used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading As he walked slowly along his mind suddenly reverted to the year he had spent in Mauchline.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As he walked slowly along his mind suddenly reverted to the year he had spent in Mauchline.
atticnounUS /ˈætɪk/
floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It had been his first taste of town life.
bestowverbUS /bɪˈstoʊ/
present
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
burstingverbUS /ˈbɜːrstɪŋ/
-ing form of “burst” — come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
caresnounUS /kerz/
plural of “care” — the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
a small house with a single story
From this reading Mechanically he turned his footsteps toward the cottage, plunged in deep reverie.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading Mechanically he turned his footsteps toward the cottage, plunged in deep reverie.
dissolvedadjectiveUS /dɪˈzɑːlvd/
(of solid matter) reduced to a liquid form
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
an old word for “before”
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
fadedadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪdəd/
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
be a farmer; work as a farmer
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading It had been his first taste of town life.
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading Mechanically he turned his footsteps toward the cottage, plunged in deep reverie.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
for a limitless time
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
fragmentsnounUS /ˈfræɡmənts/
plural of “fragment” — a piece broken off or cut off of something else
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
GoddessnounUS /ˈɡɑːdəs/
a female deity
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
hold firmly
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading As he walked slowly along his mind suddenly reverted to the year he had spent in Mauchline.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Mechanically he turned his footsteps toward the cottage, plunged in deep reverie.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It had been his first taste of town life.
itched
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
laborsnounUS /ˈleɪbərz/
plural of “labor” — a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
lapverbUS /læp/
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
immediately past
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading It had been his first taste of town life.
longedverbUS /lɔːŋd/
past form of “long” — desire strongly or persistently
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
lusterlessadjective
lacking brilliance or vitality
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
Mauchline
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As he walked slowly along his mind suddenly reverted to the year he had spent in Mauchline.
MechanicallyadverbUS /məˈkænɪkli/
in a mechanical manner; by a mechanism
From this reading Mechanically he turned his footsteps toward the cottage, plunged in deep reverie.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading As he walked slowly along his mind suddenly reverted to the year he had spent in Mauchline.
MusenounUS /mjuːz/
in ancient Greek mythology any of 9 daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne; protector of an art or science
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
easily agitated
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
pearlsnounUS /pɜːrlz/
plural of “pearl” — a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
pencilnounUS /ˈpensəl/
a thin cylindrical pointed writing implement; a rod of marking substance encased in wood
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
past form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into
From this reading Mechanically he turned his footsteps toward the cottage, plunged in deep reverie.
plural of “power” — possession of controlling influence
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
past form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
reverienounUS /ˈrevəri/
absentminded dreaming while awake
From this reading Mechanically he turned his footsteps toward the cottage, plunged in deep reverie.
revertedverbUS /rɪˈvɜːrtɪd/
past form of “revert” — go back to a previous state
From this reading As he walked slowly along his mind suddenly reverted to the year he had spent in Mauchline.
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
seednounUS /siːd/
a small hard fruit
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
try to get or reach
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading As he walked slowly along his mind suddenly reverted to the year he had spent in Mauchline.
a short musical composition with words
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
depleted of energy, force, or strength
From this reading As he walked slowly along his mind suddenly reverted to the year he had spent in Mauchline.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading As he walked slowly along his mind suddenly reverted to the year he had spent in Mauchline.
To perceive flavor through the mouth.
From this reading It had been his first taste of town life.
thankfulnessnounUS /ˈθæŋkfəlnes/
warm friendly feelings of gratitude
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading Mechanically he turned his footsteps toward the cottage, plunged in deep reverie.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading It had been his first taste of town life.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Mechanically he turned his footsteps toward the cottage, plunged in deep reverie.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading As he walked slowly along his mind suddenly reverted to the year he had spent in Mauchline.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Robert flung the last of his seed corn into the earth with a sigh of thankfulness, for though he gave the powers of his body to the labors of the farm, he refused to bestow on them his thoughts or his cares.
worshipfuladjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrʃəpfəl/
showing adoration
From this reading He longed to seek the quiet of his attic room, for his soul was bursting with song and his nervous fingers fairly itched to grasp his pencil and catch and hold forever the pearls dropped from the lap of the Goddess Muse into his worshipful soul, ere they faded and dissolved into lusterless fragments.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading As he walked slowly along his mind suddenly reverted to the year he had spent in Mauchline.
