used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The sand-hills are called "towans" at Hayle, and very weary walking we found it in places where coarse, fibrous grasses have not covered the surface.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The sand-hills are called "towans" at Hayle, and very weary walking we found it in places where coarse, fibrous grasses have not covered the surface.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading People speak of places having been "drowned in sand," which they certainly were.
brigadenounUS /brəˈɡeɪd/
army unit smaller than a division
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
placed in a grave
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The sand-hills are called "towans" at Hayle, and very weary walking we found it in places where coarse, fibrous grasses have not covered the surface.
a period of 100 years
From this reading The sands of Hayle, like those of great deserts, shift with storm and tempest, and have encroached from century to century.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading People speak of places having been "drowned in sand," which they certainly were.
churchesnounUS /ˈtʃɜːrtʃɪz/
plural of “church” — one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
coarseadjectiveUS /kɔːrs/
of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles
From this reading The sand-hills are called "towans" at Hayle, and very weary walking we found it in places where coarse, fibrous grasses have not covered the surface.
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading The sand-hills are called "towans" at Hayle, and very weary walking we found it in places where coarse, fibrous grasses have not covered the surface.
desertsnounUS /ˈdezərts/
plural of “desert” — arid land with little or no vegetation
From this reading The sands of Hayle, like those of great deserts, shift with storm and tempest, and have encroached from century to century.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
drownedverbUS /draʊnd/
past form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading People speak of places having been "drowned in sand," which they certainly were.
plural of “effort” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading What splendid results might follow the efforts of a pick and shovel brigade from Perran to Newquay!
encroachedverbUS /ɪnˈkroʊtʃt/
past form of “encroach” — advance beyond the usual limit
From this reading The sands of Hayle, like those of great deserts, shift with storm and tempest, and have encroached from century to century.
fibrousadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪbrəs/
having or resembling fibers especially fibers used in making cordage such as those of jute
From this reading The sand-hills are called "towans" at Hayle, and very weary walking we found it in places where coarse, fibrous grasses have not covered the surface.
to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading What splendid results might follow the efforts of a pick and shovel brigade from Perran to Newquay!
set up or found
From this reading The sand-hills are called "towans" at Hayle, and very weary walking we found it in places where coarse, fibrous grasses have not covered the surface.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The sands of Hayle, like those of great deserts, shift with storm and tempest, and have encroached from century to century.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
grassesnounUS /ˈɡræsəz/
plural of “grass” — narrow-leaved green herbage: grown as lawns; used as pasture for grazing animals; cut and dried as hay
From this reading The sand-hills are called "towans" at Hayle, and very weary walking we found it in places where coarse, fibrous grasses have not covered the surface.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The sands of Hayle, like those of great deserts, shift with storm and tempest, and have encroached from century to century.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
hatsnounUS /hæts/
plural of “hat” — headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The sands of Hayle, like those of great deserts, shift with storm and tempest, and have encroached from century to century.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading People speak of places having been "drowned in sand," which they certainly were.
Hayle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sands of Hayle, like those of great deserts, shift with storm and tempest, and have encroached from century to century.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading People speak of places having been "drowned in sand," which they certainly were.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The sand-hills are called "towans" at Hayle, and very weary walking we found it in places where coarse, fibrous grasses have not covered the surface.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The sands of Hayle, like those of great deserts, shift with storm and tempest, and have encroached from century to century.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
Newquay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What splendid results might follow the efforts of a pick and shovel brigade from Perran to Newquay!
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The sand-hills are called "towans" at Hayle, and very weary walking we found it in places where coarse, fibrous grasses have not covered the surface.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading People speak of places having been "drowned in sand," which they certainly were.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading People speak of places having been "drowned in sand," which they certainly were.
Perran
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What splendid results might follow the efforts of a pick and shovel brigade from Perran to Newquay!
select carefully from a group
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading People speak of places having been "drowned in sand," which they certainly were.
resultsnounUS /rɪˈzʌlts/
plural of “result” — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading What splendid results might follow the efforts of a pick and shovel brigade from Perran to Newquay!
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
sand-hills
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sand-hills are called "towans" at Hayle, and very weary walking we found it in places where coarse, fibrous grasses have not covered the surface.
sandsnounUS /sændz/
the region of the shore of a lake or sea or ocean
From this reading The sands of Hayle, like those of great deserts, shift with storm and tempest, and have encroached from century to century.
shiftverbUS /ʃɪft/
make a shift in or exchange of
From this reading The sands of Hayle, like those of great deserts, shift with storm and tempest, and have encroached from century to century.
shovelnounUS /ˈʃʌvəl/
a hand tool for lifting loose material; consists of a curved container or scoop and a handle
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
express in speech
From this reading People speak of places having been "drowned in sand," which they certainly were.
having great beauty and splendor
From this reading What splendid results might follow the efforts of a pick and shovel brigade from Perran to Newquay!
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading The sands of Hayle, like those of great deserts, shift with storm and tempest, and have encroached from century to century.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading The sand-hills are called "towans" at Hayle, and very weary walking we found it in places where coarse, fibrous grasses have not covered the surface.
tempestnounUS /ˈtempəst/
a violent commotion or disturbance
From this reading The sands of Hayle, like those of great deserts, shift with storm and tempest, and have encroached from century to century.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading People speak of places having been "drowned in sand," which they certainly were.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading The sands of Hayle, like those of great deserts, shift with storm and tempest, and have encroached from century to century.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The sands of Hayle, like those of great deserts, shift with storm and tempest, and have encroached from century to century.
towans
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sand-hills are called "towans" at Hayle, and very weary walking we found it in places where coarse, fibrous grasses have not covered the surface.
townsnounUS /taʊnz/
plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
precisely as stated
From this reading The sand-hills are called "towans" at Hayle, and very weary walking we found it in places where coarse, fibrous grasses have not covered the surface.
close enough to be walked to
From this reading The sand-hills are called "towans" at Hayle, and very weary walking we found it in places where coarse, fibrous grasses have not covered the surface.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading The sand-hills are called "towans" at Hayle, and very weary walking we found it in places where coarse, fibrous grasses have not covered the surface.
exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress
From this reading The sand-hills are called "towans" at Hayle, and very weary walking we found it in places where coarse, fibrous grasses have not covered the surface.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading People speak of places having been "drowned in sand," which they certainly were.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What splendid results might follow the efforts of a pick and shovel brigade from Perran to Newquay!
in or at the place that
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading People speak of places having been "drowned in sand," which they certainly were.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading A pick and shovel brigade, with or without hats, might do some good work on the north coast, where the sand has buried towns and churches.
