used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading From the rustling trees arching the lane overhead came the occasional sleepy chirp and flutter of a bird.
AFTERprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading AFTER SUNSET The sun had set.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Now as he descended the steep Sherrill lane to the valley, ravine and hollow were already dark with twilight.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Back from his flight over the hills with Sherrill, Philip had bathed and shaved, whistling thoughtfully to himself.
archingadjectiveUS /ˈɑːrtʃɪŋ/
forming or resembling an arch
From this reading From the rustling trees arching the lane overhead came the occasional sleepy chirp and flutter of a bird.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Now as he descended the steep Sherrill lane to the valley, ravine and hollow were already dark with twilight.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Back from his flight over the hills with Sherrill, Philip had bathed and shaved, whistling thoughtfully to himself.
bathedverbUS /beɪðd/
past form of “bathe” — cleanse the entire body
From this reading Back from his flight over the hills with Sherrill, Philip had bathed and shaved, whistling thoughtfully to himself.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading From the rustling trees arching the lane overhead came the occasional sleepy chirp and flutter of a bird.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading From the rustling trees arching the lane overhead came the occasional sleepy chirp and flutter of a bird.
chirpverbUS /tʃɜːrp/
make high-pitched sounds
From this reading From the rustling trees arching the lane overhead came the occasional sleepy chirp and flutter of a bird.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Now as he descended the steep Sherrill lane to the valley, ravine and hollow were already dark with twilight.
past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
From this reading Now as he descended the steep Sherrill lane to the valley, ravine and hollow were already dark with twilight.
dusknounUS /dʌsk/
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading Off somewhere in the gathering dusk a lonely owl hooted eerily.
eerilyadverbUS /ˈɪrəli/
in an unnatural eery manner
From this reading Off somewhere in the gathering dusk a lonely owl hooted eerily.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading Back from his flight over the hills with Sherrill, Philip had bathed and shaved, whistling thoughtfully to himself.
flutterverbUS /ˈflʌtər/
move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading From the rustling trees arching the lane overhead came the occasional sleepy chirp and flutter of a bird.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Back from his flight over the hills with Sherrill, Philip had bathed and shaved, whistling thoughtfully to himself.
a group of persons together in one place
From this reading Off somewhere in the gathering dusk a lonely owl hooted eerily.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading AFTER SUNSET The sun had set.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Now as he descended the steep Sherrill lane to the valley, ravine and hollow were already dark with twilight.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading Back from his flight over the hills with Sherrill, Philip had bathed and shaved, whistling thoughtfully to himself.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Back from his flight over the hills with Sherrill, Philip had bathed and shaved, whistling thoughtfully to himself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Back from his flight over the hills with Sherrill, Philip had bathed and shaved, whistling thoughtfully to himself.
not solid; having a space or gap or cavity
From this reading Now as he descended the steep Sherrill lane to the valley, ravine and hollow were already dark with twilight.
hootedverbUS /ˈhuːtɪd/
past form of “hoot” — to utter a loud clamorous shout
From this reading Off somewhere in the gathering dusk a lonely owl hooted eerily.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Off somewhere in the gathering dusk a lonely owl hooted eerily.
a narrow way or road
From this reading Now as he descended the steep Sherrill lane to the valley, ravine and hollow were already dark with twilight.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading Off somewhere in the gathering dusk a lonely owl hooted eerily.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now as he descended the steep Sherrill lane to the valley, ravine and hollow were already dark with twilight.
occasionaladjectiveUS /əˈkeɪʒənəl/
occurring from time to time
From this reading From the rustling trees arching the lane overhead came the occasional sleepy chirp and flutter of a bird.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading From the rustling trees arching the lane overhead came the occasional sleepy chirp and flutter of a bird.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Off somewhere in the gathering dusk a lonely owl hooted eerily.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Back from his flight over the hills with Sherrill, Philip had bathed and shaved, whistling thoughtfully to himself.
overheadadverbUS /ˈoʊvərˈhed/
above your head; in the sky
From this reading From the rustling trees arching the lane overhead came the occasional sleepy chirp and flutter of a bird.
owlnounUS /aʊl/
nocturnal bird of prey with hawk-like beak and claws and large head with front-facing eyes
From this reading Off somewhere in the gathering dusk a lonely owl hooted eerily.
Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)
From this reading Back from his flight over the hills with Sherrill, Philip had bathed and shaved, whistling thoughtfully to himself.
ravinenounUS /rəˈviːn/
a deep narrow steep-sided valley (especially one formed by running water)
From this reading Now as he descended the steep Sherrill lane to the valley, ravine and hollow were already dark with twilight.
rustlingnounUS /ˈrʌslɪŋ/
the stealing of cattle
From this reading From the rustling trees arching the lane overhead came the occasional sleepy chirp and flutter of a bird.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading AFTER SUNSET The sun had set.
shavedadjectiveUS /ʃeɪvd/
having the beard or hair cut off close to the skin
From this reading Back from his flight over the hills with Sherrill, Philip had bathed and shaved, whistling thoughtfully to himself.
Sherrill
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Back from his flight over the hills with Sherrill, Philip had bathed and shaved, whistling thoughtfully to himself.
sleepyadjectiveUS /ˈsliːpi/
ready to fall asleep
From this reading From the rustling trees arching the lane overhead came the occasional sleepy chirp and flutter of a bird.
in or at or to some place
From this reading Off somewhere in the gathering dusk a lonely owl hooted eerily.
steepadjectiveUS /stiːp/
having a sharp inclination
From this reading Now as he descended the steep Sherrill lane to the valley, ravine and hollow were already dark with twilight.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading AFTER SUNSET The sun had set.
the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon
From this reading AFTER SUNSET The sun had set.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AFTER SUNSET The sun had set.
thoughtfullyadverbUS /ˈθɔːtfəli/
in a thoughtful manner
From this reading Back from his flight over the hills with Sherrill, Philip had bathed and shaved, whistling thoughtfully to himself.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Back from his flight over the hills with Sherrill, Philip had bathed and shaved, whistling thoughtfully to himself.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading From the rustling trees arching the lane overhead came the occasional sleepy chirp and flutter of a bird.
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading Now as he descended the steep Sherrill lane to the valley, ravine and hollow were already dark with twilight.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading Now as he descended the steep Sherrill lane to the valley, ravine and hollow were already dark with twilight.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Now as he descended the steep Sherrill lane to the valley, ravine and hollow were already dark with twilight.
whistlingnounUS /ˈwɪslɪŋ/
the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture
From this reading Back from his flight over the hills with Sherrill, Philip had bathed and shaved, whistling thoughtfully to himself.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Back from his flight over the hills with Sherrill, Philip had bathed and shaved, whistling thoughtfully to himself.
