used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
acacianounUS /əˈkeɪʃə/
any of various spiny trees or shrubs of the genus Acacia
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading But a gust of wind bowed the poplars, and suddenly the rain fell; it pattered against the green leaves.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They set out, and Homais went back.
arrowsnounUS /ˈæroʊz/
plural of “arrow” — a mark to indicate a direction or relation
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading They set out, and Homais went back.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
Bovary
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading * * * * * Madame Bovary had opened her window overlooking the garden and watched the clouds.
of a stringed instrument; sounded by stroking with a bow
From this reading But a gust of wind bowed the poplars, and suddenly the rain fell; it pattered against the green leaves.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But a gust of wind bowed the poplars, and suddenly the rain fell; it pattered against the green leaves.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading * * * * * Madame Bovary had opened her window overlooking the garden and watched the clouds.
clucked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
columnsnounUS /ˈkɑːləmz/
plural of “column” — a line of units following one after another
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
dampadjectiveUS /dæmp/
slightly wet
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading But a gust of wind bowed the poplars, and suddenly the rain fell; it pattered against the green leaves.
flowedverbUS /floʊd/
past form of “flow” — move or progress freely as if in a stream
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading * * * * * Madame Bovary had opened her window overlooking the garden and watched the clouds.
a group of persons together in one place
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
gravelnounUS /ˈɡrævəl/
rock fragments and pebbles
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading But a gust of wind bowed the poplars, and suddenly the rain fell; it pattered against the green leaves.
gustnounUS /ɡʌst/
a strong current of air
From this reading But a gust of wind bowed the poplars, and suddenly the rain fell; it pattered against the green leaves.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading * * * * * Madame Bovary had opened her window overlooking the garden and watched the clouds.
the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
hensnounUS /henz/
plural of “hen” — adult female chicken
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading * * * * * Madame Bovary had opened her window overlooking the garden and watched the clouds.
Homais
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They set out, and Homais went back.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But a gust of wind bowed the poplars, and suddenly the rain fell; it pattered against the green leaves.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading But a gust of wind bowed the poplars, and suddenly the rain fell; it pattered against the green leaves.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading * * * * * Madame Bovary had opened her window overlooking the garden and watched the clouds.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading * * * * * Madame Bovary had opened her window overlooking the garden and watched the clouds.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading They set out, and Homais went back.
overlookingadjectiveUS /ˈoʊvərlʊkɪŋ/
used of a height or viewpoint
From this reading * * * * * Madame Bovary had opened her window overlooking the garden and watched the clouds.
patteredverbUS /ˈpætərd/
past form of “patter” — rain gently
From this reading But a gust of wind bowed the poplars, and suddenly the rain fell; it pattered against the green leaves.
a light shade of red
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
poolsnounUS /puːlz/
plural of “pool” — an excavation that is (usually) filled with water
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
poplars
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But a gust of wind bowed the poplars, and suddenly the rain fell; it pattered against the green leaves.
porcelainnounUS /ˈpɔːrsələn/
ceramic ware made of a more or less translucent ceramic
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading But a gust of wind bowed the poplars, and suddenly the rain fell; it pattered against the green leaves.
raysnounUS /reɪz/
plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
reappearedverbUS /ˌriːəˈpɪrd/
past form of “reappear” — appear again
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
especially of petals or leaves in bud; having margins rolled inward
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
Rouen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading They set out, and Homais went back.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
sparrowsnounUS /ˈsperoʊz/
plural of “sparrow” — any of several small dull-colored singing birds feeding on seeds or insects
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading But a gust of wind bowed the poplars, and suddenly the rain fell; it pattered against the green leaves.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
suspendedadjectiveUS /səˈspendɪd/
(of undissolved particles in a fluid) supported or kept from sinking or falling by buoyancy and without apparent attachment
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
in a swift manner
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading * * * * * Madame Bovary had opened her window overlooking the garden and watched the clouds.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They set out, and Homais went back.
thicketsnounUS /ˈθɪkəts/
plural of “thicket” — a dense growth of bushes
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
trophynounUS /ˈtroʊfi/
an award for success in war or hunting
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading * * * * * Madame Bovary had opened her window overlooking the garden and watched the clouds.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading They set out, and Homais went back.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
a Caucasian
From this reading They were gathering round the sunset on the side of Rouen, and swiftly rolled back their black columns, behind which the great rays of the sun looked out like the golden arrows of a suspended trophy, while the rest of the empty heavens was white as porcelain.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading But a gust of wind bowed the poplars, and suddenly the rain fell; it pattered against the green leaves.
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 * * * * * Madame Bovary had opened her window overlooking the garden and watched the clouds.
a means of flight or ascent
From this reading Then the sun reappeared, the hens clucked, sparrows shook their wings in the damp thickets, and the pools of water on the gravel as they flowed away carried off the pink flowers of an acacia.
