the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading It was the drowsy middle of the afternoon and the heat was intense.
(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 the grey-green and golden land of Tuscany lay still and helpless at the mercy of the sun.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was the drowsy middle of the afternoon and the heat was intense.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading All the grey-green and golden land of Tuscany lay still and helpless at the mercy of the sun.
the month following July and preceding September
From this reading The birds had long ceased singing, and only the thin shrilling of the locusts broke the August silence.
the season when the leaves fall from the trees
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
a room used primarily for sleeping
From this reading Olive sat in her little bedroom correcting exercises.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading The birds had long ceased singing, and only the thin shrilling of the locusts broke the August silence.
lacking funds
From this reading The birds had long ceased singing, and only the thin shrilling of the locusts broke the August silence.
bunchesnounUS /ˈbʌntʃəz/
plural of “bunch” — a grouping of a number of similar things
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading The birds had long ceased singing, and only the thin shrilling of the locusts broke the August silence.
correctingverbUS /kərˈektɪŋ/
-ing form of “correct” — make right or correct
From this reading Olive sat in her little bedroom correcting exercises.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
cracksnounUS /kræks/
plural of “crack” — a long narrow opening
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
drowsyadjectiveUS /ˈdraʊzi/
half asleep
From this reading It was the drowsy middle of the afternoon and the heat was intense.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
exercisesnounUS /ˈeksərsaɪzəz/
plural of “exercise” — the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit
From this reading Olive sat in her little bedroom correcting exercises.
make full, also in a metaphorical sense
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading All the grey-green and golden land of Tuscany lay still and helpless at the mercy of the sun.
grapesnounUS /ɡreɪps/
plural of “grape” — any of various juicy fruit of the genus Vitis with green or purple skins; grow in clusters
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
grey-greenadjective
of green tinged with grey
From this reading All the grey-green and golden land of Tuscany lay still and helpless at the mercy of the sun.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The birds had long ceased singing, and only the thin shrilling of the locusts broke the August silence.
a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
From this reading It was the drowsy middle of the afternoon and the heat was intense.
lacking in or deprived of strength or power
From this reading All the grey-green and golden land of Tuscany lay still and helpless at the mercy of the sun.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Olive sat in her little bedroom correcting exercises.
inflected form of “hide” — prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
hillsidesnounUS /ˈhɪlsaɪdz/
plural of “hillside” — the side or slope of a hill
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Olive sat in her little bedroom correcting exercises.
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading It was the drowsy middle of the afternoon and the heat was intense.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the drowsy middle of the afternoon and the heat was intense.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading All the grey-green and golden land of Tuscany lay still and helpless at the mercy of the sun.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading All the grey-green and golden land of Tuscany lay still and helpless at the mercy of the sun.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Olive sat in her little bedroom correcting exercises.
locustsnounUS /ˈloʊkəsts/
plural of “locust” — migratory grasshoppers of warm regions having short antennae
From this reading The birds had long ceased singing, and only the thin shrilling of the locusts broke the August silence.
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 The birds had long ceased singing, and only the thin shrilling of the locusts broke the August silence.
maizenounUS /meɪz/
tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice
From this reading All the grey-green and golden land of Tuscany lay still and helpless at the mercy of the sun.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading It was the drowsy middle of the afternoon and the heat was intense.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was the drowsy middle of the afternoon and the heat was intense.
OliveadjectiveUS /ˈɑːləv/
of a yellow-green color similar to that of an unripe olive
From this reading Olive sat in her little bedroom correcting exercises.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
and nothing more
From this reading The birds had long ceased singing, and only the thin shrilling of the locusts broke the August silence.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
parchedadjectiveUS /pɑːrtʃt/
dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
purpling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
rainsnounUS /reɪnz/
plural of “rain” — water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
ripeningnounUS /ˈraɪpənɪŋ/
coming to full development; becoming mature
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Olive sat in her little bedroom correcting exercises.
sheaths
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
shrillingnoun
a continuing shrill noise
From this reading The birds had long ceased singing, and only the thin shrilling of the locusts broke the August silence.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading The birds had long ceased singing, and only the thin shrilling of the locusts broke the August silence.
the act of singing vocal music
From this reading The birds had long ceased singing, and only the thin shrilling of the locusts broke the August silence.
snugadjectiveUS /snʌɡ/
offering safety; well protected or concealed
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
not in physical motion
From this reading All the grey-green and golden land of Tuscany lay still and helpless at the mercy of the sun.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading All the grey-green and golden land of Tuscany lay still and helpless at the mercy of the sun.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was the drowsy middle of the afternoon and the heat was intense.
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading The birds had long ceased singing, and only the thin shrilling of the locusts broke the August silence.
TuscanynounUS /ˈtʌskəni/
a region in central Italy
From this reading All the grey-green and golden land of Tuscany lay still and helpless at the mercy of the sun.
vinesnounUS /vaɪnz/
plural of “vine” — a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was the drowsy middle of the afternoon and the heat was intense.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading The parched earth was pale, and great cracks that only the autumn rains could fill had opened on the hillsides, but the ripening maize lay snug within its narrow sheaths of green, and the leaves of the vines hid great bunches of purpling grapes.
