used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was the roughest sort of track, cut through a beech wood, up a hill.
at or in the front
From this reading A quarter of a mile of rough going, a turn, and suddenly Lewis saw the farmhouse through lacings of bare branches straight ahead.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was set halfway up a sloping meadow with an orchard at its back.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A quarter of a mile of rough going, a turn, and suddenly Lewis saw the farmhouse through lacings of bare branches straight ahead.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was set halfway up a sloping meadow with an orchard at its back.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading It was set halfway up a sloping meadow with an orchard at its back.
completely unclothed
From this reading A quarter of a mile of rough going, a turn, and suddenly Lewis saw the farmhouse through lacings of bare branches straight ahead.
beechnounUS /biːtʃ/
any of several large deciduous trees with rounded spreading crowns and smooth grey bark and small sweet edible triangular nuts enclosed in burs; north temperate regions
From this reading It was the roughest sort of track, cut through a beech wood, up a hill.
plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading A quarter of a mile of rough going, a turn, and suddenly Lewis saw the farmhouse through lacings of bare branches straight ahead.
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading They had driven out in Lewis’ car, leaving Neil’s parked in Marlboro Street.
clapboarded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The little old clapboarded dwelling was the color of the branches through which Lewis was seeing it, silver-gray-black-violet.
a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect
From this reading The little old clapboarded dwelling was the color of the branches through which Lewis was seeing it, silver-gray-black-violet.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading It was the roughest sort of track, cut through a beech wood, up a hill.
compelled forcibly by an outside agency
From this reading They had driven out in Lewis’ car, leaving Neil’s parked in Marlboro Street.
dwellingnounUS /ˈdwelɪŋ/
housing that someone is living in
From this reading The little old clapboarded dwelling was the color of the branches through which Lewis was seeing it, silver-gray-black-violet.
farmhousenounUS /ˈfɑːrmhaʊs/
house for a farmer and family
From this reading A quarter of a mile of rough going, a turn, and suddenly Lewis saw the farmhouse through lacings of bare branches straight ahead.
the act of departing
From this reading A quarter of a mile of rough going, a turn, and suddenly Lewis saw the farmhouse through lacings of bare branches straight ahead.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had driven out in Lewis’ car, leaving Neil’s parked in Marlboro Street.
halfwayadjectiveUS /ˈhæfˈweɪ/
equally distant from the extremes
From this reading It was set halfway up a sloping meadow with an orchard at its back.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading It was the roughest sort of track, cut through a beech wood, up a hill.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They had driven out in Lewis’ car, leaving Neil’s parked in Marlboro Street.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the roughest sort of track, cut through a beech wood, up a hill.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It was set halfway up a sloping meadow with an orchard at its back.
lacings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A quarter of a mile of rough going, a turn, and suddenly Lewis saw the farmhouse through lacings of bare branches straight ahead.
the act of departing
From this reading They had driven out in Lewis’ car, leaving Neil’s parked in Marlboro Street.
LewisnounUS /ˈluːɪs/
United States rock star singer and pianist (born in 1935)
From this reading They had driven out in Lewis’ car, leaving Neil’s parked in Marlboro Street.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The little old clapboarded dwelling was the color of the branches through which Lewis was seeing it, silver-gray-black-violet.
Marlboro
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had driven out in Lewis’ car, leaving Neil’s parked in Marlboro Street.
meadownounUS /ˈmedoʊ/
a field where grass or alfalfa are grown to be made into hay
From this reading It was set halfway up a sloping meadow with an orchard at its back.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading A quarter of a mile of rough going, a turn, and suddenly Lewis saw the farmhouse through lacings of bare branches straight ahead.
Neil's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had driven out in Lewis’ car, leaving Neil’s parked in Marlboro Street.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was the roughest sort of track, cut through a beech wood, up a hill.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The little old clapboarded dwelling was the color of the branches through which Lewis was seeing it, silver-gray-black-violet.
orchardnounUS /ˈɔːrtʃərd/
garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth
From this reading It was set halfway up a sloping meadow with an orchard at its back.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading They had driven out in Lewis’ car, leaving Neil’s parked in Marlboro Street.
parkedadjectiveUS /pɑːrkt/
that have been left
From this reading They had driven out in Lewis’ car, leaving Neil’s parked in Marlboro Street.
one of four equal parts
From this reading A quarter of a mile of rough going, a turn, and suddenly Lewis saw the farmhouse through lacings of bare branches straight ahead.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading A quarter of a mile of rough going, a turn, and suddenly Lewis saw the farmhouse through lacings of bare branches straight ahead.
roughestadjectiveUS /ˈrʌfəst/
superlative of “rough” — having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading It was the roughest sort of track, cut through a beech wood, up a hill.
cut with a saw
From this reading A quarter of a mile of rough going, a turn, and suddenly Lewis saw the farmhouse through lacings of bare branches straight ahead.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading The little old clapboarded dwelling was the color of the branches through which Lewis was seeing it, silver-gray-black-violet.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It was set halfway up a sloping meadow with an orchard at its back.
silver-gray-black-violet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The little old clapboarded dwelling was the color of the branches through which Lewis was seeing it, silver-gray-black-violet.
slopingadjectiveUS /ˈsloʊpɪŋ/
having an oblique or slanted direction
From this reading It was set halfway up a sloping meadow with an orchard at its back.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading It was the roughest sort of track, cut through a beech wood, up a hill.
successive (without a break)
From this reading A quarter of a mile of rough going, a turn, and suddenly Lewis saw the farmhouse through lacings of bare branches straight ahead.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading They had driven out in Lewis’ car, leaving Neil’s parked in Marlboro Street.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading A quarter of a mile of rough going, a turn, and suddenly Lewis saw the farmhouse through lacings of bare branches straight ahead.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was the roughest sort of track, cut through a beech wood, up a hill.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had driven out in Lewis’ car, leaving Neil’s parked in Marlboro Street.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading It was the roughest sort of track, cut through a beech wood, up a hill.
a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading It was the roughest sort of track, cut through a beech wood, up a hill.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading A quarter of a mile of rough going, a turn, and suddenly Lewis saw the farmhouse through lacings of bare branches straight ahead.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading It was the roughest sort of track, cut through a beech wood, up a hill.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was the roughest sort of track, cut through a beech wood, up a hill.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The little old clapboarded dwelling was the color of the branches through which Lewis was seeing it, silver-gray-black-violet.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was set halfway up a sloping meadow with an orchard at its back.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading It was the roughest sort of track, cut through a beech wood, up a hill.
