Chapter XV · Chapter 15

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

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

the state of being absent

From this reading The old sisters had departed for their daily drive, which she daily declined to share, having no love for the high-road, and much for the peace which their absence brought her.

from one side of something to the other

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

later than; following

From this reading She noted idly that the sound of the ball on the bat travelled but slowly upward, and reached her after the striker had begun to run.

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

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

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games

From this reading She noted idly that the sound of the ball on the bat travelled but slowly upward, and reached her after the striker had begun to run.

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

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

nocturnal mouselike mammal with forelimbs modified to form membranous wings and anatomical adaptations for echolocation by which they navigate

From this reading She noted idly that the sound of the ball on the bat travelled but slowly upward, and reached her after the striker had begun to run.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading She noted idly that the sound of the ball on the bat travelled but slowly upward, and reached her after the striker had begun to run.

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading Some boys were playing cricket in a field below.

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading Some boys were playing cricket in a field below.

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading The old sisters had departed for their daily drive, which she daily declined to share, having no love for the high-road, and much for the peace which their absence brought her.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading She noted idly that the sound of the ball on the bat travelled but slowly upward, and reached her after the striker had begun to run.

past form of “count” — determine the number or amount of

From this reading The effect was curious, but it was not new to her, though she listened and counted with idle interest.

leaping insect; male makes chirping noises by rubbing the forewings together

From this reading Some boys were playing cricket in a field below.

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading The effect was curious, but it was not new to her, though she listened and counted with idle interest.

every day; without missing a day

From this reading The old sisters had departed for their daily drive, which she daily declined to share, having no love for the high-road, and much for the peace which their absence brought her.

past form of “decline” — grow worse

From this reading The old sisters had departed for their daily drive, which she daily declined to share, having no love for the high-road, and much for the peace which their absence brought her.

well in the past; former

From this reading The old sisters had departed for their daily drive, which she daily declined to share, having no love for the high-road, and much for the peace which their absence brought her.

the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

operate or control a vehicle

From this reading The old sisters had departed for their daily drive, which she daily declined to share, having no love for the high-road, and much for the peace which their absence brought her.

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading The effect was curious, but it was not new to her, though she listened and counted with idle interest.

to a faint degree or weakly perceived

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed

From this reading Some boys were playing cricket in a field below.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The old sisters had departed for their daily drive, which she daily declined to share, having no love for the high-road, and much for the peace which their absence brought her.

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

-ing form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

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

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading She noted idly that the sound of the ball on the bat travelled but slowly upward, and reached her after the striker had begun to run.

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading The old sisters had departed for their daily drive, which she daily declined to share, having no love for the high-road, and much for the peace which their absence brought her.

plural of “haymaker” — a farm machine that treats hay to cause more rapid and even drying

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

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

From this reading The old sisters had departed for their daily drive, which she daily declined to share, having no love for the high-road, and much for the peace which their absence brought her.

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

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

not in action or at work

From this reading The effect was curious, but it was not new to her, though she listened and counted with idle interest.

in an idle manner

From this reading She noted idly that the sound of the ball on the bat travelled but slowly upward, and reached her after the striker had begun to run.

a large genus of dicotyledonous trees and shrubs of the family Aquifoliaceae that have small flowers and berries (including hollies)

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

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

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading The effect was curious, but it was not new to her, though she listened and counted with idle interest.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The effect was curious, but it was not new to her, though she listened and counted with idle interest.

a polite name for any woman

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

the sound of laughing

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading The effect was curious, but it was not new to her, though she listened and counted with idle interest.

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading The old sisters had departed for their daily drive, which she daily declined to share, having no love for the high-road, and much for the peace which their absence brought her.

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

the middle part of July

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading The old sisters had departed for their daily drive, which she daily declined to share, having no love for the high-road, and much for the peace which their absence brought her.

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading The effect was curious, but it was not new to her, though she listened and counted with idle interest.

not any; not one

From this reading The old sisters had departed for their daily drive, which she daily declined to share, having no love for the high-road, and much for the peace which their absence brought her.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The effect was curious, but it was not new to her, though she listened and counted with idle interest.

widely known and esteemed

From this reading She noted idly that the sound of the ball on the bat travelled but slowly upward, and reached her after the striker had begun to run.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

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

From this reading The old sisters had departed for their daily drive, which she daily declined to share, having no love for the high-road, and much for the peace which their absence brought her.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

To move from a closed position.

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

the state prevailing during the absence of war

From this reading The old sisters had departed for their daily drive, which she daily declined to share, having no love for the high-road, and much for the peace which their absence brought her.

being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

the act of playing a musical instrument

From this reading Some boys were playing cricket in a field below.

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading She noted idly that the sound of the ball on the bat travelled but slowly upward, and reached her after the striker had begun to run.

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

have in common

From this reading The old sisters had departed for their daily drive, which she daily declined to share, having no love for the high-road, and much for the peace which their absence brought her.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

marked by absence of sound

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

plural of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading The old sisters had departed for their daily drive, which she daily declined to share, having no love for the high-road, and much for the peace which their absence brought her.

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading She noted idly that the sound of the ball on the bat travelled but slowly upward, and reached her after the striker had begun to run.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Some boys were playing cricket in a field below.

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading She noted idly that the sound of the ball on the bat travelled but slowly upward, and reached her after the striker had begun to run.

a forward on a soccer team

From this reading She noted idly that the sound of the ball on the bat travelled but slowly upward, and reached her after the striker had begun to run.

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

usually paved outdoor area adjoining a residence

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading She noted idly that the sound of the ball on the bat travelled but slowly upward, and reached her after the striker had begun to run.

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

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The old sisters had departed for their daily drive, which she daily declined to share, having no love for the high-road, and much for the peace which their absence brought her.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading The effect was curious, but it was not new to her, though she listened and counted with idle interest.

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

From this reading She noted idly that the sound of the ball on the bat travelled but slowly upward, and reached her after the striker had begun to run.

familiar with many parts of the world

From this reading She noted idly that the sound of the ball on the bat travelled but slowly upward, and reached her after the striker had begun to run.

directed up

From this reading She noted idly that the sound of the ball on the bat travelled but slowly upward, and reached her after the striker had begun to run.

a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

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

From this reading The effect was curious, but it was not new to her, though she listened and counted with idle interest.

the act of observing; taking a patient look

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

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

From this reading Some boys were playing cricket in a field below.

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

From this reading The old sisters had departed for their daily drive, which she daily declined to share, having no love for the high-road, and much for the peace which their absence brought her.

belonging to which person

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading On a perfect summer afternoon in mid-July, Lady Mary sat in the terrace garden at Barracombe, before the open windows of the silent house, in the shade of the great ilex; sometimes glancing at the book she held, and sometimes watching the haymakers in the valley, whose voices and laughter reached her faintly across the distance.

in the company of; together with

From this reading The effect was curious, but it was not new to her, though she listened and counted with idle interest.