used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The burns bubbled merrily among the long grasses and the bracken, the myrtle cast a sharp and tonic sweetness all around.
not being in a specified place
From this reading Then he was absent, indeed!
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading For he was riding through an air almost jocund, and his spirit sang within him.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading The burns bubbled merrily among the long grasses and the bracken, the myrtle cast a sharp and tonic sweetness all around.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading For he was riding through an air almost jocund, and his spirit sang within him.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading The burns bubbled merrily among the long grasses and the bracken, the myrtle cast a sharp and tonic sweetness all around.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For he was riding through an air almost jocund, and his spirit sang within him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Was the glen as sad and empty as before?
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The burns bubbled merrily among the long grasses and the bracken, the myrtle cast a sharp and tonic sweetness all around.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Was the glen as sad and empty as before?
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading If the lambs were still wailing when Gilian got back to Ladyfield he never heard them.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Was the glen as sad and empty as before?
brackennounUS /ˈbrækən/
fern of southeastern Asia; not hardy in cold temperate regions
From this reading The burns bubbled merrily among the long grasses and the bracken, the myrtle cast a sharp and tonic sweetness all around.
bubbledverbUS /ˈbʌbəld/
past form of “bubble” — form, produce, or emit bubbles
From this reading The burns bubbled merrily among the long grasses and the bracken, the myrtle cast a sharp and tonic sweetness all around.
burnsnounUS /bɜːrnz/
United States comedian and film actor (1896-1996)
From this reading The burns bubbled merrily among the long grasses and the bracken, the myrtle cast a sharp and tonic sweetness all around.
put or send forth
From this reading The burns bubbled merrily among the long grasses and the bracken, the myrtle cast a sharp and tonic sweetness all around.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading Was the glen as sad and empty as before?
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For he was riding through an air almost jocund, and his spirit sang within him.
Gilian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If the lambs were still wailing when Gilian got back to Ladyfield he never heard them.
glennounUS /ɡlen/
a narrow secluded valley (in the mountains)
From this reading Was the glen as sad and empty as before?
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading If the lambs were still wailing when Gilian got back to Ladyfield he never heard them.
grassesnounUS /ˈɡræsəz/
plural of “grass” — narrow-leaved green herbage: grown as lawns; used as pasture for grazing animals; cut and dried as hay
From this reading The burns bubbled merrily among the long grasses and the bracken, the myrtle cast a sharp and tonic sweetness all around.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If the lambs were still wailing when Gilian got back to Ladyfield he never heard them.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading If the lambs were still wailing when Gilian got back to Ladyfield he never heard them.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading For he was riding through an air almost jocund, and his spirit sang within him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For he was riding through an air almost jocund, and his spirit sang within him.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If the lambs were still wailing when Gilian got back to Ladyfield he never heard them.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading Then he was absent, indeed!
jocundadjective
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading For he was riding through an air almost jocund, and his spirit sang within him.
Ladyfield
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If the lambs were still wailing when Gilian got back to Ladyfield he never heard them.
lambsnounUS /læmz/
plural of “lamb” — young sheep
From this reading If the lambs were still wailing when Gilian got back to Ladyfield he never heard them.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The burns bubbled merrily among the long grasses and the bracken, the myrtle cast a sharp and tonic sweetness all around.
merrilyadverbUS /ˈmerəli/
in a joyous manner
From this reading The burns bubbled merrily among the long grasses and the bracken, the myrtle cast a sharp and tonic sweetness all around.
myrtlenounUS /ˈmɜːrtəl/
widely cultivated as a groundcover for its dark green shiny leaves and usually blue-violet flowers
From this reading The burns bubbled merrily among the long grasses and the bracken, the myrtle cast a sharp and tonic sweetness all around.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading If the lambs were still wailing when Gilian got back to Ladyfield he never heard them.
the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements
From this reading For he was riding through an air almost jocund, and his spirit sang within him.
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading Was the glen as sad and empty as before?
North American woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the Chinese ginseng
From this reading For he was riding through an air almost jocund, and his spirit sang within him.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading The burns bubbled merrily among the long grasses and the bracken, the myrtle cast a sharp and tonic sweetness all around.
the vital principle or animating force within living things
From this reading For he was riding through an air almost jocund, and his spirit sang within him.
not in physical motion
From this reading If the lambs were still wailing when Gilian got back to Ladyfield he never heard them.
sweetnessnounUS /ˈswiːtnəs/
the taste experience when sugar dissolves in the mouth
From this reading The burns bubbled merrily among the long grasses and the bracken, the myrtle cast a sharp and tonic sweetness all around.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading If the lambs were still wailing when Gilian got back to Ladyfield he never heard them.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading If the lambs were still wailing when Gilian got back to Ladyfield he never heard them.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he was absent, indeed!
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading For he was riding through an air almost jocund, and his spirit sang within him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading If the lambs were still wailing when Gilian got back to Ladyfield he never heard them.
tonicadjectiveUS /ˈtɑːnɪk/
of or relating to or producing normal tone or tonus in muscles or tissue
From this reading The burns bubbled merrily among the long grasses and the bracken, the myrtle cast a sharp and tonic sweetness all around.
wailingnounUS /ˈweɪlɪŋ/
loud cries made while weeping
From this reading If the lambs were still wailing when Gilian got back to Ladyfield he never heard them.
Wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Was the glen as sad and empty as before?
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading If the lambs were still wailing when Gilian got back to Ladyfield he never heard them.
at the time that
From this reading If the lambs were still wailing when Gilian got back to Ladyfield he never heard them.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading For he was riding through an air almost jocund, and his spirit sang within him.
