Chapter VI · Chapter 6

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading ATTRACTION AND REPULSION A fortnight had passed over and winter was advancing with rapid strides.

moving forward

From this reading ATTRACTION AND REPULSION A fortnight had passed over and winter was advancing with rapid strides.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading ATTRACTION AND REPULSION A fortnight had passed over and winter was advancing with rapid strides.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Corn was to be ground while yet it could be carried to the distant mill; the great racks for oat-cake, that swung at the top of the kitchen, had to be filled.

the force by which one object attracts another

From this reading ATTRACTION AND REPULSION A fortnight had passed over and winter was advancing with rapid strides.

providing no shelter or sustenance

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

coverings that are used on a bed

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

cattle that are reared for their meat

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

offering little or no hope

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

plural of “cart” — a heavy open wagon usually having two wheels and drawn by an animal

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times

From this reading Corn was to be ground while yet it could be carried to the distant mill; the great racks for oat-cake, that swung at the top of the kitchen, had to be filled.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

dearly loved

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

loss due to not showing up

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

separated in space or coming from or going to a distance

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

divisible by two

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

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 There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with

From this reading Corn was to be ground while yet it could be carried to the distant mill; the great racks for oat-cake, that swung at the top of the kitchen, had to be filled.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

a period of fourteen consecutive days

From this reading ATTRACTION AND REPULSION A fortnight had passed over and winter was advancing with rapid strides.

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading Corn was to be ground while yet it could be carried to the distant mill; the great racks for oat-cake, that swung at the top of the kitchen, had to be filled.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading ATTRACTION AND REPULSION A fortnight had passed over and winter was advancing with rapid strides.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

common Old World heath represented by many varieties; low evergreen grown widely in the northern hemisphere

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

succulent herbaceous vegetation of pasture land

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

where you live at a particular time

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

plural of “housewife” — a wife who manages a household while her husband earns the family income

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

a room equipped for preparing meals

From this reading Corn was to be ground while yet it could be carried to the distant mill; the great racks for oat-cake, that swung at the top of the kitchen, had to be filled.

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

water chestnut whose spiny fruit has two rather than 4 prongs

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

engage in

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

beet with a large yellowish root; grown chiefly as cattle feed

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

the feast of Saint Martin; a quarter day in Scotland

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

the flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) used as food

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

move about in a confused manner

From this reading Corn was to be ground while yet it could be carried to the distant mill; the great racks for oat-cake, that swung at the top of the kitchen, had to be filled.

plural of “moor” — one of the Muslim people of north Africa; of mixed Arab and Berber descent; converted to Islam in the 8th century; conqueror of Spain in the 8th century

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

the month following October and preceding December

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Corn was to be ground while yet it could be carried to the distant mill; the great racks for oat-cake, that swung at the top of the kitchen, had to be filled.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

above and across; more than

From this reading ATTRACTION AND REPULSION A fortnight had passed over and winter was advancing with rapid strides.

past form of “pare” — decrease gradually or bit by bit

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

the local environment

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading ATTRACTION AND REPULSION A fortnight had passed over and winter was advancing with rapid strides.

vegetables (especially cucumbers) preserved in brine or vinegar

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

a separate part of a whole

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

cause to move by pulling

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

plural of “rack” — framework for holding objects

From this reading Corn was to be ground while yet it could be carried to the distant mill; the great racks for oat-cake, that swung at the top of the kitchen, had to be filled.

done or occurring in a brief period of time

From this reading ATTRACTION AND REPULSION A fortnight had passed over and winter was advancing with rapid strides.

on the contrary

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

the force by which bodies repel one another

From this reading ATTRACTION AND REPULSION A fortnight had passed over and winter was advancing with rapid strides.

a partly sheltered anchorage

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

only a very short time before

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

-ing form of “slaughter” — kill (animals) usually for food consumption

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

in the near future

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

arranged in a stack

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

past form of “store” — keep or lay aside for future use

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

plant fiber used e.g. for making baskets and hats or as fodder

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

plural of “stride” — a step in walking or running

From this reading ATTRACTION AND REPULSION A fortnight had passed over and winter was advancing with rapid strides.

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading Corn was to be ground while yet it could be carried to the distant mill; the great racks for oat-cake, that swung at the top of the kitchen, had to be filled.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Corn was to be ground while yet it could be carried to the distant mill; the great racks for oat-cake, that swung at the top of the kitchen, had to be filled.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

in or at that place or location

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

the upper part of anything

From this reading Corn was to be ground while yet it could be carried to the distant mill; the great racks for oat-cake, that swung at the top of the kitchen, had to be filled.

surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

plural of “turnip” — widely cultivated plant having a large fleshy edible white or yellow root

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading There was the turf, pared up on the distant moors, and left out to dry, to be carried home and stacked; the brown fern was to be stored up for winter bedding for the cattle; for straw was scarce and dear in those parts; even for thatching, heather (or rather ling) was used.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading ATTRACTION AND REPULSION A fortnight had passed over and winter was advancing with rapid strides.

the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation

From this reading In bleak northern farmsteads there was much to be done before November weather should make the roads too heavy for half-fed horses to pull carts through.

during the time that

From this reading Then there was meat to salt while it could be had; for, in default of turnips and mangold-wurzel, there was a great slaughtering of barren cows as soon as the summer herbage failed; and good housewives stored up their Christmas piece of beef in pickle before Martinmas was over.

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading ATTRACTION AND REPULSION A fortnight had passed over and winter was advancing with rapid strides.

in the company of; together with

From this reading ATTRACTION AND REPULSION A fortnight had passed over and winter was advancing with rapid strides.

but in spite of that

From this reading Corn was to be ground while yet it could be carried to the distant mill; the great racks for oat-cake, that swung at the top of the kitchen, had to be filled.