used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
alteredadjectiveUS /ˈɔːltərd/
changed in form or character without becoming something else
From this reading The explosion had so greatly altered the configuration of the hill that certainty was not possible.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
anklesnounUS /ˈæŋkəlz/
plural of “ankle” — a gliding joint between the distal ends of the tibia and fibula and the proximal end of the talus
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
BelgiansnounUS /ˈbeldʒənz/
plural of “belgian” — a native or inhabitant of Belgium
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
blood-redadjective
of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
placed in a grave
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
certaintynounUS /ˈsɜːrtənti/
the state of being certain
From this reading The explosion had so greatly altered the configuration of the hill that certainty was not possible.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
comicalitynoun
the quality of being comical
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
configurationnounUS /kənˌfɪɡjərˈeɪʃən/
an arrangement of parts or elements
From this reading The explosion had so greatly altered the configuration of the hill that certainty was not possible.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
crimsonadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪmzən/
of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
cursesnounUS /ˈkɜːrsɪz/
plural of “curse” — profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
damagedadjectiveUS /ˈdæmədʒd/
harmed or injured or spoiled
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
the first light of day
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
explosionnounUS /ɪkˈsploʊʒən/
a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction
From this reading The explosion had so greatly altered the configuration of the hill that certainty was not possible.
Farquhar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
Farquhar's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
a feeling of intense anger
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
ghost-dances
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
granitenounUS /ˈɡrænət/
plutonic igneous rock having visibly crystalline texture; generally composed of feldspar and mica and quartz
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
death of a person
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
to an extraordinary extent or degree
From this reading The explosion had so greatly altered the configuration of the hill that certainty was not possible.
gruesomeadjectiveUS /ˈɡruːsəm/
shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The explosion had so greatly altered the configuration of the hill that certainty was not possible.
hallowverbUS /ˈhæloʊ/
render holy by means of religious rites
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
handledadjectiveUS /ˈhændəld/
having a usually specified type of handle
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading The explosion had so greatly altered the configuration of the hill that certainty was not possible.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
hoppingverbUS /ˈhɑːpɪŋ/
inflected form of “hop” — jump lightly
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
of or relating to two people who are married to each other
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
judgedverbUS /dʒʌdʒd/
past form of “judge” — determine the result of (a competition)
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
and nothing more
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
laddernounUS /ˈlædər/
steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
the sound of laughing
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
Laurette's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
Lucian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
mistsnounUS /mɪsts/
plural of “mist” — a thin fog with condensation near the ground
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The explosion had so greatly altered the configuration of the hill that certainty was not possible.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The explosion had so greatly altered the configuration of the hill that certainty was not possible.
many times at short intervals
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
ovalnounUS /ˈoʊvəl/
a closed plane curve resulting from the intersection of a circular cone and a plane cutting completely through it
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
select carefully from a group
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
pinesnounUS /paɪnz/
plural of “pine” — a coniferous tree
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading The explosion had so greatly altered the configuration of the hill that certainty was not possible.
in the near future
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
separated in relationship by a given degree of descent
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The explosion had so greatly altered the configuration of the hill that certainty was not possible.
express in speech
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
spunverbUS /spʌn/
inflected form of “spin” — revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
suppressingverbUS /səˈpresɪŋ/
-ing form of “suppress” — bring under control by force or authority
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Not one of the three had handled a pick before, and at first they damaged their own ankles more often than they removed any granite.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
in the direction of
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
tremulousadjectiveUS /ˈtremjələs/
(of the voice) quivering as from weakness or fear
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
victimsnounUS /ˈvɪktəmz/
plural of “victim” — an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The explosion had so greatly altered the configuration of the hill that certainty was not possible.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
in or at the place that
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
a Caucasian
From this reading Towards dawn a blood-red oval moon rose above the pines and dropped a tremulous ladder of crimson across the stream; white mists spun ghost-dances over it.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Laurette’s three brothers presently joined him, beginning to work in silence just over the spot where Farquhar judged that the victims were buried.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading There was a gruesome comicality in the scene; for Farquhar’s silent fury of work seemed to hallow the place like a church so that they dared not speak, and the three young Belgians hopping about and suppressing curses would have made Lucian laugh in his grave could he have seen them.
