used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A fortnight passed.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading There was a track across the level here, and none but the shepherds knew it; but somehow I did not think it was a shepherd.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
aptadjectiveUS /æpt/
(usually followed by “to”) naturally disposed toward
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
a container that is usually woven and has handles
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It might have been a shepherd.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There was a track across the level here, and none but the shepherds knew it; but somehow I did not think it was a shepherd.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading There was a track across the level here, and none but the shepherds knew it; but somehow I did not think it was a shepherd.
dikenounUS /daɪk/
(slang) offensive term for a lesbian who is noticeably masculine
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
fortnightnounUS /ˈfɔːrtnaɪt/
a period of fourteen consecutive days
From this reading A fortnight passed.
frequentedverbUS /ˈfriːkwəntɪd/
past form of “frequent” — do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
HarrodnounUS /ˈherəd/
English merchant who expanded his father's shop in London into a prestigious department store (1841-1905)
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It might have been a shepherd.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading There was a track across the level here, and none but the shepherds knew it; but somehow I did not think it was a shepherd.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It might have been a shepherd.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading There was a track across the level here, and none but the shepherds knew it; but somehow I did not think it was a shepherd.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading There was a track across the level here, and none but the shepherds knew it; but somehow I did not think it was a shepherd.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
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 I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
marshnounUS /mɑːrʃ/
low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and water
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading It might have been a shepherd.
a form of address for a man
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
not one, and not any
From this reading There was a track across the level here, and none but the shepherds knew it; but somehow I did not think it was a shepherd.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading There was a track across the level here, and none but the shepherds knew it; but somehow I did not think it was a shepherd.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading A fortnight passed.
passers-bynounUS /ˈpæsərzbaɪ/
plural of “passer-by” — a person who passes by casually or by chance
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
ploversnounUS /ˈplʌvərz/
plural of “plover” — any of numerous chiefly shorebirds of relatively compact build having straight bills and large pointed wings; closely related to the sandpipers
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
reedsnounUS /riːdz/
plural of “reed” — tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems especially of the genera Arundo and Phragmites
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
ScottnounUS /skɑːt/
award-winning United States film actor (1928-1999)
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
shepherdnounUS /ˈʃepərd/
a clergyman who watches over a group of people
From this reading It might have been a shepherd.
shepherdsnounUS /ˈʃepərdz/
plural of “shepherd” — a clergyman who watches over a group of people
From this reading There was a track across the level here, and none but the shepherds knew it; but somehow I did not think it was a shepherd.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
in some unspecified way or manner; or by some unspecified means
From this reading There was a track across the level here, and none but the shepherds knew it; but somehow I did not think it was a shepherd.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a track across the level here, and none but the shepherds knew it; but somehow I did not think it was a shepherd.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading There was a track across the level here, and none but the shepherds knew it; but somehow I did not think it was a shepherd.
up to a particular time
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading There was a track across the level here, and none but the shepherds knew it; but somehow I did not think it was a shepherd.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
at the time that
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
whistlingnounUS /ˈwɪslɪŋ/
the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture
From this reading I had wandered a long way far beyond that part of the dike that lay beneath the village and was apt to be frequented by passers-by, and I had already about a dozen eggs in my little basket, when I heard some one whistling down behind the reeds on the opposite side of the bank.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I had seen little or nothing of Mr. Harrod till one afternoon when, with a volume of Walter Scott under my arm, I had taken my basket to get some plovers' eggs off the marsh.
