used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
AlleynounUS /ˈæli/
a narrow street with walls on both sides
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading HAGAR AND LAYDON This is what they did.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The next day was soft as balm.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
balmnounUS /bɑːm/
any of various aromatic resinous substances used for healing and soothing
From this reading The next day was soft as balm.
boughsnounUS /baʊz/
plural of “bough” — any of the larger branches of a tree
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
dark-ringed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The red surged over Hagar, her eyes, dark-ringed, half-closed.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The next day was soft as balm.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading HAGAR AND LAYDON This is what they did.
EglantinenounUS /ˈeɡləntaɪn/
Eurasian rose with prickly stems and fragrant leaves and bright pink flowers followed by scarlet hips
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
emergingadjectiveUS /ɪˈmɜːrdʒɪŋ/
coming to maturity
From this reading Laydon, emerging from the alley, came straight toward her, over a space of gravel and wind-brought leaves.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The red surged over Hagar, her eyes, dark-ringed, half-closed.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Laydon, emerging from the alley, came straight toward her, over a space of gravel and wind-brought leaves.
gravelnounUS /ˈɡrævəl/
rock fragments and pebbles
From this reading Laydon, emerging from the alley, came straight toward her, over a space of gravel and wind-brought leaves.
(of animals) fully developed
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
HAGAR
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HAGAR AND LAYDON This is what they did.
half-closed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The red surged over Hagar, her eyes, dark-ringed, half-closed.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The red surged over Hagar, her eyes, dark-ringed, half-closed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading HAGAR AND LAYDON This is what they did.
LAYDON
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HAGAR AND LAYDON This is what they did.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading The next day was soft as balm.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
a course of conduct
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
plantedadjectiveUS /ˈplæntɪd/
(used especially of ideas or principles) deeply rooted; firmly fixed or held
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading The red surged over Hagar, her eyes, dark-ringed, half-closed.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading The next day was soft as balm.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading Laydon, emerging from the alley, came straight toward her, over a space of gravel and wind-brought leaves.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
successive (without a break)
From this reading Laydon, emerging from the alley, came straight toward her, over a space of gravel and wind-brought leaves.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
surgedverbUS /sɜːrdʒd/
past form of “surge” — rise and move, as in waves or billows
From this reading The red surged over Hagar, her eyes, dark-ringed, half-closed.
sycamorenounUS /ˈsɪkəmɔːr/
variably colored and sometimes variegated hard tough elastic wood of a sycamore tree
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
Syringanoun
large hardy shrub with showy and strongly fragrant creamy-white flowers in short terminal racemes
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The next day was soft as balm.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading HAGAR AND LAYDON This is what they did.
thicklyadverbUS /ˈθɪkli/
spoken with poor articulation as if with a thick tongue
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading HAGAR AND LAYDON This is what they did.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading Laydon, emerging from the alley, came straight toward her, over a space of gravel and wind-brought leaves.
plural of “wall” — 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 To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The next day was soft as balm.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading HAGAR AND LAYDON This is what they did.
wind-brought
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Laydon, emerging from the alley, came straight toward her, over a space of gravel and wind-brought leaves.
windingadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪndɪŋ/
marked by repeated turns and bends
From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
