used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Here a number of the neighbours were sitting about in almost the same place where Theresa had sustained the loss of her cherry-coloured knot.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading As the old woman hobbled down the slope she saw Denis O'Meara's scarlet uniform gleaming martially against a background of dark broom and hoary rock.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The sun-steeped air was so still that the thick bushes stood as steady as the boulders, and even the rushes nodded slightly and stiffly.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Here a number of the neighbours were sitting about in almost the same place where Theresa had sustained the loss of her cherry-coloured knot.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
backgroundnounUS /ˈbækɡraʊnd/
a person's social heritage: previous experience or training
From this reading As the old woman hobbled down the slope she saw Denis O'Meara's scarlet uniform gleaming martially against a background of dark broom and hoary rock.
bouldersnounUS /ˈboʊldərz/
plural of “boulder” — a large smooth mass of rock detached from its place of origin
From this reading The sun-steeped air was so still that the thick bushes stood as steady as the boulders, and even the rushes nodded slightly and stiffly.
breezesnounUS /ˈbriːzɪz/
plural of “breeze” — a slight wind (usually refreshing)
From this reading But to-day there were no rough breezes stirring to bring about such disasters by their unmannerly pranks.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading But to-day there were no rough breezes stirring to bring about such disasters by their unmannerly pranks.
broomnounUS /bruːm/
a cleaning implement for sweeping; bundle of straws or twigs attached to a long handle
From this reading As the old woman hobbled down the slope she saw Denis O'Meara's scarlet uniform gleaming martially against a background of dark broom and hoary rock.
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading The sun-steeped air was so still that the thick bushes stood as steady as the boulders, and even the rushes nodded slightly and stiffly.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But to-day there were no rough breezes stirring to bring about such disasters by their unmannerly pranks.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
cherry-coloured
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Here a number of the neighbours were sitting about in almost the same place where Theresa had sustained the loss of her cherry-coloured knot.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading As the old woman hobbled down the slope she saw Denis O'Meara's scarlet uniform gleaming martially against a background of dark broom and hoary rock.
Denis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the old woman hobbled down the slope she saw Denis O'Meara's scarlet uniform gleaming martially against a background of dark broom and hoary rock.
disastersnounUS /dɪˈzæstərz/
plural of “disaster” — a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune
From this reading But to-day there were no rough breezes stirring to bring about such disasters by their unmannerly pranks.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
divisible by two
From this reading The sun-steeped air was so still that the thick bushes stood as steady as the boulders, and even the rushes nodded slightly and stiffly.
FAIRING
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
gleamingnounUS /ˈɡliːmɪŋ/
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading As the old woman hobbled down the slope she saw Denis O'Meara's scarlet uniform gleaming martially against a background of dark broom and hoary rock.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Here a number of the neighbours were sitting about in almost the same place where Theresa had sustained the loss of her cherry-coloured knot.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here a number of the neighbours were sitting about in almost the same place where Theresa had sustained the loss of her cherry-coloured knot.
hoaryadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːri/
showing characteristics of age, especially having grey or white hair
From this reading As the old woman hobbled down the slope she saw Denis O'Meara's scarlet uniform gleaming martially against a background of dark broom and hoary rock.
hobbledverbUS /ˈhɑːbəld/
past form of “hobble” — walk impeded by some physical limitation or injury
From this reading As the old woman hobbled down the slope she saw Denis O'Meara's scarlet uniform gleaming martially against a background of dark broom and hoary rock.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
housekeepingnounUS /ˈhaʊskiːpɪŋ/
the work of cleaning and running a house
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
not in action or at work
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
Joyces
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
knotnounUS /nɑːt/
a tight cluster of people or things
From this reading Here a number of the neighbours were sitting about in almost the same place where Theresa had sustained the loss of her cherry-coloured knot.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
Lisconnel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
loitered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
something that is lost
From this reading Here a number of the neighbours were sitting about in almost the same place where Theresa had sustained the loss of her cherry-coloured knot.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
martiallyadverb
in a martial manner
From this reading As the old woman hobbled down the slope she saw Denis O'Meara's scarlet uniform gleaming martially against a background of dark broom and hoary rock.
at the same time but in another place
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
neighboursnounUS /ˈneɪbərz/
plural of “neighbour” — a person who lives (or is located) near another
From this reading Here a number of the neighbours were sitting about in almost the same place where Theresa had sustained the loss of her cherry-coloured knot.
not any; not one
From this reading But to-day there were no rough breezes stirring to bring about such disasters by their unmannerly pranks.
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading The sun-steeped air was so still that the thick bushes stood as steady as the boulders, and even the rushes nodded slightly and stiffly.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading Here a number of the neighbours were sitting about in almost the same place where Theresa had sustained the loss of her cherry-coloured knot.
O'Meara's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the old woman hobbled down the slope she saw Denis O'Meara's scarlet uniform gleaming martially against a background of dark broom and hoary rock.
Ody
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading As the old woman hobbled down the slope she saw Denis O'Meara's scarlet uniform gleaming martially against a background of dark broom and hoary rock.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Here a number of the neighbours were sitting about in almost the same place where Theresa had sustained the loss of her cherry-coloured knot.
pranksnounUS /præŋks/
plural of “prank” — acting like a clown or buffoon
From this reading But to-day there were no rough breezes stirring to bring about such disasters by their unmannerly pranks.
Rafferty's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading As the old woman hobbled down the slope she saw Denis O'Meara's scarlet uniform gleaming martially against a background of dark broom and hoary rock.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading But to-day there were no rough breezes stirring to bring about such disasters by their unmannerly pranks.
rushesnounUS /ˈrʌʃəz/
plural of “rush” — the act of moving hurriedly and in a careless manner
From this reading The sun-steeped air was so still that the thick bushes stood as steady as the boulders, and even the rushes nodded slightly and stiffly.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Here a number of the neighbours were sitting about in almost the same place where Theresa had sustained the loss of her cherry-coloured knot.
cut with a saw
From this reading As the old woman hobbled down the slope she saw Denis O'Meara's scarlet uniform gleaming martially against a background of dark broom and hoary rock.
scarletnounUS /ˈskɑːrlət/
a variable color that is vivid red but sometimes with an orange tinge
From this reading As the old woman hobbled down the slope she saw Denis O'Meara's scarlet uniform gleaming martially against a background of dark broom and hoary rock.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading Here a number of the neighbours were sitting about in almost the same place where Theresa had sustained the loss of her cherry-coloured knot.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading The sun-steeped air was so still that the thick bushes stood as steady as the boulders, and even the rushes nodded slightly and stiffly.
an elevated geological formation
From this reading As the old woman hobbled down the slope she saw Denis O'Meara's scarlet uniform gleaming martially against a background of dark broom and hoary rock.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The sun-steeped air was so still that the thick bushes stood as steady as the boulders, and even the rushes nodded slightly and stiffly.
characterized by or preferring solitude
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
make steady
From this reading The sun-steeped air was so still that the thick bushes stood as steady as the boulders, and even the rushes nodded slightly and stiffly.
stifflyadverbUS /ˈstɪfli/
in a stiff manner
From this reading The sun-steeped air was so still that the thick bushes stood as steady as the boulders, and even the rushes nodded slightly and stiffly.
not in physical motion
From this reading The sun-steeped air was so still that the thick bushes stood as steady as the boulders, and even the rushes nodded slightly and stiffly.
stirringnounUS /ˈstɜːrɪŋ/
agitating a liquid with an implement
From this reading But to-day there were no rough breezes stirring to bring about such disasters by their unmannerly pranks.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The sun-steeped air was so still that the thick bushes stood as steady as the boulders, and even the rushes nodded slightly and stiffly.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading But to-day there were no rough breezes stirring to bring about such disasters by their unmannerly pranks.
sun-steeped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun-steeped air was so still that the thick bushes stood as steady as the boulders, and even the rushes nodded slightly and stiffly.
sustainedadjectiveUS /səˈsteɪnd/
maintained at length without interruption or weakening
From this reading Here a number of the neighbours were sitting about in almost the same place where Theresa had sustained the loss of her cherry-coloured knot.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The sun-steeped air was so still that the thick bushes stood as steady as the boulders, and even the rushes nodded slightly and stiffly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading But to-day there were no rough breezes stirring to bring about such disasters by their unmannerly pranks.
in or at that place or location
From this reading But to-day there were no rough breezes stirring to bring about such disasters by their unmannerly pranks.
TheresanounUS /tərˈiːsə/
Indian nun and missionary in the Roman Catholic Church (born of Albanian parents in what is now Macedonia); dedicated to helping the poor in India (1910-1997)
From this reading Here a number of the neighbours were sitting about in almost the same place where Theresa had sustained the loss of her cherry-coloured knot.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading The sun-steeped air was so still that the thick bushes stood as steady as the boulders, and even the rushes nodded slightly and stiffly.
tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But to-day there were no rough breezes stirring to bring about such disasters by their unmannerly pranks.
to-day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to-day there were no rough breezes stirring to bring about such disasters by their unmannerly pranks.
uniformadjectiveUS /ˈjuːnəfɔːrm/
always the same; showing a single form or character in all occurrences
From this reading As the old woman hobbled down the slope she saw Denis O'Meara's scarlet uniform gleaming martially against a background of dark broom and hoary rock.
unmannerlyadjective
socially incorrect in behavior
From this reading But to-day there were no rough breezes stirring to bring about such disasters by their unmannerly pranks.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The sun-steeped air was so still that the thick bushes stood as steady as the boulders, and even the rushes nodded slightly and stiffly.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading A FAIRING Up at Lisconnel, meanwhile, as the idle hours loitered by, Ody Rafferty's aunt grew tired of her solitary housekeeping, and late in the afternoon she made her way down as far as the Joyces'.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Here a number of the neighbours were sitting about in almost the same place where Theresa had sustained the loss of her cherry-coloured knot.
in or at the place that
From this reading Here a number of the neighbours were sitting about in almost the same place where Theresa had sustained the loss of her cherry-coloured knot.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading As the old woman hobbled down the slope she saw Denis O'Meara's scarlet uniform gleaming martially against a background of dark broom and hoary rock.
