used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a hot, dull evening.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
(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 The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
AnglianounUS /ˈæŋɡliə/
the Latin name for England
From this reading Before them stretched the wide, interminable road which was once the highway from the great city to Colchester and East Anglia.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before them stretched the wide, interminable road which was once the highway from the great city to Colchester and East Anglia.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
bricksnounUS /brɪks/
plural of “brick” — rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading Before them stretched the wide, interminable road which was once the highway from the great city to Colchester and East Anglia.
Colchester
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Before them stretched the wide, interminable road which was once the highway from the great city to Colchester and East Anglia.
comelyadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmli/
according with custom or propriety
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading It was a hot, dull evening.
dyedadjectiveUS /daɪd/
(used of color) artificially produced; not natural
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading Before them stretched the wide, interminable road which was once the highway from the great city to Colchester and East Anglia.
eastwardadjectiveUS /ˈiːstwərd/
moving toward the east
From this reading The two men were soon on the top of the Mile End Road tramcar, on their way eastward.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading The two men were soon on the top of the Mile End Road tramcar, on their way eastward.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading It was a hot, dull evening.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Before them stretched the wide, interminable road which was once the highway from the great city to Colchester and East Anglia.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Before them stretched the wide, interminable road which was once the highway from the great city to Colchester and East Anglia.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
highwaynounUS /ˈhaɪweɪ/
a major road for any form of motor transport
From this reading Before them stretched the wide, interminable road which was once the highway from the great city to Colchester and East Anglia.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading It was a hot, dull evening.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
inevitablyadverbUS /ˌɪˈnevətəbli/
in such a manner as could not be otherwise
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
interminableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtɜːrmənəbəl/
tiresomely long; seemingly without end
From this reading Before them stretched the wide, interminable road which was once the highway from the great city to Colchester and East Anglia.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a hot, dull evening.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
the force of workers available
From this reading The two men were soon on the top of the Mile End Road tramcar, on their way eastward.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading The two men were soon on the top of the Mile End Road tramcar, on their way eastward.
become covered with mist
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
mortarnounUS /ˈmɔːrtər/
a muzzle-loading high-angle gun with a short barrel that fires shells at high elevations for a short range
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
odoursnounUS /ˈoʊdərs/
plural of “odour” — the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The two men were soon on the top of the Mile End Road tramcar, on their way eastward.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The two men were soon on the top of the Mile End Road tramcar, on their way eastward.
on one occasion
From this reading Before them stretched the wide, interminable road which was once the highway from the great city to Colchester and East Anglia.
overtakingnounUS /ˈoʊvərteɪkɪŋ/
going by something that is moving in order to get in front of it
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
palpableadjectiveUS /ˈpælpəbəl/
capable of being perceived; especially capable of being handled or touched or felt
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
patchedadjectiveUS /pætʃt/
mended usually clumsily by covering a hole with a patch
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
putsnounUS /pʊts/
plural of “put” — the option to sell a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading The two men were soon on the top of the Mile End Road tramcar, on their way eastward.
except for; apart from
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
do one's shopping
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
in the near future
From this reading The two men were soon on the top of the Mile End Road tramcar, on their way eastward.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading Before them stretched the wide, interminable road which was once the highway from the great city to Colchester and East Anglia.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
swallowedverbUS /ˈswɑːloʊd/
past form of “swallow” — pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The two men were soon on the top of the Mile End Road tramcar, on their way eastward.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The two men were soon on the top of the Mile End Road tramcar, on their way eastward.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
thoroughfarenounUS /ˈθɜːroʊfer/
a public road from one place to another
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Before them stretched the wide, interminable road which was once the highway from the great city to Colchester and East Anglia.
the upper part of anything
From this reading The two men were soon on the top of the Mile End Road tramcar, on their way eastward.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
tramcarnoun
a four-wheeled wagon that runs on tracks in a mine
From this reading The two men were soon on the top of the Mile End Road tramcar, on their way eastward.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The two men were soon on the top of the Mile End Road tramcar, on their way eastward.
unsavouryadjective
morally offensive
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The setting sun behind them was already swallowed up in mist, and the heavy air held down and made palpable all the unsavoury odours of street and shop.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a hot, dull evening.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The two men were soon on the top of the Mile End Road tramcar, on their way eastward.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The two men were soon on the top of the Mile End Road tramcar, on their way eastward.
at the time that
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Before them stretched the wide, interminable road which was once the highway from the great city to Colchester and East Anglia.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading A broad and comely thoroughfare on the whole, save that from end to end it has now the dyed and patched look that an old village street inevitably puts on when it has been swallowed up by the bricks and mortar of an overtaking town.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Before them stretched the wide, interminable road which was once the highway from the great city to Colchester and East Anglia.
