used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Now and then, having, as soldiers say, taken an object, and fixed it well in his memory, he would pause and look about him.
(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with
From this reading He was directing his march with all the care he could, in exactly that line which, according to Feltram's rule, had been laid down for him.
anew
From this reading He passed it by, and in a few minutes had lost sight of it again, and was striding onward under the shadow of the forest, which already enclosed him.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
(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 He was directing his march with all the care he could, in exactly that line which, according to Feltram's rule, had been laid down for him.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading He passed it by, and in a few minutes had lost sight of it again, and was striding onward under the shadow of the forest, which already enclosed him.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Now and then, having, as soldiers say, taken an object, and fixed it well in his memory, he would pause and look about him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
ash-tree
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
BalenounUS /beɪl/
a large bundle bound for storage or transport
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading As a boy he had never entered the wood so far; for he was under a prohibition, lest he should lose himself in its intricacies, and be benighted there.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He was directing his march with all the care he could, in exactly that line which, according to Feltram's rule, had been laid down for him.
benightedadjectiveUS /bɪˈnaɪtɪd/
overtaken by night or darkness
From this reading As a boy he had never entered the wood so far; for he was under a prohibition, lest he should lose himself in its intricacies, and be benighted there.
blightedadjectiveUS /ˈblaɪtɪd/
affected by blight; anything that mars or prevents growth or prosperity
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
boughnounUS /baʊ/
any of the larger branches of a tree
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
a youthful male person
From this reading As a boy he had never entered the wood so far; for he was under a prohibition, lest he should lose himself in its intricacies, and be benighted there.
bushnounUS /bʊʃ/
a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading He was directing his march with all the care he could, in exactly that line which, according to Feltram's rule, had been laid down for him.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He was directing his march with all the care he could, in exactly that line which, according to Feltram's rule, had been laid down for him.
directingadjectiveUS /dərˈektɪŋ/
showing the way by conducting or leading; imposing direction on
From this reading He was directing his march with all the care he could, in exactly that line which, according to Feltram's rule, had been laid down for him.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He was directing his march with all the care he could, in exactly that line which, according to Feltram's rule, had been laid down for him.
enclosedadjectiveUS /enˈkloʊzd/
closed in or surrounded or included within
From this reading He passed it by, and in a few minutes had lost sight of it again, and was striding onward under the shadow of the forest, which already enclosed him.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading As a boy he had never entered the wood so far; for he was under a prohibition, lest he should lose himself in its intricacies, and be benighted there.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading He was directing his march with all the care he could, in exactly that line which, according to Feltram's rule, had been laid down for him.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading As a boy he had never entered the wood so far; for he was under a prohibition, lest he should lose himself in its intricacies, and be benighted there.
Feltram's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was directing his march with all the care he could, in exactly that line which, according to Feltram's rule, had been laid down for him.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading He passed it by, and in a few minutes had lost sight of it again, and was striding onward under the shadow of the forest, which already enclosed him.
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading Now and then, having, as soldiers say, taken an object, and fixed it well in his memory, he would pause and look about him.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He was directing his march with all the care he could, in exactly that line which, according to Feltram's rule, had been laid down for him.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
gigantically
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He passed it by, and in a few minutes had lost sight of it again, and was striding onward under the shadow of the forest, which already enclosed him.
HauntedadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːntɪd/
having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Now and then, having, as soldiers say, taken an object, and fixed it well in his memory, he would pause and look about him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He passed it by, and in a few minutes had lost sight of it again, and was striding onward under the shadow of the forest, which already enclosed him.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading As a boy he had never entered the wood so far; for he was under a prohibition, lest he should lose himself in its intricacies, and be benighted there.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was directing his march with all the care he could, in exactly that line which, according to Feltram's rule, had been laid down for him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
intricaciesnounUS /ˈɪntrəkəsiz/
plural of “intricacy” — marked by elaborately complex detail
From this reading As a boy he had never entered the wood so far; for he was under a prohibition, lest he should lose himself in its intricacies, and be benighted there.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
set down according to a plan
From this reading He was directing his march with all the care he could, in exactly that line which, according to Feltram's rule, had been laid down for him.
in order that something should not happen
From this reading As a boy he had never entered the wood so far; for he was under a prohibition, lest he should lose himself in its intricacies, and be benighted there.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Now and then, having, as soldiers say, taken an object, and fixed it well in his memory, he would pause and look about him.
fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading As a boy he had never entered the wood so far; for he was under a prohibition, lest he should lose himself in its intricacies, and be benighted there.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading He passed it by, and in a few minutes had lost sight of it again, and was striding onward under the shadow of the forest, which already enclosed him.
march in a procession
From this reading He was directing his march with all the care he could, in exactly that line which, according to Feltram's rule, had been laid down for him.
Mardykes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.
From this reading Now and then, having, as soldiers say, taken an object, and fixed it well in his memory, he would pause and look about him.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading He passed it by, and in a few minutes had lost sight of it again, and was striding onward under the shadow of the forest, which already enclosed him.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading As a boy he had never entered the wood so far; for he was under a prohibition, lest he should lose himself in its intricacies, and be benighted there.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now and then, having, as soldiers say, taken an object, and fixed it well in his memory, he would pause and look about him.
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading Now and then, having, as soldiers say, taken an object, and fixed it well in his memory, he would pause and look about him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He passed it by, and in a few minutes had lost sight of it again, and was striding onward under the shadow of the forest, which already enclosed him.
onwardadverbUS /ˈɔːnwərd/
forward in time or order or degree
From this reading He passed it by, and in a few minutes had lost sight of it again, and was striding onward under the shadow of the forest, which already enclosed him.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading He passed it by, and in a few minutes had lost sight of it again, and was striding onward under the shadow of the forest, which already enclosed him.
a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
From this reading Now and then, having, as soldiers say, taken an object, and fixed it well in his memory, he would pause and look about him.
having a point
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
prohibitionnounUS /ˌproʊəˈbɪʃən/
a law forbidding the sale of alcoholic beverages
From this reading As a boy he had never entered the wood so far; for he was under a prohibition, lest he should lose himself in its intricacies, and be benighted there.
a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
From this reading He was directing his march with all the care he could, in exactly that line which, according to Feltram's rule, had been laid down for him.
express in words
From this reading Now and then, having, as soldiers say, taken an object, and fixed it well in his memory, he would pause and look about him.
scaur
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading He passed it by, and in a few minutes had lost sight of it again, and was striding onward under the shadow of the forest, which already enclosed him.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading As a boy he had never entered the wood so far; for he was under a prohibition, lest he should lose himself in its intricacies, and be benighted there.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading He passed it by, and in a few minutes had lost sight of it again, and was striding onward under the shadow of the forest, which already enclosed him.
term of address for a man
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading As a boy he had never entered the wood so far; for he was under a prohibition, lest he should lose himself in its intricacies, and be benighted there.
plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army
From this reading Now and then, having, as soldiers say, taken an object, and fixed it well in his memory, he would pause and look about him.
successive (without a break)
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
stridingverbUS /ˈstraɪdɪŋ/
-ing form of “stride” — walk with long steps
From this reading He passed it by, and in a few minutes had lost sight of it again, and was striding onward under the shadow of the forest, which already enclosed him.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading Now and then, having, as soldiers say, taken an object, and fixed it well in his memory, he would pause and look about him.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He was directing his march with all the care he could, in exactly that line which, according to Feltram's rule, had been laid down for him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Now and then, having, as soldiers say, taken an object, and fixed it well in his memory, he would pause and look about him.
in or at that place or location
From this reading As a boy he had never entered the wood so far; for he was under a prohibition, lest he should lose himself in its intricacies, and be benighted there.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading He passed it by, and in a few minutes had lost sight of it again, and was striding onward under the shadow of the forest, which already enclosed him.
undulatingverbUS /ˈʌndʒəleɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “undulate” — stir up (water) so as to form ripples
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He passed it by, and in a few minutes had lost sight of it again, and was striding onward under the shadow of the forest, which already enclosed him.
(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 Now and then, having, as soldiers say, taken an object, and fixed it well in his memory, he would pause and look about him.
in or at the place that
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He passed it by, and in a few minutes had lost sight of it again, and was striding onward under the shadow of the forest, which already enclosed him.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He was directing his march with all the care he could, in exactly that line which, according to Feltram's rule, had been laid down for him.
witheredadjectiveUS /ˈwɪðərd/
lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
From this reading The Haunted Forest Sir Bale Mardykes walked in a straight line, by bush and scaur, over the undulating ground, to the blighted ash-tree; and as he approached it, its withered bough stretched more gigantically into the air, and the forest seemed to open where it pointed.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading As a boy he had never entered the wood so far; for he was under a prohibition, lest he should lose himself in its intricacies, and be benighted there.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Now and then, having, as soldiers say, taken an object, and fixed it well in his memory, he would pause and look about him.
