used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading THE NOMAD OF THE FIRE-WHEEL It had been an unforgettable day, this day in the pine woods.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
awhileadverbUS /əˈwaɪl/
for a short time
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Now with a mass of creeping blackberry and violets strapped to her saddle she was riding slowly back through the pine woods.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading That one may be hopelessly lost in the deceptive flatwoods she dismissed with a laugh.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading THE NOMAD OF THE FIRE-WHEEL It had been an unforgettable day, this day in the pine woods.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
blackberrynounUS /ˈblækberi/
large sweet black or very dark purple edible aggregate fruit of any of various bushes of the genus Rubus
From this reading Now with a mass of creeping blackberry and violets strapped to her saddle she was riding slowly back through the pine woods.
bright-winged
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
coollyadverbUS /ˈkuːli/
in a composed and unconcerned manner
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
creepingnounUS /ˈkriːpɪŋ/
a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body
From this reading Now with a mass of creeping blackberry and violets strapped to her saddle she was riding slowly back through the pine woods.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
cypressnounUS /ˈsaɪprəs/
wood of any of various cypress trees especially of the genus Cupressus
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
darklingadjective
uncannily or threateningly dark or obscure
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading THE NOMAD OF THE FIRE-WHEEL It had been an unforgettable day, this day in the pine woods.
deceptiveadjectiveUS /dɪˈseptɪv/
causing one to believe what is not true or fail to believe what is true
From this reading That one may be hopelessly lost in the deceptive flatwoods she dismissed with a laugh.
Diane
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
dismissedadjectiveUS /dɪˈsmɪst/
having lost your job
From this reading That one may be hopelessly lost in the deceptive flatwoods she dismissed with a laugh.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
FIRE-WHEELnoun
annual of central United States having showy long-stalked yellow flower heads marked with scarlet or purple in the center
From this reading THE NOMAD OF THE FIRE-WHEEL It had been an unforgettable day, this day in the pine woods.
flatwoods
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That one may be hopelessly lost in the deceptive flatwoods she dismissed with a laugh.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
forded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
set up or found
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
frondsnounUS /frɑːndz/
plural of “frond” — compound leaf of a fern or palm or cycad
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
a young female
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE NOMAD OF THE FIRE-WHEEL It had been an unforgettable day, this day in the pine woods.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Now with a mass of creeping blackberry and violets strapped to her saddle she was riding slowly back through the pine woods.
not solid; having a space or gap or cavity
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
homewardadverbUS /ˈhoʊmwərd/
toward home
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
hopelesslyadverbUS /ˈhoʊpləsli/
in a hopeless manner
From this reading That one may be hopelessly lost in the deceptive flatwoods she dismissed with a laugh.
the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE NOMAD OF THE FIRE-WHEEL It had been an unforgettable day, this day in the pine woods.
inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE NOMAD OF THE FIRE-WHEEL It had been an unforgettable day, this day in the pine woods.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
the sound of laughing
From this reading That one may be hopelessly lost in the deceptive flatwoods she dismissed with a laugh.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
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 Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading That one may be hopelessly lost in the deceptive flatwoods she dismissed with a laugh.
lunchedverbUS /lʌntʃt/
past form of “lunch” — take the midday meal
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading Now with a mass of creeping blackberry and violets strapped to her saddle she was riding slowly back through the pine woods.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading That one may be hopelessly lost in the deceptive flatwoods she dismissed with a laugh.
nestnounUS /nest/
a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
NOMADnounUS /ˈnoʊmæd/
a member of a people who have no permanent home but move about according to the seasons
From this reading THE NOMAD OF THE FIRE-WHEEL It had been an unforgettable day, this day in the pine woods.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now with a mass of creeping blackberry and violets strapped to her saddle she was riding slowly back through the pine woods.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE NOMAD OF THE FIRE-WHEEL It had been an unforgettable day, this day in the pine woods.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading That one may be hopelessly lost in the deceptive flatwoods she dismissed with a laugh.
palmettonounUS /pælˈmetoʊ/
any of several low-growing palms with fan-shaped leaves
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
pinenounUS /paɪn/
a coniferous tree
From this reading THE NOMAD OF THE FIRE-WHEEL It had been an unforgettable day, this day in the pine woods.
poolnounUS /puːl/
an excavation that is (usually) filled with water
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements
From this reading Now with a mass of creeping blackberry and violets strapped to her saddle she was riding slowly back through the pine woods.
ruddyadjectiveUS /ˈrʌdi/
inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
put a saddle on
From this reading Now with a mass of creeping blackberry and violets strapped to her saddle she was riding slowly back through the pine woods.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
shallowadjectiveUS /ˈʃæloʊ/
lacking physical depth; having little spatial extension downward or inward from an outer surface or backward or outward from a center
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Now with a mass of creeping blackberry and violets strapped to her saddle she was riding slowly back through the pine woods.
a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading Now with a mass of creeping blackberry and violets strapped to her saddle she was riding slowly back through the pine woods.
in some unspecified way or manner; or by some unspecified means
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
strappedverbUS /stræpt/
inflected form of “strap” — tie with a strap
From this reading Now with a mass of creeping blackberry and violets strapped to her saddle she was riding slowly back through the pine woods.
streamsnounUS /striːmz/
plural of “stream” — a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
stumpnounUS /stʌmp/
the base part of a tree that remains standing after the tree has been felled
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That one may be hopelessly lost in the deceptive flatwoods she dismissed with a laugh.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE NOMAD OF THE FIRE-WHEEL It had been an unforgettable day, this day in the pine woods.
a special situation
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading THE NOMAD OF THE FIRE-WHEEL It had been an unforgettable day, this day in the pine woods.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Now with a mass of creeping blackberry and violets strapped to her saddle she was riding slowly back through the pine woods.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Now with a mass of creeping blackberry and violets strapped to her saddle she was riding slowly back through the pine woods.
a track or mark left by something that has passed
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Diane had forded shallow streams and followed bright-winged birds, lunched by a silver lake set coolly in the darkling shade of cypress and found a curious nest in the stump of a tree.
unerringadjective
not liable to error
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
unforgettableadjectiveUS /ˌʌnfərˈɡetəbəl/
impossible to forget
From this reading THE NOMAD OF THE FIRE-WHEEL It had been an unforgettable day, this day in the pine woods.
violetsnounUS /ˈvaɪələts/
plural of “violet” — any of numerous low-growing violas with small flowers
From this reading Now with a mass of creeping blackberry and violets strapped to her saddle she was riding slowly back through the pine woods.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Now with a mass of creeping blackberry and violets strapped to her saddle she was riding slowly back through the pine woods.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading Though the sun, which awhile back had filled the hollow of palmetto fronds with a ruddy pool of light, had long since dropped behind the horizon, the girl somehow picked the homeward trail with the unerring instinct of a wild thing.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Now with a mass of creeping blackberry and violets strapped to her saddle she was riding slowly back through the pine woods.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading THE NOMAD OF THE FIRE-WHEEL It had been an unforgettable day, this day in the pine woods.
