used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
completely unclothed
From this reading "Think of little bare feet coming up here, Bessie!"
BehindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
Bessie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But to-day Bessie would nothing of lakes or ledges: she would sit on the church steps.
bygonenounUS /ˈbaɪɡɔːn/
past events to be put aside
From this reading In front of us, straight to the gate, ran a stiff little walk of white pebbles, hard and harsh as some bygone creed.
make calm or still
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
cloud-shadows
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading "Think of little bare feet coming up here, Bessie!"
creednounUS /kriːd/
any system of principles or beliefs
From this reading In front of us, straight to the gate, ran a stiff little walk of white pebbles, hard and harsh as some bygone creed.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading "Think of little bare feet coming up here, Bessie!"
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
fragrancenounUS /ˈfreɪɡrəns/
a distinctive odor that is pleasant
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading In front of us, straight to the gate, ran a stiff little walk of white pebbles, hard and harsh as some bygone creed.
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading In front of us, straight to the gate, ran a stiff little walk of white pebbles, hard and harsh as some bygone creed.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading In front of us, straight to the gate, ran a stiff little walk of white pebbles, hard and harsh as some bygone creed.
harshadjectiveUS /hɑːrʃ/
unpleasantly stern
From this reading In front of us, straight to the gate, ran a stiff little walk of white pebbles, hard and harsh as some bygone creed.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Think of little bare feet coming up here, Bessie!"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
lakesnounUS /leɪks/
plural of “lake” — a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
ledgesnounUS /ˈledʒɪz/
plural of “ledge” — a projecting ridge on a mountain or submerged under water
From this reading But to-day Bessie would nothing of lakes or ledges: she would sit on the church steps.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading In front of us, straight to the gate, ran a stiff little walk of white pebbles, hard and harsh as some bygone creed.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
not one thing; not anything
From this reading But to-day Bessie would nothing of lakes or ledges: she would sit on the church steps.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading But to-day Bessie would nothing of lakes or ledges: she would sit on the church steps.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
pebblesnounUS /ˈpebəlz/
plural of “pebble” — a small smooth rounded rock
From this reading In front of us, straight to the gate, ran a stiff little walk of white pebbles, hard and harsh as some bygone creed.
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
pinenounUS /paɪn/
a coniferous tree
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading In front of us, straight to the gate, ran a stiff little walk of white pebbles, hard and harsh as some bygone creed.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
rushesnounUS /ˈrʌʃəz/
plural of “rush” — the act of moving hurriedly and in a careless manner
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
scentedadjectiveUS /ˈsentɪd/
having the sense of smell
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
seemingadjectiveUS /ˈsiːmɪŋ/
appearing as such but not necessarily so
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
be seated
From this reading But to-day Bessie would nothing of lakes or ledges: she would sit on the church steps.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading In front of us, straight to the gate, ran a stiff little walk of white pebbles, hard and harsh as some bygone creed.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
not moving or operating freely
From this reading In front of us, straight to the gate, ran a stiff little walk of white pebbles, hard and harsh as some bygone creed.
successive (without a break)
From this reading In front of us, straight to the gate, ran a stiff little walk of white pebbles, hard and harsh as some bygone creed.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
in or at that place or location
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "Think of little bare feet coming up here, Bessie!"
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
to-day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to-day Bessie would nothing of lakes or ledges: she would sit on the church steps.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "Think of little bare feet coming up here, Bessie!"
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
precisely as stated
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading In front of us, straight to the gate, ran a stiff little walk of white pebbles, hard and harsh as some bygone creed.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What a picture she was as she sat there, my own Bessie! and what a strange place it was to rest on, those church steps!
a Caucasian
From this reading In front of us, straight to the gate, ran a stiff little walk of white pebbles, hard and harsh as some bygone creed.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
wooingnounUS /ˈwuːɪŋ/
a man's courting of a woman; seeking the affections of a woman (usually with the hope of marriage)
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
Woolsey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Behind us lay the Woolsey woods, with their wooing fragrance of pine and soft rushes of scented air; and the lakes were in the distance, lying very calm in the cloud-shadows and seeming to wait for us to come.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading But to-day Bessie would nothing of lakes or ledges: she would sit on the church steps.
