Chapter I

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

From this reading University Press: JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

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

From this reading University Press: JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading AUTHOR OF "CAPTAIN JANUARY," "MELODY," "QUEEN HILDEGARDE," ETC.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

plural of “blossom” — reproductive organ of angiosperm plants especially one having showy or colorful parts

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

plural of “button” — a round fastener sewn to shirts and coats etc to fit through buttonholes

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

a university in England

From this reading University Press: JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading AUTHOR OF "CAPTAIN JANUARY," "MELODY," "QUEEN HILDEGARDE," ETC.

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

used of skin roughened as a result of cold or exposure

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

plural of “crack” — a long narrow opening

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

having or marked by bends or angles; not straight or aligned

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

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

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close

From this reading Narcissa was sitting in the doorway, feeding the young turkeys.

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "CAPTAIN JANUARY," "MELODY," "QUEEN HILDEGARDE," ETC.

resembling or suggesting a feather or feathers

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

the act of consuming food

From this reading Narcissa was sitting in the doorway, feeding the young turkeys.

plural of “flagstone” — stratified stone that splits into pieces suitable as paving stones

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

a young female

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

coins made of gold

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

shoot down, of birds

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "CAPTAIN JANUARY," "MELODY," "QUEEN HILDEGARDE," ETC.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Narcissa was sitting in the doorway, feeding the young turkeys.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

the first month of the year; begins 10 days after the winter solstice

From this reading AUTHOR OF "CAPTAIN JANUARY," "MELODY," "QUEEN HILDEGARDE," ETC.

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading University Press: JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.

indicating the most important performer or role

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence

From this reading AUTHOR OF "CAPTAIN JANUARY," "MELODY," "QUEEN HILDEGARDE," ETC.

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

From this reading Narcissa was sitting in the doorway, feeding the young turkeys.

not any; not one

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AUTHOR OF "CAPTAIN JANUARY," "MELODY," "QUEEN HILDEGARDE," ETC.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

exert pressure or force to or upon

From this reading University Press: JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.

the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

From this reading AUTHOR OF "CAPTAIN JANUARY," "MELODY," "QUEEN HILDEGARDE," ETC.

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading University Press: JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.

having or joined by a seam or seams

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading Narcissa was sitting in the doorway, feeding the young turkeys.

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

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

a male human offspring

From this reading University Press: JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

common perennial aromatic herb native to Eurasia having buttonlike yellow flower heads and bitter-tasting pinnate leaves sometimes used medicinally

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

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

From this reading Narcissa was sitting in the doorway, feeding the young turkeys.

in or at that place or location

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

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

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

plural of “turkey” — large gallinaceous bird with fan-shaped tail; widely domesticated for food

From this reading Narcissa was sitting in the doorway, feeding the young turkeys.

a base containing nitrogen that is found in RNA (but not in DNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading University Press: JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.

the body of faculty and students at a university

From this reading University Press: JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

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

From this reading Narcissa was sitting in the doorway, feeding the young turkeys.

the act of signaling by a movement of the hand

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

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

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)

From this reading University Press: JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.

in the company of; together with

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading It was the back door of the old gray house,--no one would have thought of sitting in the front doorway,--and there were crooked flagstones leading up to it, cracked and seamed, with grass growing in the cracks.

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading Close by the door-post, against which the girl was leaning, stood a great bush of tansy, with waving feathery leaves and yellow blossoms, like small gold buttons.

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Narcissa was sitting in the doorway, feeding the young turkeys.