used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A WET DAY.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He hired a closed carriage and was driven to Mason's Corner, arriving there about ten o'clock.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
alighted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He hired a closed carriage and was driven to Mason's Corner, arriving there about ten o'clock.
arrivingverbUS /ərˈaɪvɪŋ/
-ing form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading He hired a closed carriage and was driven to Mason's Corner, arriving there about ten o'clock.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
attendingnounUS /əˈtendɪŋ/
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
barnnounUS /bɑːrn/
an outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals
From this reading When he reached the Pettengill house he saw Hiram standing at the barn door.
state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services
From this reading He had taken his breakfast in Boston.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading He had taken his breakfast in Boston.
a railcar where passengers ride
From this reading He hired a closed carriage and was driven to Mason's Corner, arriving there about ten o'clock.
a low-lying region in central France
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading He hired a closed carriage and was driven to Mason's Corner, arriving there about ten o'clock.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading He hired a closed carriage and was driven to Mason's Corner, arriving there about ten o'clock.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading A WET DAY.
descendingadjectiveUS /dɪˈsendɪŋ/
coming down or downward
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading When he reached the Pettengill house he saw Hiram standing at the barn door.
compelled forcibly by an outside agency
From this reading He hired a closed carriage and was driven to Mason's Corner, arriving there about ten o'clock.
Eastborough
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
set up or found
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
funeralnounUS /ˈfjuːnərəl/
a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had taken his breakfast in Boston.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
Hiram
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When he reached the Pettengill house he saw Hiram standing at the barn door.
hiredadjectiveUS /ˈhaɪərd/
having services engaged for a fee
From this reading He hired a closed carriage and was driven to Mason's Corner, arriving there about ten o'clock.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading When he reached the Pettengill house he saw Hiram standing at the barn door.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
Mason'snounUS /ˈmeɪsənz/
possessive form of “mason” — American Revolutionary leader from Virginia whose objections led to the drafting of the Bill of Rights (1725-1792)
From this reading He hired a closed carriage and was driven to Mason's Corner, arriving there about ten o'clock.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading He hired a closed carriage and was driven to Mason's Corner, arriving there about ten o'clock.
Pettengill
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When he reached the Pettengill house he saw Hiram standing at the barn door.
QuincynounUS /ˈkwɪnsi/
American patriot who presented the colonists' grievances to the English king (1744-1775)
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading When he reached the Pettengill house he saw Hiram standing at the barn door.
cut with a saw
From this reading When he reached the Pettengill house he saw Hiram standing at the barn door.
having a supporting base
From this reading When he reached the Pettengill house he saw Hiram standing at the barn door.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading He had taken his breakfast in Boston.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading He hired a closed carriage and was driven to Mason's Corner, arriving there about ten o'clock.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
in or at that place or location
From this reading He hired a closed carriage and was driven to Mason's Corner, arriving there about ten o'clock.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He hired a closed carriage and was driven to Mason's Corner, arriving there about ten o'clock.
torrentsnounUS /ˈtɔːrənts/
plural of “torrent” — a heavy rain
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
create by training and teaching
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
uncle'snounUS /ˈʌŋkəlz/
possessive form of “uncle” — the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He hired a closed carriage and was driven to Mason's Corner, arriving there about ten o'clock.
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading A WET DAY.
at the time that
From this reading When Quincy alighted from the train at Eastborough Centre, after attending his uncle's funeral, he found the rain descending in torrents.
