used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She scanned the hills with a field-glass, hoping to see her coming home.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading When Elsie did not come back in the afternoon, Maggie began to get anxious.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Sometimes a stone, or stump of a tree, would attract her attention, and, unaccountably, for a moment, simulate Elsie exactly; but it was only a trick of the brain, a caprice of the imagination.
eagerly desirous
From this reading When Elsie did not come back in the afternoon, Maggie began to get anxious.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading Sometimes a stone, or stump of a tree, would attract her attention, and, unaccountably, for a moment, simulate Elsie exactly; but it was only a trick of the brain, a caprice of the imagination.
attractverbUS /əˈtrækt/
direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes
From this reading Sometimes a stone, or stump of a tree, would attract her attention, and, unaccountably, for a moment, simulate Elsie exactly; but it was only a trick of the brain, a caprice of the imagination.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Sometimes she saw a moving object, far away, but it was only a sheep.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading When Elsie did not come back in the afternoon, Maggie began to get anxious.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading When Elsie did not come back in the afternoon, Maggie began to get anxious.
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading Sometimes a stone, or stump of a tree, would attract her attention, and, unaccountably, for a moment, simulate Elsie exactly; but it was only a trick of the brain, a caprice of the imagination.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Sometimes she saw a moving object, far away, but it was only a sheep.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
capricenounUS /kəˈpriːs/
a sudden desire
From this reading Sometimes a stone, or stump of a tree, would attract her attention, and, unaccountably, for a moment, simulate Elsie exactly; but it was only a trick of the brain, a caprice of the imagination.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading When Elsie did not come back in the afternoon, Maggie began to get anxious.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading She scanned the hills with a field-glass, hoping to see her coming home.
containverbUS /kənˈteɪn/
include or contain; have as a component
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading When Elsie did not come back in the afternoon, Maggie began to get anxious.
Elsie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Elsie did not come back in the afternoon, Maggie began to get anxious.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading Sometimes a stone, or stump of a tree, would attract her attention, and, unaccountably, for a moment, simulate Elsie exactly; but it was only a trick of the brain, a caprice of the imagination.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Sometimes she saw a moving object, far away, but it was only a sheep.
field-glass
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She scanned the hills with a field-glass, hoping to see her coming home.
flatsnounUS /flæts/
footwear (shoes or slippers) with no heel (or a very low heel)
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Sometimes a stone, or stump of a tree, would attract her attention, and, unaccountably, for a moment, simulate Elsie exactly; but it was only a trick of the brain, a caprice of the imagination.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading When Elsie did not come back in the afternoon, Maggie began to get anxious.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She scanned the hills with a field-glass, hoping to see her coming home.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading She scanned the hills with a field-glass, hoping to see her coming home.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading She scanned the hills with a field-glass, hoping to see her coming home.
-ing form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading She scanned the hills with a field-glass, hoping to see her coming home.
the formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses
From this reading Sometimes a stone, or stump of a tree, would attract her attention, and, unaccountably, for a moment, simulate Elsie exactly; but it was only a trick of the brain, a caprice of the imagination.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When Elsie did not come back in the afternoon, Maggie began to get anxious.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Sometimes she saw a moving object, far away, but it was only a sheep.
lengthenedadjectiveUS /ˈleŋθənd/
drawn out or made longer spatially
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
for more time
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
Maggie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Elsie did not come back in the afternoon, Maggie began to get anxious.
mistsnounUS /mɪsts/
plural of “mist” — a thin fog with condensation near the ground
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
a particular point in time
From this reading Sometimes a stone, or stump of a tree, would attract her attention, and, unaccountably, for a moment, simulate Elsie exactly; but it was only a trick of the brain, a caprice of the imagination.
in motion
From this reading Sometimes she saw a moving object, far away, but it was only a sheep.
not any; not one
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading When Elsie did not come back in the afternoon, Maggie began to get anxious.
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading Sometimes she saw a moving object, far away, but it was only a sheep.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Sometimes a stone, or stump of a tree, would attract her attention, and, unaccountably, for a moment, simulate Elsie exactly; but it was only a trick of the brain, a caprice of the imagination.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
and nothing more
From this reading Sometimes she saw a moving object, far away, but it was only a sheep.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Sometimes a stone, or stump of a tree, would attract her attention, and, unaccountably, for a moment, simulate Elsie exactly; but it was only a trick of the brain, a caprice of the imagination.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
PatverbUS /pæt/
pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
cut with a saw
From this reading Sometimes she saw a moving object, far away, but it was only a sheep.
scannedverbUS /skænd/
inflected form of “scan” — examine minutely or intensely
From this reading She scanned the hills with a field-glass, hoping to see her coming home.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading She scanned the hills with a field-glass, hoping to see her coming home.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She scanned the hills with a field-glass, hoping to see her coming home.
woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat
From this reading Sometimes she saw a moving object, far away, but it was only a sheep.
simulateverbUS /ˈsɪmjələt/
reproduce someone's behavior or looks
From this reading Sometimes a stone, or stump of a tree, would attract her attention, and, unaccountably, for a moment, simulate Elsie exactly; but it was only a trick of the brain, a caprice of the imagination.
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading Sometimes she saw a moving object, far away, but it was only a sheep.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Sometimes a stone, or stump of a tree, would attract her attention, and, unaccountably, for a moment, simulate Elsie exactly; but it was only a trick of the brain, a caprice of the imagination.
stumpnounUS /stʌmp/
the base part of a tree that remains standing after the tree has been felled
From this reading Sometimes a stone, or stump of a tree, would attract her attention, and, unaccountably, for a moment, simulate Elsie exactly; but it was only a trick of the brain, a caprice of the imagination.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Elsie did not come back in the afternoon, Maggie began to get anxious.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When Elsie did not come back in the afternoon, Maggie began to get anxious.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Sometimes a stone, or stump of a tree, would attract her attention, and, unaccountably, for a moment, simulate Elsie exactly; but it was only a trick of the brain, a caprice of the imagination.
a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading Sometimes a stone, or stump of a tree, would attract her attention, and, unaccountably, for a moment, simulate Elsie exactly; but it was only a trick of the brain, a caprice of the imagination.
unaccountablyadverbUS /ˌʌnəˈkaʊntəbli/
in an unaccountable manner
From this reading Sometimes a stone, or stump of a tree, would attract her attention, and, unaccountably, for a moment, simulate Elsie exactly; but it was only a trick of the brain, a caprice of the imagination.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading As the shadows lengthened on the flats and the mists came out of the valley, Maggie could contain herself no longer, but ran out to Pat, and told him she was sure something had happened to her sister.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Sometimes she saw a moving object, far away, but it was only a sheep.
at the time that
From this reading When Elsie did not come back in the afternoon, Maggie began to get anxious.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She scanned the hills with a field-glass, hoping to see her coming home.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Sometimes a stone, or stump of a tree, would attract her attention, and, unaccountably, for a moment, simulate Elsie exactly; but it was only a trick of the brain, a caprice of the imagination.
