used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
(of mail) marked with a destination
From this reading Now and again Hamoud, a robed figment always beside her, addressed her in an unintelligible language.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Hour after hour there floated before her the fezzes and khaki-covered backs of the two leading askaris, trim, narrow, jaunty backs flanking the leprous shoulders of the albino.
anew
From this reading Now and again Hamoud, a robed figment always beside her, addressed her in an unintelligible language.
albinonounUS /ælˈbaɪnoʊ/
a person with congenital albinism: white hair and milky skin; eyes are usually pink
From this reading Hour after hour there floated before her the fezzes and khaki-covered backs of the two leading askaris, trim, narrow, jaunty backs flanking the leprous shoulders of the albino.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Now and again Hamoud, a robed figment always beside her, addressed her in an unintelligible language.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Now and again Hamoud, a robed figment always beside her, addressed her in an unintelligible language.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
antsnounUS /ænts/
plural of “ant” — social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
askaris
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hour after hour there floated before her the fezzes and khaki-covered backs of the two leading askaris, trim, narrow, jaunty backs flanking the leprous shoulders of the albino.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
backsnounUS /bæks/
plural of “back” — the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine
From this reading Hour after hour there floated before her the fezzes and khaki-covered backs of the two leading askaris, trim, narrow, jaunty backs flanking the leprous shoulders of the albino.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Hour after hour there floated before her the fezzes and khaki-covered backs of the two leading askaris, trim, narrow, jaunty backs flanking the leprous shoulders of the albino.
next to; at the side of
From this reading Now and again Hamoud, a robed figment always beside her, addressed her in an unintelligible language.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
broad-leavedadjective
having relatively broad rather than needlelike or scalelike leaves
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
colossaladjectiveUS /kəˈlɑːsəl/
so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
corridornounUS /ˈkɔːrədər/
an enclosed passageway; rooms usually open onto it
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
crooksnounUS /krʊks/
plural of “crook” — someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
drapedadjectiveUS /dreɪpt/
covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
fernsnounUS /fɜːrnz/
plural of “fern” — any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
fezzes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hour after hour there floated before her the fezzes and khaki-covered backs of the two leading askaris, trim, narrow, jaunty backs flanking the leprous shoulders of the albino.
figmentnounUS /ˈfɪɡmɪnt/
a contrived or fantastic idea
From this reading Now and again Hamoud, a robed figment always beside her, addressed her in an unintelligible language.
flankingverbUS /ˈflæŋkɪŋ/
-ing form of “flank” — be located at the sides of something or somebody
From this reading Hour after hour there floated before her the fezzes and khaki-covered backs of the two leading askaris, trim, narrow, jaunty backs flanking the leprous shoulders of the albino.
floatedverbUS /ˈfloʊtəd/
past form of “float” — be in motion due to some air or water current
From this reading Hour after hour there floated before her the fezzes and khaki-covered backs of the two leading askaris, trim, narrow, jaunty backs flanking the leprous shoulders of the albino.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
Hamoud
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now and again Hamoud, a robed figment always beside her, addressed her in an unintelligible language.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Hour after hour there floated before her the fezzes and khaki-covered backs of the two leading askaris, trim, narrow, jaunty backs flanking the leprous shoulders of the albino.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Hour after hour there floated before her the fezzes and khaki-covered backs of the two leading askaris, trim, narrow, jaunty backs flanking the leprous shoulders of the albino.
impenetrableadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpenətrəbəl/
not admitting of penetration or passage into or through
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
jauntyadjectiveUS /ˈdʒɔːnti/
marked by up-to-dateness in dress and manners
From this reading Hour after hour there floated before her the fezzes and khaki-covered backs of the two leading askaris, trim, narrow, jaunty backs flanking the leprous shoulders of the albino.
khaki-covered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hour after hour there floated before her the fezzes and khaki-covered backs of the two leading askaris, trim, narrow, jaunty backs flanking the leprous shoulders of the albino.
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading Now and again Hamoud, a robed figment always beside her, addressed her in an unintelligible language.
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading Hour after hour there floated before her the fezzes and khaki-covered backs of the two leading askaris, trim, narrow, jaunty backs flanking the leprous shoulders of the albino.
leprousadjective
relating to or resembling or having leprosy
From this reading Hour after hour there floated before her the fezzes and khaki-covered backs of the two leading askaris, trim, narrow, jaunty backs flanking the leprous shoulders of the albino.
lichennounUS /ˈlaɪkən/
any of several eruptive skin diseases characterized by hard thick lesions grouped together and resembling lichens growing on rocks
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
Lilla
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
plural of “limb” — one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
mossnounUS /mɔːs/
tiny leafy-stemmed flowerless plants
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now and again Hamoud, a robed figment always beside her, addressed her in an unintelligible language.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
plantsnounUS /plænts/
plural of “plant” — buildings for carrying on industrial labor
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
riddledadjectiveUS /ˈrɪdəld/
(often followed by “with”) damaged throughout by numerous perforations or holes
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
rills
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
robedadjectiveUS /roʊbd/
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading Now and again Hamoud, a robed figment always beside her, addressed her in an unintelligible language.
scorpionsnounUS /ˈskɔːrpiənz/
plural of “scorpion” — (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Scorpio
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
scuttledverbUS /ˈskʌtəld/
past form of “scuttle” — to move about or proceed hurriedly
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading Hour after hour there floated before her the fezzes and khaki-covered backs of the two leading askaris, trim, narrow, jaunty backs flanking the leprous shoulders of the albino.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
thicketsnounUS /ˈθɪkəts/
plural of “thicket” — a dense growth of bushes
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
tinklenounUS /ˈtɪŋkəl/
a light clear metallic sound as of a small bell
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Trees, trees, trees.
trimverbUS /trɪm/
remove the edges from and cut down to the desired size
From this reading Hour after hour there floated before her the fezzes and khaki-covered backs of the two leading askaris, trim, narrow, jaunty backs flanking the leprous shoulders of the albino.
the main stem of a tree; usually covered with bark; the bole is usually the part that is commercially useful for lumber
From this reading Here and there had fallen across the narrow corridor a tree trunk riddled by ants; as Lilla stepped over it blue scorpions scuttled away.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Hour after hour there floated before her the fezzes and khaki-covered backs of the two leading askaris, trim, narrow, jaunty backs flanking the leprous shoulders of the albino.
unintelligibleadjectiveUS /ˌʌnɪnˈtelədʒəbəl/
poorly articulated or enunciated, or drowned by noise
From this reading Now and again Hamoud, a robed figment always beside her, addressed her in an unintelligible language.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They were colossal, draped in moss and lichen, ferns growing from the crooks of their limbs, above the impenetrable thickets of broad-leaved plants from which came the tinkle of rills.
