used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading It was but a small town at the time this story begins, and there was nothing about it to make it at all famous.
(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 It was but a small town at the time this story begins, and there was nothing about it to make it at all famous.
surrounded by; in the company of
From this reading Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was but a small town at the time this story begins, and there was nothing about it to make it at all famous.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was but a small town at the time this story begins, and there was nothing about it to make it at all famous.
formed or made thin by hammering
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
plural of “begin” — Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as prime minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat (then the president of Egypt) (1913-1992)
From this reading It was but a small town at the time this story begins, and there was nothing about it to make it at all famous.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
BethlehemnounUS /ˈbeθlɪhem/
a town in eastern Pennsylvania on the Lehigh River to the northwest of Philadelphia; an important center for steel production
From this reading Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
a youthful male person
From this reading It was in these fields on the slope of the hills that David, the shepherd boy of Bethlehem, spent his days watching his father's flocks.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was but a small town at the time this story begins, and there was nothing about it to make it at all famous.
a person who is in charge
From this reading That father, whose name was Jesse, was one of the chief men of the town, and David was the youngest of all his sons.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
climbverbUS /klaɪm/
go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading It was in these fields on the slope of the hills that David, the shepherd boy of Bethlehem, spent his days watching his father's flocks.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading It was in these fields on the slope of the hills that David, the shepherd boy of Bethlehem, spent his days watching his father's flocks.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
widely known and esteemed
From this reading It was but a small town at the time this story begins, and there was nothing about it to make it at all famous.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading That father, whose name was Jesse, was one of the chief men of the town, and David was the youngest of all his sons.
father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading It was in these fields on the slope of the hills that David, the shepherd boy of Bethlehem, spent his days watching his father's flocks.
United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)
From this reading It was in these fields on the slope of the hills that David, the shepherd boy of Bethlehem, spent his days watching his father's flocks.
flocksnounUS /flɑːks/
plural of “flock” — a church congregation guided by a pastor
From this reading It was in these fields on the slope of the hills that David, the shepherd boy of Bethlehem, spent his days watching his father's flocks.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
grovesnounUS /ɡroʊvz/
United States general who served as military director of the atomic bomb project (1896-1970)
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It was in these fields on the slope of the hills that David, the shepherd boy of Bethlehem, spent his days watching his father's flocks.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was in these fields on the slope of the hills that David, the shepherd boy of Bethlehem, spent his days watching his father's flocks.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was but a small town at the time this story begins, and there was nothing about it to make it at all famous.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
Jesse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That father, whose name was Jesse, was one of the chief men of the town, and David was the youngest of all his sons.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
plural of “lie” — a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth
From this reading Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
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 Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
engage in
From this reading It was but a small town at the time this story begins, and there was nothing about it to make it at all famous.
the force of workers available
From this reading That father, whose name was Jesse, was one of the chief men of the town, and David was the youngest of all his sons.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading That father, whose name was Jesse, was one of the chief men of the town, and David was the youngest of all his sons.
in such a manner as could not be otherwise
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
nestnounUS /nest/
a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young
From this reading Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading It was but a small town at the time this story begins, and there was nothing about it to make it at all famous.
nowherenounUS /ˈnoʊwer/
an insignificant place
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
oliveadjectiveUS /ˈɑːləv/
of a yellow-green color similar to that of an unripe olive
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
perchedverbUS /pɜːrtʃt/
past form of “perch” — sit, as on a branch
From this reading Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
ridgesnounUS /ˈrɪdʒəz/
plural of “ridge” — a long narrow natural elevation or striation
From this reading Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
sheepfields
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
shepherdnounUS /ˈʃepərd/
a clergyman who watches over a group of people
From this reading It was in these fields on the slope of the hills that David, the shepherd boy of Bethlehem, spent his days watching his father's flocks.
an elevated geological formation
From this reading It was in these fields on the slope of the hills that David, the shepherd boy of Bethlehem, spent his days watching his father's flocks.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was but a small town at the time this story begins, and there was nothing about it to make it at all famous.
plural of “son” — a male human offspring
From this reading That father, whose name was Jesse, was one of the chief men of the town, and David was the youngest of all his sons.
depleted of energy, force, or strength
From this reading It was in these fields on the slope of the hills that David, the shepherd boy of Bethlehem, spent his days watching his father's flocks.
steepadjectiveUS /stiːp/
having a sharp inclination
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading It was but a small town at the time this story begins, and there was nothing about it to make it at all famous.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
in or at that place or location
From this reading It was but a small town at the time this story begins, and there was nothing about it to make it at all famous.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading It was in these fields on the slope of the hills that David, the shepherd boy of Bethlehem, spent his days watching his father's flocks.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading It was but a small town at the time this story begins, and there was nothing about it to make it at all famous.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It was but a small town at the time this story begins, and there was nothing about it to make it at all famous.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was but a small town at the time this story begins, and there was nothing about it to make it at all famous.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Up amongst the hills, perched like the nest of a bird on one of the long low ridges, lies the little town of Bethlehem.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
nonexistent
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was but a small town at the time this story begins, and there was nothing about it to make it at all famous.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading It was in these fields on the slope of the hills that David, the shepherd boy of Bethlehem, spent his days watching his father's flocks.
belonging to which person
From this reading That father, whose name was Jesse, was one of the chief men of the town, and David was the youngest of all his sons.
windingadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪndɪŋ/
marked by repeated turns and bends
From this reading It lay out of the beaten track, and any one wanting to visit it must needs climb the long winding road that led from the plain beneath, through olive groves and sheepfields, up to the city gate--a steep, difficult road, leading nowhere but to the little town itself.
youngestadjectiveUS /ˈjʌŋɡəst/
superlative of “young” — (used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading That father, whose name was Jesse, was one of the chief men of the town, and David was the youngest of all his sons.
