Chapter I · Chapter 1

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

distinctive manner of oral expression

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

(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 theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

tried unsuccessfully

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

Bound written or printed works.

From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ This is one of Fenn's earliest books.

a youthful male person

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Hollowdell Grange, by George Manville Fenn.

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

requiring full use of your abilities or resources

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

plural of “character” — an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

plural of “countryman” — a man from your own country

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

plural of “cousin” — the child of your aunt or uncle

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

plural of “description” — a statement that represents something in words

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

unlike in nature or quality or form or degree

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

-ing form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early

From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ This is one of Fenn's earliest books.

past form of “encounter” — come together

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

divisible by two

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hollowdell Grange, by George Manville Fenn.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ This is one of Fenn's earliest books.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading Hollowdell Grange, by George Manville Fenn.

plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

an outlying farm

From this reading Hollowdell Grange, by George Manville Fenn.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hollowdell Grange, by George Manville Fenn.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ This is one of Fenn's earliest books.

apprehended with certainty

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

an agricultural county of eastern England on the North Sea

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

engage in

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hollowdell Grange, by George Manville Fenn.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

come together

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

a formally arranged gathering

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

plural of “mistake” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ This is one of Fenn's earliest books.

many times at short intervals

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ This is one of Fenn's earliest books.

take the place of or be parallel or equivalent to

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

free from harm or evil

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

plural of “situation” — the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

pour as if from a sluice

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

plural of “sort” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

express in speech

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

the subject matter of a conversation or discussion

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

in or at that place or location

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ This is one of Fenn's earliest books.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

something written, especially copied from one medium to another, as a typewritten version of dictation

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

precisely as stated

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.

a message informing of danger

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading The descriptions of country life of those days are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what must very often look like mistakes in transcription.

in or at the place that

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

in the company of; together with

From this reading The theme is that a boy from London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had known in the great city.

actively engaged in paid work

From this reading There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach.