used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They led her to the nearer stake, and bound her there.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Quickly, as is its wont, the Solway tide rushed over the sand.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Before Margaret Wilson was fastened to the stake, the water was knee-deep where Margaret Lauchlison stood: and soon it was at the maiden’s feet.
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
confined by bonds
From this reading They led her to the nearer stake, and bound her there.
crueltynounUS /ˈkruːlti/
a cruel act; a deliberate infliction of pain and suffering
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
a person who is older than you are
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
engulfedverbUS /ɪnˈɡʌlft/
past form of “engulf” — devote (oneself) fully to
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
firmly closed or secured
From this reading Before Margaret Wilson was fastened to the stake, the water was knee-deep where Margaret Lauchlison stood: and soon it was at the maiden’s feet.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Before Margaret Wilson was fastened to the stake, the water was knee-deep where Margaret Lauchlison stood: and soon it was at the maiden’s feet.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
people in general (often used in the plural)
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
groannounUS /ɡroʊn/
an utterance expressing pain or disapproval
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading They led her to the nearer stake, and bound her there.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Quickly, as is its wont, the Solway tide rushed over the sand.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Before Margaret Wilson was fastened to the stake, the water was knee-deep where Margaret Lauchlison stood: and soon it was at the maiden’s feet.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Quickly, as is its wont, the Solway tide rushed over the sand.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
knee-deepadjective
coming only to the ankle or knee
From this reading Before Margaret Wilson was fastened to the stake, the water was knee-deep where Margaret Lauchlison stood: and soon it was at the maiden’s feet.
knotsnounUS /nɑːts/
plural of “knot” — a tight cluster of people or things
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
Lauchlison
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Before Margaret Wilson was fastened to the stake, the water was knee-deep where Margaret Lauchlison stood: and soon it was at the maiden’s feet.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading They led her to the nearer stake, and bound her there.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
maiden's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Before Margaret Wilson was fastened to the stake, the water was knee-deep where Margaret Lauchlison stood: and soon it was at the maiden’s feet.
Margaret
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Before Margaret Wilson was fastened to the stake, the water was knee-deep where Margaret Lauchlison stood: and soon it was at the maiden’s feet.
leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
murmurnounUS /ˈmɜːrmər/
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading They led her to the nearer stake, and bound her there.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Quickly, as is its wont, the Solway tide rushed over the sand.
persuadedverbUS /pərˈsweɪdɪd/
past form of “persuade” — win approval or support for
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
with speed
From this reading Quickly, as is its wont, the Solway tide rushed over the sand.
recantverbUS /riˈkænt/
formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
done under pressure
From this reading Quickly, as is its wont, the Solway tide rushed over the sand.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading Quickly, as is its wont, the Solway tide rushed over the sand.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
Solway
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Quickly, as is its wont, the Solway tide rushed over the sand.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
in the near future
From this reading Before Margaret Wilson was fastened to the stake, the water was knee-deep where Margaret Lauchlison stood: and soon it was at the maiden’s feet.
stakenounUS /steɪk/
(law) a right or legal share of something; a financial involvement with something
From this reading They led her to the nearer stake, and bound her there.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Before Margaret Wilson was fastened to the stake, the water was knee-deep where Margaret Lauchlison stood: and soon it was at the maiden’s feet.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They led her to the nearer stake, and bound her there.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
in or at that place or location
From this reading They led her to the nearer stake, and bound her there.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They led her to the nearer stake, and bound her there.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon
From this reading Quickly, as is its wont, the Solway tide rushed over the sand.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They led her to the nearer stake, and bound her there.
having come into contact
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading Before Margaret Wilson was fastened to the stake, the water was knee-deep where Margaret Lauchlison stood: and soon it was at the maiden’s feet.
one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
in or at the place that
From this reading Before Margaret Wilson was fastened to the stake, the water was knee-deep where Margaret Lauchlison stood: and soon it was at the maiden’s feet.
which person or people
From this reading As the first wave touched her there was a murmur like a groan from some of the town folk who had followed us and stood behind us in little knots upon the river bank.
WilsonnounUS /ˈwɪlsən/
author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)
From this reading Before Margaret Wilson was fastened to the stake, the water was knee-deep where Margaret Lauchlison stood: and soon it was at the maiden’s feet.
someone who sees an event and reports what happened
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
wontnounUS /woʊnt/
an established custom
From this reading Quickly, as is its wont, the Solway tide rushed over the sand.
used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father
From this reading There was a kind of mercy in their cruelty, for they thought that if the younger woman should witness the death of the elder one she might be persuaded to recant before she herself was engulfed.
