used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading Bluebells, the wild hyacinths, made heavenly patches of color among the copses.
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
Annis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Most of the old-fashioned cottage-garden flowers could be found there.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
berriesnounUS /ˈberiz/
plural of “berry” — any of numerous small and pulpy edible fruits; used as desserts or in making jams and jellies and preserves
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
BluebellsnounUS /ˈbluːbelz/
plural of “bluebell” — sometimes placed in genus Scilla
From this reading Bluebells, the wild hyacinths, made heavenly patches of color among the copses.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect
From this reading Bluebells, the wild hyacinths, made heavenly patches of color among the copses.
copses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Bluebells, the wild hyacinths, made heavenly patches of color among the copses.
a small house with a single story
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
cottage-garden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Most of the old-fashioned cottage-garden flowers could be found there.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Most of the old-fashioned cottage-garden flowers could be found there.
crevicesnounUS /ˈkrevəsɪz/
plural of “crevice” — a long narrow depression in a surface
From this reading Thrift raised its rose-red spikes in crevices of a ruined wall.
DamenounUS /deɪm/
informal terms for a (young) woman
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
spoiled or ruined or demolished
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
set up or found
From this reading Most of the old-fashioned cottage-garden flowers could be found there.
fruitsnounUS /fruːts/
plural of “fruit” — the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
heavenlyadjectiveUS /ˈhevənli/
relating to or inhabiting a divine heaven
From this reading Bluebells, the wild hyacinths, made heavenly patches of color among the copses.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
herb-garden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
herbsnounUS /ɜːrbz/
plural of “herb” — a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
hyacinthsnounUS /ˈhaɪəsɪnθs/
plural of “hyacinth” — a red transparent variety of zircon used as a gemstone
From this reading Bluebells, the wild hyacinths, made heavenly patches of color among the copses.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Thrift raised its rose-red spikes in crevices of a ruined wall.
immediately past
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Bluebells, the wild hyacinths, made heavenly patches of color among the copses.
engage in
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Most of the old-fashioned cottage-garden flowers could be found there.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
nurserynounUS /ˈnɜːrsəri/
a child's room for a baby
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
old-fashionedadjectiveUS /ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd/
out of fashion
From this reading Most of the old-fashioned cottage-garden flowers could be found there.
out-door
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
patchnounUS /pætʃ/
a small contrasting part of something
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
patchesnounUS /ˈpætʃəz/
plural of “patch” — a small contrasting part of something
From this reading Bluebells, the wild hyacinths, made heavenly patches of color among the copses.
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading Thrift raised its rose-red spikes in crevices of a ruined wall.
rootsnounUS /ruːts/
the condition of belonging to a particular place or group by virtue of social or ethnic or cultural lineage
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
rose-redadjective
of a deep slightly bluish red color
From this reading Thrift raised its rose-red spikes in crevices of a ruined wall.
destroyed physically or morally
From this reading Thrift raised its rose-red spikes in crevices of a ruined wall.
seededadjectiveUS /ˈsiːdɪd/
(of the more skilled contestants) selectively arranged in the draw for position in a tournament so that they meet each other in later rounds
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
southward-facing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
spikesnounUS /spaɪks/
plural of “spike” — a transient variation in voltage or current
From this reading Thrift raised its rose-red spikes in crevices of a ruined wall.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
tenaciousadjectiveUS /təˈneɪʃəs/
good at remembering
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
ThriftnounUS /θrɪft/
any of numerous sun-loving low-growing evergreens of the genus Armeria having round heads of pink or white flowers
From this reading Thrift raised its rose-red spikes in crevices of a ruined wall.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
vegetablenounUS /ˈvedʒtəbəl/
edible seeds or roots or stems or leaves or bulbs or tubers or nonsweet fruits of any of numerous herbaceous plant
From this reading There had been a garden about the ancient castle--several, in fact: the herb-garden, the vegetable garden, and a sort of out-door nursery for fruits and berries.
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 The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The last had been against a southward-facing wall and was nearly destroyed; but herbs are tenacious things, and the old roots had spread into the vegetable patch, and flowers had seeded themselves, until Dame Annis moved into the little cottage and began to make her living.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading Bluebells, the wild hyacinths, made heavenly patches of color among the copses.
