used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The encampment stood under the lee of a tall sandhill, a few paces back from the brink of a frozen river.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading The winter winds brought down the snow and whirled it among the hummocks until these too were covered.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
annuallyadverbUS /ˈænjuːəli/
without missing a year
From this reading The summer winds drove up the sand between the pine-stems and piled it in hummocks, gaining a few yards annually upon the forest as the old trees fell.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The summer winds drove up the sand between the pine-stems and piled it in hummocks, gaining a few yards annually upon the forest as the old trees fell.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The encampment stood under the lee of a tall sandhill, a few paces back from the brink of a frozen river.
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
brinknounUS /brɪŋk/
a region marking a boundary
From this reading The encampment stood under the lee of a tall sandhill, a few paces back from the brink of a frozen river.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading The winter winds brought down the snow and whirled it among the hummocks until these too were covered.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading The winter winds brought down the snow and whirled it among the hummocks until these too were covered.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The winter winds brought down the snow and whirled it among the hummocks until these too were covered.
a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together
From this reading The summer winds drove up the sand between the pine-stems and piled it in hummocks, gaining a few yards annually upon the forest as the old trees fell.
encampmentnounUS /ɪnˈkæmpmɪnt/
a site where people on holiday can pitch a tent
From this reading The encampment stood under the lee of a tall sandhill, a few paces back from the brink of a frozen river.
endedadjectiveUS /ˈendəd/
having come or been brought to a conclusion
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading The summer winds drove up the sand between the pine-stems and piled it in hummocks, gaining a few yards annually upon the forest as the old trees fell.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The encampment stood under the lee of a tall sandhill, a few paces back from the brink of a frozen river.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
fringenounUS /frɪndʒ/
the outside boundary or surface of something
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The encampment stood under the lee of a tall sandhill, a few paces back from the brink of a frozen river.
frozenadjectiveUS /ˈfroʊzən/
turned into ice; affected by freezing or by long and severe cold
From this reading The encampment stood under the lee of a tall sandhill, a few paces back from the brink of a frozen river.
gainingverbUS /ˈɡeɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “gain” — obtain
From this reading The summer winds drove up the sand between the pine-stems and piled it in hummocks, gaining a few yards annually upon the forest as the old trees fell.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
hummocks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The summer winds drove up the sand between the pine-stems and piled it in hummocks, gaining a few yards annually upon the forest as the old trees fell.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
lagoonnounUS /ləˈɡuːn/
a body of water cut off from a larger body by a reef of sand or coral
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
leenounUS /liː/
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading The encampment stood under the lee of a tall sandhill, a few paces back from the brink of a frozen river.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
NETAWIS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading NETAWIS.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The encampment stood under the lee of a tall sandhill, a few paces back from the brink of a frozen river.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The summer winds drove up the sand between the pine-stems and piled it in hummocks, gaining a few yards annually upon the forest as the old trees fell.
outletnounUS /ˈaʊtlet/
a place of business for retailing goods
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
pacesnounUS /ˈpeɪsɪz/
plural of “pace” — the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading The encampment stood under the lee of a tall sandhill, a few paces back from the brink of a frozen river.
piledverbUS /paɪld/
past form of “pile” — arrange in stacks
From this reading The summer winds drove up the sand between the pine-stems and piled it in hummocks, gaining a few yards annually upon the forest as the old trees fell.
pine-stems
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The summer winds drove up the sand between the pine-stems and piled it in hummocks, gaining a few yards annually upon the forest as the old trees fell.
pinesnounUS /paɪnz/
plural of “pine” — a coniferous tree
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
raggedadjectiveUS /ˈræɡəd/
being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading The encampment stood under the lee of a tall sandhill, a few paces back from the brink of a frozen river.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading The summer winds drove up the sand between the pine-stems and piled it in hummocks, gaining a few yards annually upon the forest as the old trees fell.
sandhill
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The encampment stood under the lee of a tall sandhill, a few paces back from the brink of a frozen river.
sandyadjectiveUS /ˈsændi/
of hair color; pale yellowish to yellowish brown
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
shiftedverbUS /ˈʃɪftɪd/
past form of “shift” — make a shift in or exchange of
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading The winter winds brought down the snow and whirled it among the hummocks until these too were covered.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The encampment stood under the lee of a tall sandhill, a few paces back from the brink of a frozen river.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading The summer winds drove up the sand between the pine-stems and piled it in hummocks, gaining a few yards annually upon the forest as the old trees fell.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading The encampment stood under the lee of a tall sandhill, a few paces back from the brink of a frozen river.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The encampment stood under the lee of a tall sandhill, a few paces back from the brink of a frozen river.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The winter winds brought down the snow and whirled it among the hummocks until these too were covered.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading The winter winds brought down the snow and whirled it among the hummocks until these too were covered.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading The summer winds drove up the sand between the pine-stems and piled it in hummocks, gaining a few yards annually upon the forest as the old trees fell.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading The encampment stood under the lee of a tall sandhill, a few paces back from the brink of a frozen river.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading The winter winds brought down the snow and whirled it among the hummocks until these too were covered.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The summer winds drove up the sand between the pine-stems and piled it in hummocks, gaining a few yards annually upon the forest as the old trees fell.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The summer winds drove up the sand between the pine-stems and piled it in hummocks, gaining a few yards annually upon the forest as the old trees fell.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The winter winds brought down the snow and whirled it among the hummocks until these too were covered.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
whirledverbUS /wɜːrld/
past form of “whirl” — turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading The winter winds brought down the snow and whirled it among the hummocks until these too were covered.
plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The summer winds drove up the sand between the pine-stems and piled it in hummocks, gaining a few yards annually upon the forest as the old trees fell.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading The winter winds brought down the snow and whirled it among the hummocks until these too were covered.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Here the forest ended in a ragged fringe of pines; and, below, the river spread into a lagoon, with a sandy bar between it and the lake, and a narrow outlet which shifted with every storm.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading The summer winds drove up the sand between the pine-stems and piled it in hummocks, gaining a few yards annually upon the forest as the old trees fell.
