used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
at or in the front
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
(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 All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Dismounting, she bent over the place from which the sound had come and saw an evil-eyed rattle-snake about to spring upon a squirrel that seemed powerless to get away.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A bundle tied in a beautiful shawl of scarlet and gold contained all that belonged to her and food enough to last for several days.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Dismounting, she bent over the place from which the sound had come and saw an evil-eyed rattle-snake about to spring upon a squirrel that seemed powerless to get away.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading A bundle tied in a beautiful shawl of scarlet and gold contained all that belonged to her and food enough to last for several days.
past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading A bundle tied in a beautiful shawl of scarlet and gold contained all that belonged to her and food enough to last for several days.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading Nan was on the ridge of a mountain road when the sun rose, and to her joy saw the village of San Seritos lying in the valley below, and beyond was the gleaming blue sea.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading Dismounting, she bent over the place from which the sound had come and saw an evil-eyed rattle-snake about to spring upon a squirrel that seemed powerless to get away.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading Nan was on the ridge of a mountain road when the sun rose, and to her joy saw the village of San Seritos lying in the valley below, and beyond was the gleaming blue sea.
Binnie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Nan was on the ridge of a mountain road when the sun rose, and to her joy saw the village of San Seritos lying in the valley below, and beyond was the gleaming blue sea.
bundlenounUS /ˈbʌndəl/
a collection of things wrapped or boxed together
From this reading A bundle tied in a beautiful shawl of scarlet and gold contained all that belonged to her and food enough to last for several days.
past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Dismounting, she bent over the place from which the sound had come and saw an evil-eyed rattle-snake about to spring upon a squirrel that seemed powerless to get away.
gotten under control
From this reading A bundle tied in a beautiful shawl of scarlet and gold contained all that belonged to her and food enough to last for several days.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading A bundle tied in a beautiful shawl of scarlet and gold contained all that belonged to her and food enough to last for several days.
Dismounting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dismounting, she bent over the place from which the sound had come and saw an evil-eyed rattle-snake about to spring upon a squirrel that seemed powerless to get away.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading A bundle tied in a beautiful shawl of scarlet and gold contained all that belonged to her and food enough to last for several days.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
evil-eyed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dismounting, she bent over the place from which the sound had come and saw an evil-eyed rattle-snake about to spring upon a squirrel that seemed powerless to get away.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading A bundle tied in a beautiful shawl of scarlet and gold contained all that belonged to her and food enough to last for several days.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A bundle tied in a beautiful shawl of scarlet and gold contained all that belonged to her and food enough to last for several days.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Dismounting, she bent over the place from which the sound had come and saw an evil-eyed rattle-snake about to spring upon a squirrel that seemed powerless to get away.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Dismounting, she bent over the place from which the sound had come and saw an evil-eyed rattle-snake about to spring upon a squirrel that seemed powerless to get away.
gleamingnounUS /ˈɡliːmɪŋ/
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading Nan was on the ridge of a mountain road when the sun rose, and to her joy saw the village of San Seritos lying in the valley below, and beyond was the gleaming blue sea.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
coins made of gold
From this reading A bundle tied in a beautiful shawl of scarlet and gold contained all that belonged to her and food enough to last for several days.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
GypsynounUS /ˈdʒɪpsi/
a laborer who moves from place to place as demanded by employment
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Dismounting, she bent over the place from which the sound had come and saw an evil-eyed rattle-snake about to spring upon a squirrel that seemed powerless to get away.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A bundle tied in a beautiful shawl of scarlet and gold contained all that belonged to her and food enough to last for several days.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading Nan was on the ridge of a mountain road when the sun rose, and to her joy saw the village of San Seritos lying in the valley below, and beyond was the gleaming blue sea.
immediately past
From this reading A bundle tied in a beautiful shawl of scarlet and gold contained all that belonged to her and food enough to last for several days.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
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 All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading Nan was on the ridge of a mountain road when the sun rose, and to her joy saw the village of San Seritos lying in the valley below, and beyond was the gleaming blue sea.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
NannounUS /næn/
your grandmother
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
nature'snounUS /ˈneɪtʃərz/
possessive form of “nature” — the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
an announcement containing information about an event
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Dismounting, she bent over the place from which the sound had come and saw an evil-eyed rattle-snake about to spring upon a squirrel that seemed powerless to get away.
powerlessadjectiveUS /ˈpaʊərləs/
lacking power
From this reading Dismounting, she bent over the place from which the sound had come and saw an evil-eyed rattle-snake about to spring upon a squirrel that seemed powerless to get away.
rattle-snake
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dismounting, she bent over the place from which the sound had come and saw an evil-eyed rattle-snake about to spring upon a squirrel that seemed powerless to get away.
reinverbUS /reɪn/
control and direct with or as if by reins
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
ridgenounUS /rɪdʒ/
a long narrow natural elevation or striation
From this reading Nan was on the ridge of a mountain road when the sun rose, and to her joy saw the village of San Seritos lying in the valley below, and beyond was the gleaming blue sea.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Nan was on the ridge of a mountain road when the sun rose, and to her joy saw the village of San Seritos lying in the valley below, and beyond was the gleaming blue sea.
San
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nan was on the ridge of a mountain road when the sun rose, and to her joy saw the village of San Seritos lying in the valley below, and beyond was the gleaming blue sea.
cut with a saw
From this reading Nan was on the ridge of a mountain road when the sun rose, and to her joy saw the village of San Seritos lying in the valley below, and beyond was the gleaming blue sea.
scarletnounUS /ˈskɑːrlət/
a variable color that is vivid red but sometimes with an orange tinge
From this reading A bundle tied in a beautiful shawl of scarlet and gold contained all that belonged to her and food enough to last for several days.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading Nan was on the ridge of a mountain road when the sun rose, and to her joy saw the village of San Seritos lying in the valley below, and beyond was the gleaming blue sea.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Dismounting, she bent over the place from which the sound had come and saw an evil-eyed rattle-snake about to spring upon a squirrel that seemed powerless to get away.
Seritos
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nan was on the ridge of a mountain road when the sun rose, and to her joy saw the village of San Seritos lying in the valley below, and beyond was the gleaming blue sea.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading A bundle tied in a beautiful shawl of scarlet and gold contained all that belonged to her and food enough to last for several days.
shawlnounUS /ʃɔːl/
cloak consisting of an oblong piece of cloth used to cover the head and shoulders
From this reading A bundle tied in a beautiful shawl of scarlet and gold contained all that belonged to her and food enough to last for several days.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
shimmeringverbUS /ˈʃɪmərɪŋ/
-ing form of “shimmer” — shine with a weak or fitful light
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Dismounting, she bent over the place from which the sound had come and saw an evil-eyed rattle-snake about to spring upon a squirrel that seemed powerless to get away.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
the season of growth
From this reading Dismounting, she bent over the place from which the sound had come and saw an evil-eyed rattle-snake about to spring upon a squirrel that seemed powerless to get away.
squirrelnounUS /ˈskwɜːrəl/
a kind of arboreal rodent having a long bushy tail
From this reading Dismounting, she bent over the place from which the sound had come and saw an evil-eyed rattle-snake about to spring upon a squirrel that seemed powerless to get away.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
having a sharp inclination
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading Nan was on the ridge of a mountain road when the sun rose, and to her joy saw the village of San Seritos lying in the valley below, and beyond was the gleaming blue sea.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A bundle tied in a beautiful shawl of scarlet and gold contained all that belonged to her and food enough to last for several days.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
bound or secured closely
From this reading A bundle tied in a beautiful shawl of scarlet and gold contained all that belonged to her and food enough to last for several days.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
trainedadjectiveUS /treɪnd/
shaped or conditioned or disciplined by training; often used as a combining form
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
transformingverbUS /trænˈsfɔːrmɪŋ/
-ing form of “transform” — subject to a mathematical transformation
From this reading All night long Gypsy Nan, on the back of her small horse Binnie climbed the steep mountain road, a full moon far over her head transforming everything about her to shimmering silver.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Dismounting, she bent over the place from which the sound had come and saw an evil-eyed rattle-snake about to spring upon a squirrel that seemed powerless to get away.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading Nan was on the ridge of a mountain road when the sun rose, and to her joy saw the village of San Seritos lying in the valley below, and beyond was the gleaming blue sea.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading Nan was on the ridge of a mountain road when the sun rose, and to her joy saw the village of San Seritos lying in the valley below, and beyond was the gleaming blue sea.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Nan was on the ridge of a mountain road when the sun rose, and to her joy saw the village of San Seritos lying in the valley below, and beyond was the gleaming blue sea.
at the time that
From this reading Nan was on the ridge of a mountain road when the sun rose, and to her joy saw the village of San Seritos lying in the valley below, and beyond was the gleaming blue sea.
in or at the place that
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Dismounting, she bent over the place from which the sound had come and saw an evil-eyed rattle-snake about to spring upon a squirrel that seemed powerless to get away.
showing curiosity
From this reading She drew rein and gazed ahead wondering where she should go, when her ears, trained to notice all of nature's sounds, heard the startled cry of some little ground animal.
