used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The stately innocence of Nature grew lovelier in a sudden trouble of virginal consciousness.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Birds began to rustle in the big trees; the shaking of broad leaves in the undergrowth betrayed the movement of beasts of prey going about their daily work.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The forest and the sea, inscrutable to the bullying noon, relented in this discreeter light, revealing secrets of green places.
plural of “beast” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading Birds began to rustle in the big trees; the shaking of broad leaves in the undergrowth betrayed the movement of beasts of prey going about their daily work.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Birds began to rustle in the big trees; the shaking of broad leaves in the undergrowth betrayed the movement of beasts of prey going about their daily work.
past form of “betray” — reveal unintentionally
From this reading Birds began to rustle in the big trees; the shaking of broad leaves in the undergrowth betrayed the movement of beasts of prey going about their daily work.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Birds began to rustle in the big trees; the shaking of broad leaves in the undergrowth betrayed the movement of beasts of prey going about their daily work.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading Birds began to rustle in the big trees; the shaking of broad leaves in the undergrowth betrayed the movement of beasts of prey going about their daily work.
BorneonounUS /ˈbɔːrnioʊ/
3rd largest island in the world; in the western Pacific to the north of Java; largely covered by dense jungle and rain forest; part of the Malay Archipelago
From this reading The sun was sinking towards the Borneo mountains.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Birds began to rustle in the big trees; the shaking of broad leaves in the undergrowth betrayed the movement of beasts of prey going about their daily work.
bullyingnounUS /ˈbʊliɪŋ/
the act of intimidating a weaker person to make them do something
From this reading The forest and the sea, inscrutable to the bullying noon, relented in this discreeter light, revealing secrets of green places.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading There was only one sign of human habitation in the landscape--a worn patch by the shore, like a tiny wilderness in a vast oasis.
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
From this reading The stately innocence of Nature grew lovelier in a sudden trouble of virginal consciousness.
every day; without missing a day
From this reading Birds began to rustle in the big trees; the shaking of broad leaves in the undergrowth betrayed the movement of beasts of prey going about their daily work.
discreeter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The forest and the sea, inscrutable to the bullying noon, relented in this discreeter light, revealing secrets of green places.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading The forest and the sea, inscrutable to the bullying noon, relented in this discreeter light, revealing secrets of green places.
the act of departing
From this reading Birds began to rustle in the big trees; the shaking of broad leaves in the undergrowth betrayed the movement of beasts of prey going about their daily work.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading The forest and the sea, inscrutable to the bullying noon, relented in this discreeter light, revealing secrets of green places.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading The stately innocence of Nature grew lovelier in a sudden trouble of virginal consciousness.
habitationnounUS /ˌhæbəˈteɪʃən/
the native habitat or home of an animal or plant
From this reading There was only one sign of human habitation in the landscape--a worn patch by the shore, like a tiny wilderness in a vast oasis.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading There was only one sign of human habitation in the landscape--a worn patch by the shore, like a tiny wilderness in a vast oasis.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The forest and the sea, inscrutable to the bullying noon, relented in this discreeter light, revealing secrets of green places.
innocencenounUS /ˈɪnəsəns/
the quality of innocent naivete
From this reading The stately innocence of Nature grew lovelier in a sudden trouble of virginal consciousness.
inscrutableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈskruːtəbəl/
of an obscure nature
From this reading The forest and the sea, inscrutable to the bullying noon, relented in this discreeter light, revealing secrets of green places.
landscapenounUS /ˈlændskeɪp/
an expanse of scenery that can be seen in a single view
From this reading There was only one sign of human habitation in the landscape--a worn patch by the shore, like a tiny wilderness in a vast oasis.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading Birds began to rustle in the big trees; the shaking of broad leaves in the undergrowth betrayed the movement of beasts of prey going about their daily work.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The forest and the sea, inscrutable to the bullying noon, relented in this discreeter light, revealing secrets of green places.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading There was only one sign of human habitation in the landscape--a worn patch by the shore, like a tiny wilderness in a vast oasis.
lovelier
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stately innocence of Nature grew lovelier in a sudden trouble of virginal consciousness.
plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading The sun was sinking towards the Borneo mountains.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading Birds began to rustle in the big trees; the shaking of broad leaves in the undergrowth betrayed the movement of beasts of prey going about their daily work.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading The stately innocence of Nature grew lovelier in a sudden trouble of virginal consciousness.
the middle of the day
From this reading The forest and the sea, inscrutable to the bullying noon, relented in this discreeter light, revealing secrets of green places.
oasisnounUS /oʊˈeɪsɪs/
a fertile tract in a desert (where the water table approaches the surface)
From this reading There was only one sign of human habitation in the landscape--a worn patch by the shore, like a tiny wilderness in a vast oasis.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The forest and the sea, inscrutable to the bullying noon, relented in this discreeter light, revealing secrets of green places.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading There was only one sign of human habitation in the landscape--a worn patch by the shore, like a tiny wilderness in a vast oasis.
and nothing more
From this reading There was only one sign of human habitation in the landscape--a worn patch by the shore, like a tiny wilderness in a vast oasis.
patchnounUS /pætʃ/
a small contrasting part of something
From this reading There was only one sign of human habitation in the landscape--a worn patch by the shore, like a tiny wilderness in a vast oasis.
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The forest and the sea, inscrutable to the bullying noon, relented in this discreeter light, revealing secrets of green places.
preynounUS /preɪ/
a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence
From this reading Birds began to rustle in the big trees; the shaking of broad leaves in the undergrowth betrayed the movement of beasts of prey going about their daily work.
relentedverbUS /rɪˈlentɪd/
past form of “relent” — give in, as to influence or pressure
From this reading The forest and the sea, inscrutable to the bullying noon, relented in this discreeter light, revealing secrets of green places.
revealingadjectiveUS /rɪˈviːlɪŋ/
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading The forest and the sea, inscrutable to the bullying noon, relented in this discreeter light, revealing secrets of green places.
rustleverbUS /ˈrʌsəl/
make a dry crackling sound
From this reading Birds began to rustle in the big trees; the shaking of broad leaves in the undergrowth betrayed the movement of beasts of prey going about their daily work.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading The forest and the sea, inscrutable to the bullying noon, relented in this discreeter light, revealing secrets of green places.
secretsnounUS /ˈsiːkrəts/
plural of “secret” — something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on)
From this reading The forest and the sea, inscrutable to the bullying noon, relented in this discreeter light, revealing secrets of green places.
the act of causing something to move up and down (or back and forth) with quick movements
From this reading Birds began to rustle in the big trees; the shaking of broad leaves in the undergrowth betrayed the movement of beasts of prey going about their daily work.
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading There was only one sign of human habitation in the landscape--a worn patch by the shore, like a tiny wilderness in a vast oasis.
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading There was only one sign of human habitation in the landscape--a worn patch by the shore, like a tiny wilderness in a vast oasis.
sinkingnounUS /ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/
a descent as through liquid (especially through water)
From this reading The sun was sinking towards the Borneo mountains.
statelyadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪtli/
impressive in appearance
From this reading The stately innocence of Nature grew lovelier in a sudden trouble of virginal consciousness.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading The stately innocence of Nature grew lovelier in a sudden trouble of virginal consciousness.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The sun was sinking towards the Borneo mountains.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The sun was sinking towards the Borneo mountains.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Birds began to rustle in the big trees; the shaking of broad leaves in the undergrowth betrayed the movement of beasts of prey going about their daily work.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was only one sign of human habitation in the landscape--a worn patch by the shore, like a tiny wilderness in a vast oasis.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The forest and the sea, inscrutable to the bullying noon, relented in this discreeter light, revealing secrets of green places.
very small
From this reading There was only one sign of human habitation in the landscape--a worn patch by the shore, like a tiny wilderness in a vast oasis.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The forest and the sea, inscrutable to the bullying noon, relented in this discreeter light, revealing secrets of green places.
in the direction of
From this reading The sun was sinking towards the Borneo mountains.
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 Birds began to rustle in the big trees; the shaking of broad leaves in the undergrowth betrayed the movement of beasts of prey going about their daily work.
a source of difficulty
From this reading The stately innocence of Nature grew lovelier in a sudden trouble of virginal consciousness.
undergrowthnounUS /ˈʌndərɡroʊθ/
the brush (small trees and bushes and ferns etc.) growing beneath taller trees in a wood or forest
From this reading Birds began to rustle in the big trees; the shaking of broad leaves in the undergrowth betrayed the movement of beasts of prey going about their daily work.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading There was only one sign of human habitation in the landscape--a worn patch by the shore, like a tiny wilderness in a vast oasis.
virginaladjectiveUS /ˈvɜːrdʒənəl/
characteristic of a virgin or virginity
From this reading The stately innocence of Nature grew lovelier in a sudden trouble of virginal consciousness.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The sun was sinking towards the Borneo mountains.
wildernessnounUS /ˈwɪldərnəs/
(politics) a state of disfavor
From this reading There was only one sign of human habitation in the landscape--a worn patch by the shore, like a tiny wilderness in a vast oasis.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Birds began to rustle in the big trees; the shaking of broad leaves in the undergrowth betrayed the movement of beasts of prey going about their daily work.
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading There was only one sign of human habitation in the landscape--a worn patch by the shore, like a tiny wilderness in a vast oasis.
