used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And as I bent down, through the tail of my eye I caught a glimpse of something white between the desk and the wall.
absorbedadjectiveUS /əbˈzɔːrbd/
giving or marked by complete attention to
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury
From this reading I happened on the thing by the merest accident.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading And as I bent down, through the tail of my eye I caught a glimpse of something white between the desk and the wall.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading And as I bent down, through the tail of my eye I caught a glimpse of something white between the desk and the wall.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading And as I bent down, through the tail of my eye I caught a glimpse of something white between the desk and the wall.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
bundlesnounUS /ˈbʌndəlz/
plural of “bundle” — a collection of things wrapped or boxed together
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
the act of burning something
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading I happened on the thing by the merest accident.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading And as I bent down, through the tail of my eye I caught a glimpse of something white between the desk and the wall.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
DalesnounUS /deɪlz/
plural of “dale” — an open river valley (in a hilly area)
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading And as I bent down, through the tail of my eye I caught a glimpse of something white between the desk and the wall.
dustyadjectiveUS /ˈdʌsti/
covered with a layer of dust
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
the organ of sight
From this reading And as I bent down, through the tail of my eye I caught a glimpse of something white between the desk and the wall.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
fro
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
a quick look
From this reading And as I bent down, through the tail of my eye I caught a glimpse of something white between the desk and the wall.
the act of departing
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
destroyed or killed
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
gratenounUS /ɡreɪt/
a frame of iron bars to hold a fire
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading I happened on the thing by the merest accident.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I happened on the thing by the merest accident.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
staying power
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
the literary culture
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
merestadjectiveUS /ˈmerəst/
superlative of “mere” — being nothing more than specified
From this reading I happened on the thing by the merest accident.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
nasturtiumnoun
any tropical American plant of the genus Tropaeolum having pungent juice and long-spurred yellow to red flowers
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
nibblingverbUS /ˈnɪbəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “nibble” — bite off very small pieces
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And as I bent down, through the tail of my eye I caught a glimpse of something white between the desk and the wall.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I happened on the thing by the merest accident.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
OwennounUS /ˈoʊən/
Welsh industrialist and social reformer who founded cooperative communities (1771-1858)
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
parlournounUS /ˈpɑːrlər/
reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be received
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
replacingnounUS /rɪˈpleɪsɪŋ/
the act of furnishing an equivalent person or thing in the place of another
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
shoe-lace
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading And as I bent down, through the tail of my eye I caught a glimpse of something white between the desk and the wall.
not in physical motion
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
swingingnounUS /ˈswɪŋɪŋ/
changing location by moving back and forth
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body
From this reading And as I bent down, through the tail of my eye I caught a glimpse of something white between the desk and the wall.
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I happened on the thing by the merest accident.
a special situation
From this reading I happened on the thing by the merest accident.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
tyingnounUS /ˈtaɪɪŋ/
the act of tying or binding things together
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading My father had been going through the papers in his desk the night before, tying up old letters in bundles, and burning many in the grate.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
at the time that
From this reading He had been quite absorbed in this dusty task when Owen and I had come in from our walk, and he had been still absorbed in it when we had left him and gone up to bed.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
whistlingnounUS /ˈwɪslɪŋ/
the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture
From this reading This afternoon we were to call for the Dales, and Owen was waiting for me now in the garden, sitting on the wall, nibbling nasturtium leaves, whistling, and swinging his legs to and fro, while I, having broken my shoe-lace, was in the parlour replacing it.
a Caucasian
From this reading And as I bent down, through the tail of my eye I caught a glimpse of something white between the desk and the wall.
