stiff pompous gait
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
stubbornlyadverbUS /ˈstʌbərnli/
in a stubborn unregenerate manner
From this reading In front the sleek leather back of his companion humped stubbornly, sheeted with rain.
swamverbUS /swæm/
inflected form of “swim” — travel through water
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He hoped that Grant was feeling confident.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading BALLAD OF LADY MAISRY Lord Peter peered out through the cold scurry of cloud.
up to a particular time
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
wanounUS /wɑː/
a state in northwestern United States on the Pacific
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He hoped that Grant was feeling confident.
whan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
in or at the place that
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading The thin struts of steel, incredibly fragile, swung slowly across the gleam and glint far below, where the wide country dizzied out and spread like a revolving map.
William'snounUS /ˈwɪljəmz/
possessive form of “williams” — United States country singer and songwriter (1923-1953)
From this reading THE SECOND STRING _O, whan he came to broken briggs He bent his bow and swam, And whan he came to the green grass growin' He slacked his shoone and ran._ _O, whan he came to Lord William's gates He baed na to chap na ca', But set his bent bow till his breast, An' lightly lap the wa'._
in the company of; together with
From this reading In front the sleek leather back of his companion humped stubbornly, sheeted with rain.
