used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Julia and her conductors proceeded at a quicker pace than the first appearance of their horses promised.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading “Wherefore comest thou, lovely maid, I said, Over rocks, over mountains, why art thou On the desert hill, why on the heath alone?”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Julia and her conductors proceeded at a quicker pace than the first appearance of their horses promised.
with anxiety or apprehension
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading Julia and her conductors proceeded at a quicker pace than the first appearance of their horses promised.
inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading “Wherefore comest thou, lovely maid, I said, Over rocks, over mountains, why art thou On the desert hill, why on the heath alone?”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
ascentnounUS /əˈsent/
an upward slope or grade (as in a road)
From this reading Their way lay over a ridge of mountains; both the ascent and descent were rugged and dangerous in the extreme, and occupied some hours.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Julia and her conductors proceeded at a quicker pace than the first appearance of their horses promised.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading At length Julia became sensible that they were crossing a wide common.
next to; at the side of
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Their way lay over a ridge of mountains; both the ascent and descent were rugged and dangerous in the extreme, and occupied some hours.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
comest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Wherefore comest thou, lovely maid, I said, Over rocks, over mountains, why art thou On the desert hill, why on the heath alone?”
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading At length Julia became sensible that they were crossing a wide common.
conductorsnounUS /kənˈdʌktərz/
plural of “conductor” — the person who leads a musical group
From this reading Julia and her conductors proceeded at a quicker pace than the first appearance of their horses promised.
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
traveling across
From this reading At length Julia became sensible that they were crossing a wide common.
cultivationnounUS /ˌkʌltɪˈveɪʃən/
socialization through training and education to develop one's mind or manners
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm
From this reading Their way lay over a ridge of mountains; both the ascent and descent were rugged and dangerous in the extreme, and occupied some hours.
descentnounUS /dɪˈsent/
An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.
From this reading Their way lay over a ridge of mountains; both the ascent and descent were rugged and dangerous in the extreme, and occupied some hours.
descried
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading “Wherefore comest thou, lovely maid, I said, Over rocks, over mountains, why art thou On the desert hill, why on the heath alone?”
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
apart from; not including
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity
From this reading Their way lay over a ridge of mountains; both the ascent and descent were rugged and dangerous in the extreme, and occupied some hours.
plural of “fire” — the event of something burning (often destructive)
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Julia and her conductors proceeded at a quicker pace than the first appearance of their horses promised.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
habitationnounUS /ˌhæbəˈteɪʃən/
the native habitat or home of an animal or plant
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
heathnounUS /hiːθ/
a low evergreen shrub of the family Ericaceae; has small bell-shaped pink or purple flowers
From this reading “Wherefore comest thou, lovely maid, I said, Over rocks, over mountains, why art thou On the desert hill, why on the heath alone?”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Julia and her conductors proceeded at a quicker pace than the first appearance of their horses promised.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading “Wherefore comest thou, lovely maid, I said, Over rocks, over mountains, why art thou On the desert hill, why on the heath alone?”
the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading Julia and her conductors proceeded at a quicker pace than the first appearance of their horses promised.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading Their way lay over a ridge of mountains; both the ascent and descent were rugged and dangerous in the extreme, and occupied some hours.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Wherefore comest thou, lovely maid, I said, Over rocks, over mountains, why art thou On the desert hill, why on the heath alone?”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Their way lay over a ridge of mountains; both the ascent and descent were rugged and dangerous in the extreme, and occupied some hours.
indicativeadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈdɪkətɪv/
relating to the mood of verbs that is used simple in declarative statements
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
Julia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Julia and her conductors proceeded at a quicker pace than the first appearance of their horses promised.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Their way lay over a ridge of mountains; both the ascent and descent were rugged and dangerous in the extreme, and occupied some hours.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading At length Julia became sensible that they were crossing a wide common.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
appealing to the emotions as well as the eye
From this reading “Wherefore comest thou, lovely maid, I said, Over rocks, over mountains, why art thou On the desert hill, why on the heath alone?”
a female domestic
From this reading “Wherefore comest thou, lovely maid, I said, Over rocks, over mountains, why art thou On the desert hill, why on the heath alone?”
moundnounUS /maʊnd/
(baseball) the slight elevation on which the pitcher stands
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading “Wherefore comest thou, lovely maid, I said, Over rocks, over mountains, why art thou On the desert hill, why on the heath alone?”
not one thing; not anything
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
held or filled or in use
From this reading Their way lay over a ridge of mountains; both the ascent and descent were rugged and dangerous in the extreme, and occupied some hours.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Julia and her conductors proceeded at a quicker pace than the first appearance of their horses promised.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Wherefore comest thou, lovely maid, I said, Over rocks, over mountains, why art thou On the desert hill, why on the heath alone?”
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
OverprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading “Wherefore comest thou, lovely maid, I said, Over rocks, over mountains, why art thou On the desert hill, why on the heath alone?”
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading Julia and her conductors proceeded at a quicker pace than the first appearance of their horses promised.
past form of “proceed” — continue talking
From this reading Julia and her conductors proceeded at a quicker pace than the first appearance of their horses promised.
past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment
From this reading Julia and her conductors proceeded at a quicker pace than the first appearance of their horses promised.
quickeradverbUS /ˈkwɪkər/
more quickly
From this reading Julia and her conductors proceeded at a quicker pace than the first appearance of their horses promised.
ridgenounUS /rɪdʒ/
a long narrow natural elevation or striation
From this reading Their way lay over a ridge of mountains; both the ascent and descent were rugged and dangerous in the extreme, and occupied some hours.
plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading “Wherefore comest thou, lovely maid, I said, Over rocks, over mountains, why art thou On the desert hill, why on the heath alone?”
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
ruggedadjectiveUS /ˈrʌɡəd/
sturdy and strong in constitution or construction; enduring
From this reading Their way lay over a ridge of mountains; both the ascent and descent were rugged and dangerous in the extreme, and occupied some hours.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Wherefore comest thou, lovely maid, I said, Over rocks, over mountains, why art thou On the desert hill, why on the heath alone?”
showing reason or sound judgment
From this reading At length Julia became sensible that they were crossing a wide common.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Their way lay over a ridge of mountains; both the ascent and descent were rugged and dangerous in the extreme, and occupied some hours.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Julia and her conductors proceeded at a quicker pace than the first appearance of their horses promised.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading At length Julia became sensible that they were crossing a wide common.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Wherefore comest thou, lovely maid, I said, Over rocks, over mountains, why art thou On the desert hill, why on the heath alone?”
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Julia and her conductors proceeded at a quicker pace than the first appearance of their horses promised.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At length Julia became sensible that they were crossing a wide common.
an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person
From this reading “Wherefore comest thou, lovely maid, I said, Over rocks, over mountains, why art thou On the desert hill, why on the heath alone?”
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
vergenounUS /vɜːrdʒ/
a region marking a boundary
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Their way lay over a ridge of mountains; both the ascent and descent were rugged and dangerous in the extreme, and occupied some hours.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Their way lay over a ridge of mountains; both the ascent and descent were rugged and dangerous in the extreme, and occupied some hours.
WhereforeadverbUS /werˈfɔːr/
an old word meaning “why” or “for that reason”
From this reading “Wherefore comest thou, lovely maid, I said, Over rocks, over mountains, why art thou On the desert hill, why on the heath alone?”
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Wherefore comest thou, lovely maid, I said, Over rocks, over mountains, why art thou On the desert hill, why on the heath alone?”
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading At length Julia became sensible that they were crossing a wide common.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She looked anxiously round for some human habitation, but could discover nothing indicative of cultivation or of life, except that almost at the verge of the horizon, as well as at a considerable distance from each other, she descried three great fires, close to each of which arose a single round tower, with a large mound beside it.
