used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
abatedverbUS /əˈbeɪtɪd/
past form of “abate” — make less active or intense
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
in the past
From this reading "Not now, but I thought I did a few minutes ago," replied Janet.
at or in the front
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Smell smoke?" she asked.
a slight wind (usually refreshing)
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Not now, but I thought I did a few minutes ago," replied Janet.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "I'm sure I can now," went on Helen, sniffing intently.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Helen leaned close to her companion.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading Helen leaned close to her companion.
taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Not now, but I thought I did a few minutes ago," replied Janet.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
the operator of a motor vehicle
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
remove the dust from
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading "Not now, but I thought I did a few minutes ago," replied Janet.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
(Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War
From this reading Helen leaned close to her companion.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Helen leaned close to her companion.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Not now, but I thought I did a few minutes ago," replied Janet.
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm sure I can now," went on Helen, sniffing intently.
intentlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈtentli/
with strained or eager attention
From this reading "I'm sure I can now," went on Helen, sniffing intently.
Janet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Not now, but I thought I did a few minutes ago," replied Janet.
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading Helen leaned close to her companion.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading "Not now, but I thought I did a few minutes ago," replied Janet.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Not now, but I thought I did a few minutes ago," replied Janet.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Not now, but I thought I did a few minutes ago," replied Janet.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "I'm sure I can now," went on Helen, sniffing intently.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
repairnounUS /rɪˈper/
the act of putting something in working order again
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "Not now, but I thought I did a few minutes ago," replied Janet.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
the act of causing something to go (especially messages)
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Smell smoke?" she asked.
the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading "Smell smoke?" she asked.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading "Smell smoke?" she asked.
sniffingverbUS /ˈsnɪfɪŋ/
-ing form of “sniff” — perceive by inhaling through the nose
From this reading "I'm sure I can now," went on Helen, sniffing intently.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "I'm sure I can now," went on Helen, sniffing intently.
possessing sweep
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
swirlsnounUS /swɜːrlz/
plural of “swirl” — the shape of something rotating rapidly
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "Not now, but I thought I did a few minutes ago," replied Janet.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "I'm sure I can now," went on Helen, sniffing intently.
windingadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪndɪŋ/
marked by repeated turns and bends
From this reading The heat abated somewhat as they waited for the driver to repair the engine and a sharp breeze swept down out of the hills sending little swirls of dust dancing along the winding road ahead of them.
