adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Chauvelin and his picked escort had in the meanwhile detached themselves from the main body of the squad.
Armand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Armand and Marguerite from the depth of the carriage heard Heron’s voice ordering his own driver now to take the lead.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
bandagenounUS /ˈbændɪdʒ/
a piece of soft material that covers and protects an injured part of the body
From this reading Heron’s head, with its battered sugar-loaf hat, and the soiled bandage round the brow, was as usual out of the carriage window.
batteredadjectiveUS /ˈbætərd/
damaged by blows or hard usage
From this reading Heron’s head, with its battered sugar-loaf hat, and the soiled bandage round the brow, was as usual out of the carriage window.
bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading Chauvelin and his picked escort had in the meanwhile detached themselves from the main body of the squad.
brownounUS /braʊ/
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading Heron’s head, with its battered sugar-loaf hat, and the soiled bandage round the brow, was as usual out of the carriage window.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
carriagenounUS /ˈkærɪdʒ/
a railcar where passengers ride
From this reading Armand and Marguerite from the depth of the carriage heard Heron’s voice ordering his own driver now to take the lead.
Chauvelin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Chauvelin and his picked escort had in the meanwhile detached themselves from the main body of the squad.
coachverbUS /koʊtʃ/
teach and supervise (someone); act as a trainer or coach (to), as in sports
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
completelyadverbUS /kəmˈpliːtli/
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
depthnounUS /depθ/
the extent downward or backward or inward
From this reading Armand and Marguerite from the depth of the carriage heard Heron’s voice ordering his own driver now to take the lead.
detachedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtætʃt/
showing lack of emotional involvement
From this reading Chauvelin and his picked escort had in the meanwhile detached themselves from the main body of the squad.
distantadjectiveUS /ˈdɪstənt/
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
drivernounUS /ˈdraɪvər/
the operator of a motor vehicle
From this reading Armand and Marguerite from the depth of the carriage heard Heron’s voice ordering his own driver now to take the lead.
dulladjectiveUS /dʌl/
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
enfoldverbUS /ɪnˈfoʊld/
enclose or enfold completely with or as if with a covering
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
escortnounUS /eˈskɔːrt/
someone who escorts and protects a prominent person
From this reading Chauvelin and his picked escort had in the meanwhile detached themselves from the main body of the squad.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
finallyadverbUS /ˈfaɪnəli/
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Chauvelin and his picked escort had in the meanwhile detached themselves from the main body of the squad.
ghostlyadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊstli/
resembling or characteristic of a phantom
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
grimadjectiveUS /ɡrɪm/
not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
groundnounUS /ɡraʊnd/
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Chauvelin and his picked escort had in the meanwhile detached themselves from the main body of the squad.
hatnounUS /hæt/
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading Heron’s head, with its battered sugar-loaf hat, and the soiled bandage round the brow, was as usual out of the carriage window.
headnounUS /hed/
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Heron’s head, with its battered sugar-loaf hat, and the soiled bandage round the brow, was as usual out of the carriage window.
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Armand and Marguerite from the depth of the carriage heard Heron’s voice ordering his own driver now to take the lead.
Heron'snounUS /ˈherənz/
possessive form of “heron” — Greek mathematician and inventor who devised a way to determine the area of a triangle and who described various mechanical devices (first century)
From this reading Armand and Marguerite from the depth of the carriage heard Heron’s voice ordering his own driver now to take the lead.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Chauvelin and his picked escort had in the meanwhile detached themselves from the main body of the squad.
hoofsnounUS /hʊfs/
plural of “hoof” — the foot of an ungulate mammal
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
horsesnounUS /ˈhɔːrsəz/
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Chauvelin and his picked escort had in the meanwhile detached themselves from the main body of the squad.
indigonounUS /ˈɪndəɡoʊ/
a blue dye obtained from plants or made synthetically
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
leadverbUS /led/
take somebody somewhere
From this reading Armand and Marguerite from the depth of the carriage heard Heron’s voice ordering his own driver now to take the lead.
mainadjectiveUS /meɪn/
most important element
From this reading Chauvelin and his picked escort had in the meanwhile detached themselves from the main body of the squad.
MargueritenounUS /ˌmɑːrɡərˈiːt/
tall leafy-stemmed Eurasian perennial with white flowers; widely naturalized; often placed in genus Chrysanthemum
From this reading Armand and Marguerite from the depth of the carriage heard Heron’s voice ordering his own driver now to take the lead.
meanwhileadverbUS /ˈmiːnwaɪl/
at the same time but in another place
From this reading Chauvelin and his picked escort had in the meanwhile detached themselves from the main body of the squad.
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/
a particular point in time
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Armand and Marguerite from the depth of the carriage heard Heron’s voice ordering his own driver now to take the lead.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Chauvelin and his picked escort had in the meanwhile detached themselves from the main body of the squad.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
orderingnounUS /ˈɔːrdərɪŋ/
logical or comprehensible arrangement of separate elements
From this reading Armand and Marguerite from the depth of the carriage heard Heron’s voice ordering his own driver now to take the lead.
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
ownverbUS /oʊn/
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Armand and Marguerite from the depth of the carriage heard Heron’s voice ordering his own driver now to take the lead.
passedverbUS /pæst/
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
pickedverbUS /pɪkt/
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading Chauvelin and his picked escort had in the meanwhile detached themselves from the main body of the squad.
presentlyadverbUS /ˈprezəntli/
in the near future
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
purplenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəl/
a purple color or pigment
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
roadnounUS /roʊd/
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
roundnounUS /raʊnd/
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Heron’s head, with its battered sugar-loaf hat, and the soiled bandage round the brow, was as usual out of the carriage window.
satnounUS /sæt/
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
seemedverbUS /siːmd/
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
shadowsnounUS /ˈʃædoʊz/
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
silhouetteverbUS /ˌsɪləˈwet/
project on a background, such as a screen, like a silhouette
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
slowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
softadjectiveUS /sɑːft/
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
softlyadverbUS /ˈsɔːftli/
with low volume
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
soiledadjectiveUS /sɔɪld/
soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime
From this reading Heron’s head, with its battered sugar-loaf hat, and the soiled bandage round the brow, was as usual out of the carriage window.
SoonadverbUS /suːn/
in the near future
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
soundnounUS /saʊnd/
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
squadnounUS /skwɑːd/
a smallest army unit
From this reading Chauvelin and his picked escort had in the meanwhile detached themselves from the main body of the squad.
standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/
having a supporting base
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/
not in physical motion
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
sugar-loaf
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Heron’s head, with its battered sugar-loaf hat, and the soiled bandage round the brow, was as usual out of the carriage window.
swallowverbUS /ˈswɑːloʊ/
pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
takeverbUS /teɪk/
carry out
From this reading Armand and Marguerite from the depth of the carriage heard Heron’s voice ordering his own driver now to take the lead.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Chauvelin and his picked escort had in the meanwhile detached themselves from the main body of the squad.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Chauvelin and his picked escort had in the meanwhile detached themselves from the main body of the squad.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
thudverbUS /θʌd/
make a dull sound
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
tonesnounUS /toʊnz/
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
treadingverbUS /ˈtredɪŋ/
-ing form of “tread” — put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading Heron’s head, with its battered sugar-loaf hat, and the soiled bandage round the brow, was as usual out of the carriage window.
voicenounUS /vɔɪs/
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Armand and Marguerite from the depth of the carriage heard Heron’s voice ordering his own driver now to take the lead.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Heron’s head, with its battered sugar-loaf hat, and the soiled bandage round the brow, was as usual out of the carriage window.
watchedverbUS /wɑːtʃt/
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading They sat quite still and watched, and presently the other coach passed them slowly on the road, its silhouette standing out ghostly and grim for a moment against the indigo tones of the distant country.
windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading Heron’s head, with its battered sugar-loaf hat, and the soiled bandage round the brow, was as usual out of the carriage window.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Heron’s head, with its battered sugar-loaf hat, and the soiled bandage round the brow, was as usual out of the carriage window.
woodnounUS /wʊd/
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading Soon the dull thud of their horses’ hoofs treading the soft ground came more softly--then more softly still as they turned into the wood, and the purple shadows seemed to enfold every sound and finally to swallow them completely.
