used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading The cart entered an enclosure, and halted before a small building at the edge of the shore, just above high-water mark.
(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 The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Yet not done for effect; it was unconscious, and delicate as indescribable, for which reason it had the greater power.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The cart entered an enclosure, and halted before a small building at the edge of the shore, just above high-water mark.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading The cart entered an enclosure, and halted before a small building at the edge of the shore, just above high-water mark.
cartnounUS /kɑːrt/
a heavy open wagon usually having two wheels and drawn by an animal
From this reading The cart entered an enclosure, and halted before a small building at the edge of the shore, just above high-water mark.
CLAMSnounUS /klæmz/
informal terms for money
From this reading LONG CLAMS.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
cymbalsnounUS /ˈsɪmbəlz/
plural of “cymbal” — a percussion instrument consisting of a concave brass disk; makes a loud crashing sound when hit with a drumstick or when two are struck together
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury
From this reading Yet not done for effect; it was unconscious, and delicate as indescribable, for which reason it had the greater power.
desolationnounUS /ˌdesəˈleɪʃən/
the state of being decayed or destroyed
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading Yet not done for effect; it was unconscious, and delicate as indescribable, for which reason it had the greater power.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
echoverbUS /ˈekoʊ/
to say again or imitate
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading The cart entered an enclosure, and halted before a small building at the edge of the shore, just above high-water mark.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading Yet not done for effect; it was unconscious, and delicate as indescribable, for which reason it had the greater power.
enclosurenounUS /enˈkloʊʒər/
a structure consisting of an area that has been enclosed for some purpose
From this reading The cart entered an enclosure, and halted before a small building at the edge of the shore, just above high-water mark.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading The cart entered an enclosure, and halted before a small building at the edge of the shore, just above high-water mark.
enclose with a fence
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Yet not done for effect; it was unconscious, and delicate as indescribable, for which reason it had the greater power.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
gratulation
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
greater in size or importance or degree
From this reading Yet not done for effect; it was unconscious, and delicate as indescribable, for which reason it had the greater power.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
haltedverbUS /ˈhɔːltəd/
past form of “halt” — cause to stop
From this reading The cart entered an enclosure, and halted before a small building at the edge of the shore, just above high-water mark.
high-water
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The cart entered an enclosure, and halted before a small building at the edge of the shore, just above high-water mark.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
hymnnounUS /hɪm/
a song of praise (to God or to a saint or to a nation)
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
indescribableadjectiveUS /ˌɪndɪˈskraɪbəbəl/
defying expression or description
From this reading Yet not done for effect; it was unconscious, and delicate as indescribable, for which reason it had the greater power.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
of or relating to two people who are married to each other
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
and nothing more
From this reading The cart entered an enclosure, and halted before a small building at the edge of the shore, just above high-water mark.
killdeernoun
American plover of inland waters and fields having a distinctive cry
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
Lois's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
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 LONG CLAMS.
attach a tag or label to
From this reading The cart entered an enclosure, and halted before a small building at the edge of the shore, just above high-water mark.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Yet not done for effect; it was unconscious, and delicate as indescribable, for which reason it had the greater power.
a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading Yet not done for effect; it was unconscious, and delicate as indescribable, for which reason it had the greater power.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading Yet not done for effect; it was unconscious, and delicate as indescribable, for which reason it had the greater power.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading The cart entered an enclosure, and halted before a small building at the edge of the shore, just above high-water mark.
utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice (usually denoting characteristic manner of speaking)
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The cart entered an enclosure, and halted before a small building at the edge of the shore, just above high-water mark.
the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
a state of social isolation
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
trumpetsnounUS /ˈtrʌmpəts/
pitcher plant of southeastern United States having erect yellow trumpet-shaped pitchers with wide mouths and erect lids
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead
From this reading Yet not done for effect; it was unconscious, and delicate as indescribable, for which reason it had the greater power.
communicated in words
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There was a soft ring in Lois's voice; it might be an echo of the trumpets and cymbals of which she had been speaking.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The party remained silent for a few minutes, all of them; during which a killdeer on the fence uttered his little shout of gratulation; and the wild, salt smell coming from the Sound and the not distant ocean, joined with the silence and Lois's hymn, gave a peculiar impression of solitude and desolation to at least one of the party.
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet not done for effect; it was unconscious, and delicate as indescribable, for which reason it had the greater power.
