used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
ASS-CART
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Norah woke up, and looked at it sleepily for a few minutes, wishing the window were bigger.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
biggeradjectiveUS /ˈbɪɡər/
large or big relative to something else
From this reading Norah woke up, and looked at it sleepily for a few minutes, wishing the window were bigger.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
cartnounUS /kɑːrt/
a heavy open wagon usually having two wheels and drawn by an animal
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
Cloonagh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
criminaladjectiveUS /ˈkrɪmənəl/
bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
deareradjectiveUS /ˈdɪrər/
comparative of “dear” — dearly loved
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
declinedverbUS /dɪˈklaɪnd/
past form of “decline” — grow worse
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
EVA
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading EVA GORE-BOOTH.
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Norah woke up, and looked at it sleepily for a few minutes, wishing the window were bigger.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Norah woke up, and looked at it sleepily for a few minutes, wishing the window were bigger.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
GORE-BOOTH
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading EVA GORE-BOOTH.
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
people of Ireland or of Irish extraction
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
for more time
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Norah woke up, and looked at it sleepily for a few minutes, wishing the window were bigger.
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
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 ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading Norah woke up, and looked at it sleepily for a few minutes, wishing the window were bigger.
a particular point in time
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
MOTORnounUS /ˈmoʊtər/
machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
absolutely essential
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
Norah
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Norah woke up, and looked at it sleepily for a few minutes, wishing the window were bigger.
Norah's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
To move from a closed position.
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
proppedverbUS /prɑːpt/
inflected form of “prop” — support by placing against something solid or rigid
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
rakishlyadverb
in a rakish manner
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
ramblingadjectiveUS /ˈræmblɪŋ/
spreading out in different directions or distributed irregularly
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
roadsnounUS /roʊdz/
a partly sheltered anchorage
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
sillnounUS /sɪl/
structural member consisting of a continuous horizontal timber forming the lowest member of a framework or supporting structure
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
sleepilyadverbUS /ˈsliːpəli/
in a sleepy manner
From this reading Norah woke up, and looked at it sleepily for a few minutes, wishing the window were bigger.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
speculationnounUS /ˌspekjəˈleɪʃən/
a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
the rays of the sun
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
in or at that place or location
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
a special situation
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
very small
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
trafficnounUS /ˈtræfɪk/
the aggregation of things (pedestrians or vehicles) coming and going in a particular locality during a specified period of time
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Norah woke up, and looked at it sleepily for a few minutes, wishing the window were bigger.
VERSUS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ASS-CART _VERSUS_ MOTOR “The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, And there is traffic on it, and many a horse and cart: But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me, And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart.”
water-jug
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Norah woke up, and looked at it sleepily for a few minutes, wishing the window were bigger.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
wishingnounUS /ˈwɪʃɪŋ/
a specific feeling of desire
From this reading Norah woke up, and looked at it sleepily for a few minutes, wishing the window were bigger.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It had altogether declined to remain open the night before, until she had propped it with the water-jug, which now stood rakishly on the sill, and had already excited considerable interest and speculation in the street below.
wokeverbUS /woʊk/
inflected form of “wake” — be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading Norah woke up, and looked at it sleepily for a few minutes, wishing the window were bigger.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading THROUGH the tiny window of Norah’s room came the soft sunlight which makes an Irish morning so perfect a thing that to stay in bed a moment longer than necessary would be criminal.
