used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading As he stepped down from the gang-plank and touched French soil, he gazed about him in delight.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Beyond them the fields waved in the summer air and the June sky spread blue over France.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Beyond them the fields waved in the summer air and the June sky spread blue over France.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As he stepped down from the gang-plank and touched French soil, he gazed about him in delight.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading Beyond them the fields waved in the summer air and the June sky spread blue over France.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Beyond them the fields waved in the summer air and the June sky spread blue over France.
cliffsnounUS /klɪfs/
plural of “cliff” — a steep high face of rock
From this reading The cliffs which he saw rising white in the sunlight were the Norman cliffs.
continentnounUS /ˈkɑːntənənt/
one of the large landmasses of the earth
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
placed crosswise
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading As he stepped down from the gang-plank and touched French soil, he gazed about him in delight.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading As he stepped down from the gang-plank and touched French soil, he gazed about him in delight.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)
From this reading Beyond them the fields waved in the summer air and the June sky spread blue over France.
a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe
From this reading Beyond them the fields waved in the summer air and the June sky spread blue over France.
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading As he stepped down from the gang-plank and touched French soil, he gazed about him in delight.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading As he stepped down from the gang-plank and touched French soil, he gazed about him in delight.
gang-plank
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As he stepped down from the gang-plank and touched French soil, he gazed about him in delight.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading As he stepped down from the gang-plank and touched French soil, he gazed about him in delight.
gleamingnounUS /ˈɡliːmɪŋ/
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The cliffs which he saw rising white in the sunlight were the Norman cliffs.
indescribablyadverb
to an inexpressible degree
From this reading The air was salt and indescribably sweet.
the month following May and preceding July
From this reading Beyond them the fields waved in the summer air and the June sky spread blue over France.
and nothing more
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
appealing to the emotions as well as the eye
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
NormannounUS /ˈnɔːrmən/
United States operatic soprano (born in 1945)
From this reading The cliffs which he saw rising white in the sunlight were the Norman cliffs.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Beyond them the fields waved in the summer air and the June sky spread blue over France.
ripplenounUS /ˈrɪpəl/
a small wave on the surface of a liquid
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status
From this reading The cliffs which he saw rising white in the sunlight were the Norman cliffs.
a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)
From this reading The air was salt and indescribably sweet.
cut with a saw
From this reading The cliffs which he saw rising white in the sunlight were the Norman cliffs.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
shoresnounUS /ʃɔːrz/
plural of “shore” — the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading Beyond them the fields waved in the summer air and the June sky spread blue over France.
the state of being covered with unclean things
From this reading As he stepped down from the gang-plank and touched French soil, he gazed about him in delight.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading Beyond them the fields waved in the summer air and the June sky spread blue over France.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading As he stepped down from the gang-plank and touched French soil, he gazed about him in delight.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading Beyond them the fields waved in the summer air and the June sky spread blue over France.
the rays of the sun
From this reading The cliffs which he saw rising white in the sunlight were the Norman cliffs.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading The air was salt and indescribably sweet.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Beyond them the fields waved in the summer air and the June sky spread blue over France.
having come into contact
From this reading As he stepped down from the gang-plank and touched French soil, he gazed about him in delight.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The air was salt and indescribably sweet.
washingnounUS /ˈwɑːʃɪŋ/
the work of cleansing (usually with soap and water)
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
past form of “wave” — signal with the hands or nod
From this reading Beyond them the fields waved in the summer air and the June sky spread blue over France.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The cliffs which he saw rising white in the sunlight were the Norman cliffs.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The sea which he had just crossed lay gleaming behind him, every lovely ripple washing the shores of a new continent.
a Caucasian
From this reading The cliffs which he saw rising white in the sunlight were the Norman cliffs.
