Chapter I · First Glimpse of the Caravan

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

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

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

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

an island to the northwest of Wales

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

at another time

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The road was as desolate as the prospect, with not a living soul upon it, far as the eye could see.

in a state of sleep

From this reading To all this, however, the driver of the caravan paid little attention, owing to the simple fact that he was fast asleep.

the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others

From this reading To all this, however, the driver of the caravan paid little attention, owing to the simple fact that he was fast asleep.

completely unclothed

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

offering little or no hope

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

a procession (of wagons or mules or camels) traveling together in single file

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

a path over which electrical signals can pass

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

not open or affording passage or access

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

plural of “clump” — a grouping of a number of similar things

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading The road was as desolate as the prospect, with not a living soul upon it, far as the eye could see.

providing no shelter or sustenance

From this reading The road was as desolate as the prospect, with not a living soul upon it, far as the eye could see.

having a pattern of dots

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

aimless wandering from place to place

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

the operator of a motor vehicle

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

very light rain; stronger than mist but less than a shower

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

moving toward the east

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

at any time

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

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

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

the organ of sight

From this reading The road was as desolate as the prospect, with not a living soul upon it, far as the eye could see.

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading To all this, however, the driver of the caravan paid little attention, owing to the simple fact that he was fast asleep.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading The road was as desolate as the prospect, with not a living soul upon it, far as the eye could see.

house for a farmer and family

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)

From this reading To all this, however, the driver of the caravan paid little attention, owing to the simple fact that he was fast asleep.

United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

surrounded as with a border or fringe; sometimes used in combination

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

a quick look

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

the act of grazing

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

the lush appearance of flourishing vegetation

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading To all this, however, the driver of the caravan paid little attention, owing to the simple fact that he was fast asleep.

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

a major road for any form of motor transport

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading To all this, however, the driver of the caravan paid little attention, owing to the simple fact that he was fast asleep.

people of Ireland or of Irish extraction

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The road was as desolate as the prospect, with not a living soul upon it, far as the eye could see.

a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

to incline or bend from a vertical position

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading To all this, however, the driver of the caravan paid little attention, owing to the simple fact that he was fast asleep.

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading The road was as desolate as the prospect, with not a living soul upon it, far as the eye could see.

lacking companions or companionship

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

having a small elevation above the ground or horizon or sea level

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

in a sorrowful lugubrious manner

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and water

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

become covered with mist

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

open land usually with peaty soil covered with heather and bracken and moss

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The road was as desolate as the prospect, with not a living soul upon it, far as the eye could see.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

relatively far from a center or middle

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

above and across; more than

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

owed as a debt

From this reading To all this, however, the driver of the caravan paid little attention, owing to the simple fact that he was fast asleep.

marked by the reception of pay

From this reading To all this, however, the driver of the caravan paid little attention, owing to the simple fact that he was fast asleep.

past form of “peep” — look furtively

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

the possibility of future success

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

a response of body tissues to injury or irritation; characterized by pain and swelling and redness and heat

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

(of pain or sorrow) made easier to bear

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

precisely, exactly

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading The road was as desolate as the prospect, with not a living soul upon it, far as the eye could see.

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

the work of a sailor

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

to cause to separate and go in different directions

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

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

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading The road was as desolate as the prospect, with not a living soul upon it, far as the eye could see.

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading To all this, however, the driver of the caravan paid little attention, owing to the simple fact that he was fast asleep.

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

characterized by or preferring solitude

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

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

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading The road was as desolate as the prospect, with not a living soul upon it, far as the eye could see.

of or relating to a spectrum

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

not in physical motion

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

inferior in size or quality

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

(of soil) soft and watery

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

a mountain lake (especially one formed by glaciers)

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading To all this, however, the driver of the caravan paid little attention, owing to the simple fact that he was fast asleep.

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

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

in or at that place or location

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

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

From this reading To all this, however, the driver of the caravan paid little attention, owing to the simple fact that he was fast asleep.

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

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The road was as desolate as the prospect, with not a living soul upon it, far as the eye could see.

precisely as stated

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

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

From this reading The afternoon was still very warm, but a grey mist, drifting from the Irish Channel and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter a thin penetrating drizzle on the driver of the caravan.

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

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

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

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.

in or at the place that

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Here and there peeped a solitary farmhouse, with outlying fields of swampy greenness, where lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously grazing; and ever and anon came a glimpse of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all round with thick sedges, and dotted with water-lilies.

land that is covered with trees and shrubs

From this reading To right and left of the highway stretched a bleak and bare prospect of marshland and moorland, closed to the west by a sky of ever-deepening redness, and relieved here and there by black clumps of stunted woodland.