Chapter VII · Chapter 7

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

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

later than; following

From this reading I was mad with anxiety and fright: I remember I kept saying, ‘I’ll be kinder to Mary after this!

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

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

From this reading I was mad with anxiety and fright: I remember I kept saying, ‘I’ll be kinder to Mary after this!

(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic

From this reading I was mad with anxiety and fright: I remember I kept saying, ‘I’ll be kinder to Mary after this!

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

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

From this reading I was mad with anxiety and fright: I remember I kept saying, ‘I’ll be kinder to Mary after this!

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

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

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

From this reading I don’t know how the old mare got up the last ‘pinch’.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

opinion or judgment

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)

From this reading I was mad with anxiety and fright: I remember I kept saying, ‘I’ll be kinder to Mary after this!

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

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

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

a conspicuous disparity or difference as between two figures

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

resembling or characteristic of a phantom

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

the distance around a person's body

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

the act of departing

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading I don’t know how the old mare got up the last ‘pinch’.

inflected form of “grip” — hold fast or firmly

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

deep ditch cut by running water (especially after a prolonged downpour)

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

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

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

not solid; having a space or gap or cavity

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

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

From this reading I don’t know how the old mare got up the last ‘pinch’.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I was mad with anxiety and fright: I remember I kept saying, ‘I’ll be kinder to Mary after this!

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

From this reading I was mad with anxiety and fright: I remember I kept saying, ‘I’ll be kinder to Mary after this!

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

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I’ll take more notice of Jim!’ and the rest of it.

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

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

past form of “jerk” — pull, or move with a sudden movement

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

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

From this reading I’ll take more notice of Jim!’ and the rest of it.

plural of “jump” — a sudden and decisive increase

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

and nothing more

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading I was mad with anxiety and fright: I remember I kept saying, ‘I’ll be kinder to Mary after this!

comparative of “kind” — having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading I was mad with anxiety and fright: I remember I kept saying, ‘I’ll be kinder to Mary after this!

plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading I don’t know how the old mare got up the last ‘pinch’.

immediately past

From this reading I don’t know how the old mare got up the last ‘pinch’.

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

roused to anger

From this reading I was mad with anxiety and fright: I remember I kept saying, ‘I’ll be kinder to Mary after this!

possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

female equine animal

From this reading I don’t know how the old mare got up the last ‘pinch’.

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading I was mad with anxiety and fright: I remember I kept saying, ‘I’ll be kinder to Mary after this!

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading I’ll take more notice of Jim!’ and the rest of it.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

an announcement containing information about an event

From this reading I’ll take more notice of Jim!’ and the rest of it.

being perceived or observed

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

(of a leaf shape) having a somewhat elongated form with approximately parallel sides

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I’ll take more notice of Jim!’ and the rest of it.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading I don’t know how the old mare got up the last ‘pinch’.

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

above and across; more than

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

the rate of moving (especially walking or running)

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

squeeze tightly between the fingers

From this reading I don’t know how the old mare got up the last ‘pinch’.

To recall to mind.

From this reading I was mad with anxiety and fright: I remember I kept saying, ‘I’ll be kinder to Mary after this!

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading I’ll take more notice of Jim!’ and the rest of it.

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

put a saddle on

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations

From this reading I was mad with anxiety and fright: I remember I kept saying, ‘I’ll be kinder to Mary after this!

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

past form of “slacken” — become slow or slower

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

having an oblique or slanted direction

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

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

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

plural of “spring” — the season of growth

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

having a sharp inclination

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

carry out

From this reading I’ll take more notice of Jim!’ and the rest of it.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

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

From this reading I’ll take more notice of Jim!’ and the rest of it.

in or at that place or location

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

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

From this reading I was mad with anxiety and fright: I remember I kept saying, ‘I’ll be kinder to Mary after this!

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

up to a particular time

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.

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

From this reading I was mad with anxiety and fright: I remember I kept saying, ‘I’ll be kinder to Mary after this!

having a top of a specified character

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading I don’t know how the old mare got up the last ‘pinch’.

a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

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

From this reading I was mad with anxiety and fright: I remember I kept saying, ‘I’ll be kinder to Mary after this!

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

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

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

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

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

in or at the place that

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

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

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading We topped the gap and were going down into a gully they called Dead Man’s Hollow, and there, at the back of a ghostly clearing that opened from the road where there were some black-soil springs, was a long, low, oblong weatherboard-and-shingle building, with blind, broken windows in the gable-ends, and a wide steep verandah roof slanting down almost to the level of the window-sills--there was something sinister about it, I thought--like the hat of a jail-bird slouched over his eyes.

in the company of; together with

From this reading I was mad with anxiety and fright: I remember I kept saying, ‘I’ll be kinder to Mary after this!

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading She must have slackened pace, but I never noticed it: I just held Jim up to me and gripped the saddle with my knees--I remember the saddle jerked from the desperate jumps of her till I thought the girth would go.