used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading ABOUT a fortnight after Owen's departure, Reuben followed him to Birmingham.
ABOUTprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading ABOUT a fortnight after Owen's departure, Reuben followed him to Birmingham.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading ABOUT a fortnight after Owen's departure, Reuben followed him to Birmingham.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
(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 But the excitement of the change was soon over, and in the midst of crowds of workers of all descriptions Reuben's heart sickened with a dreary sense of loneliness.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
Ashworth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
a particular environment or surrounding influence
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
BirminghamnounUS /ˈbɜːrmɪŋhæm/
the largest city in Alabama; located in northeastern Alabama
From this reading ABOUT a fortnight after Owen's departure, Reuben followed him to Birmingham.
bustlenounUS /ˈbʌsəl/
a rapid active commotion
From this reading For a little while the bustle and stir of the town had the charm of novelty for Reuben.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the excitement of the change was soon over, and in the midst of crowds of workers of all descriptions Reuben's heart sickened with a dreary sense of loneliness.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading But the excitement of the change was soon over, and in the midst of crowds of workers of all descriptions Reuben's heart sickened with a dreary sense of loneliness.
attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates
From this reading For a little while the bustle and stir of the town had the charm of novelty for Reuben.
crowdsnounUS /kraʊdz/
plural of “crowd” — a large number of things or people considered together
From this reading But the excitement of the change was soon over, and in the midst of crowds of workers of all descriptions Reuben's heart sickened with a dreary sense of loneliness.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
the act of departing
From this reading ABOUT a fortnight after Owen's departure, Reuben followed him to Birmingham.
descriptionsnounUS /dɪˈskrɪpʃənz/
plural of “description” — a statement that represents something in words
From this reading But the excitement of the change was soon over, and in the midst of crowds of workers of all descriptions Reuben's heart sickened with a dreary sense of loneliness.
dingyadjectiveUS /ˈdɪndʒi/
thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
drearyadjectiveUS /ˈdrɪri/
lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise
From this reading But the excitement of the change was soon over, and in the midst of crowds of workers of all descriptions Reuben's heart sickened with a dreary sense of loneliness.
dustyadjectiveUS /ˈdʌsti/
covered with a layer of dust
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
chemical process in which one atom or ion or group changes places with another
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading But the excitement of the change was soon over, and in the midst of crowds of workers of all descriptions Reuben's heart sickened with a dreary sense of loneliness.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading ABOUT a fortnight after Owen's departure, Reuben followed him to Birmingham.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
fortnightnounUS /ˈfɔːrtnaɪt/
a period of fourteen consecutive days
From this reading ABOUT a fortnight after Owen's departure, Reuben followed him to Birmingham.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For a little while the bustle and stir of the town had the charm of novelty for Reuben.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading But the excitement of the change was soon over, and in the midst of crowds of workers of all descriptions Reuben's heart sickened with a dreary sense of loneliness.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading ABOUT a fortnight after Owen's departure, Reuben followed him to Birmingham.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading For a little while the bustle and stir of the town had the charm of novelty for Reuben.
lonelinessnounUS /ˈloʊnlinəs/
the state of being alone in solitary isolation
From this reading But the excitement of the change was soon over, and in the midst of crowds of workers of all descriptions Reuben's heart sickened with a dreary sense of loneliness.
the location of something surrounded by other things
From this reading But the excitement of the change was soon over, and in the midst of crowds of workers of all descriptions Reuben's heart sickened with a dreary sense of loneliness.
noveltynounUS /ˈnɑːvəlti/
originality by virtue of being refreshingly novel
From this reading For a little while the bustle and stir of the town had the charm of novelty for Reuben.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE WAYS OF TOWN.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading But the excitement of the change was soon over, and in the midst of crowds of workers of all descriptions Reuben's heart sickened with a dreary sense of loneliness.
Owen'snounUS /ˈoʊənz/
possessive form of “owen” — Welsh industrialist and social reformer who founded cooperative communities (1771-1858)
From this reading ABOUT a fortnight after Owen's departure, Reuben followed him to Birmingham.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
ReubennounUS /ˈruːbən/
(Old Testment) a son of Jacob and forefather of one of the tribes of Israel
From this reading ABOUT a fortnight after Owen's departure, Reuben followed him to Birmingham.
Reuben's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the excitement of the change was soon over, and in the midst of crowds of workers of all descriptions Reuben's heart sickened with a dreary sense of loneliness.
ruraladjectiveUS /ˈrʊrəl/
living in or characteristic of farming or country life
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading But the excitement of the change was soon over, and in the midst of crowds of workers of all descriptions Reuben's heart sickened with a dreary sense of loneliness.
sickenedverbUS /ˈsɪkənd/
past form of “sicken” — cause aversion in; offend the moral sense of
From this reading But the excitement of the change was soon over, and in the midst of crowds of workers of all descriptions Reuben's heart sickened with a dreary sense of loneliness.
smokyadjectiveUS /ˈsmoʊki/
marked by or emitting or filled with smoke
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
in the near future
From this reading But the excitement of the change was soon over, and in the midst of crowds of workers of all descriptions Reuben's heart sickened with a dreary sense of loneliness.
move an implement through
From this reading For a little while the bustle and stir of the town had the charm of novelty for Reuben.
plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE WAYS OF TOWN.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ABOUT a fortnight after Owen's departure, Reuben followed him to Birmingham.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading THE WAYS OF TOWN.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But the excitement of the change was soon over, and in the midst of crowds of workers of all descriptions Reuben's heart sickened with a dreary sense of loneliness.
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading THE WAYS OF TOWN.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The smoky atmosphere, the dingy, dusty streets were a poor exchange in the warm summer days for the fresh air and rural beauty of Ashworth.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading For a little while the bustle and stir of the town had the charm of novelty for Reuben.
in the company of; together with
From this reading But the excitement of the change was soon over, and in the midst of crowds of workers of all descriptions Reuben's heart sickened with a dreary sense of loneliness.
workersnounUS /ˈwɜːrkərz/
plural of “worker” — a person who works at a specific occupation
From this reading But the excitement of the change was soon over, and in the midst of crowds of workers of all descriptions Reuben's heart sickened with a dreary sense of loneliness.
