used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Now Merlin dwelt in a dark cave which ran low underneath the ground.
surrounded by; in the company of
From this reading It was entered from a rock which lay a little way from a fierce brawling stream that flowed amongst densely-wooded hills.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was a dismal spot, and when the travellers reached it they paused and feared to enter, and half repented their coming.
brawlingverbUS /ˈbrɔːlɪŋ/
-ing form of “brawl” — to quarrel noisily, angrily or disruptively
From this reading It was entered from a rock which lay a little way from a fierce brawling stream that flowed amongst densely-wooded hills.
Britomart
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But Britomart, whose nature was full of spirit, recovered courage, and entered, followed by her nurse.
busiedverbUS /ˈbɪzid/
inflected form of “busy” — keep busy with
From this reading They found the magician busied in his mysteries, writing strange characters on the ground.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Britomart, whose nature was full of spirit, recovered courage, and entered, followed by her nurse.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading But Britomart, whose nature was full of spirit, recovered courage, and entered, followed by her nurse.
a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea
From this reading Now Merlin dwelt in a dark cave which ran low underneath the ground.
plural of “character” — an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading They found the magician busied in his mysteries, writing strange characters on the ground.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading It was a dismal spot, and when the travellers reached it they paused and feared to enter, and half repented their coming.
a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear
From this reading But Britomart, whose nature was full of spirit, recovered courage, and entered, followed by her nurse.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Now Merlin dwelt in a dark cave which ran low underneath the ground.
densely-wooded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was entered from a rock which lay a little way from a fierce brawling stream that flowed amongst densely-wooded hills.
dismaladjectiveUS /ˈdɪzməl/
causing dejection
From this reading It was a dismal spot, and when the travellers reached it they paused and feared to enter, and half repented their coming.
dweltverbUS /dwelt/
inflected form of “dwell” — think moodily or anxiously about something
From this reading Now Merlin dwelt in a dark cave which ran low underneath the ground.
to come or go into
From this reading It was a dismal spot, and when the travellers reached it they paused and feared to enter, and half repented their coming.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading It was entered from a rock which lay a little way from a fierce brawling stream that flowed amongst densely-wooded hills.
past form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading It was a dismal spot, and when the travellers reached it they paused and feared to enter, and half repented their coming.
marked by extreme and violent energy
From this reading It was entered from a rock which lay a little way from a fierce brawling stream that flowed amongst densely-wooded hills.
flowedverbUS /floʊd/
past form of “flow” — move or progress freely as if in a stream
From this reading It was entered from a rock which lay a little way from a fierce brawling stream that flowed amongst densely-wooded hills.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading But Britomart, whose nature was full of spirit, recovered courage, and entered, followed by her nurse.
set up or found
From this reading They found the magician busied in his mysteries, writing strange characters on the ground.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It was entered from a rock which lay a little way from a fierce brawling stream that flowed amongst densely-wooded hills.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading But Britomart, whose nature was full of spirit, recovered courage, and entered, followed by her nurse.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Now Merlin dwelt in a dark cave which ran low underneath the ground.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading It was a dismal spot, and when the travellers reached it they paused and feared to enter, and half repented their coming.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading But Britomart, whose nature was full of spirit, recovered courage, and entered, followed by her nurse.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading It was entered from a rock which lay a little way from a fierce brawling stream that flowed amongst densely-wooded hills.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading They found the magician busied in his mysteries, writing strange characters on the ground.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Now Merlin dwelt in a dark cave which ran low underneath the ground.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was entered from a rock which lay a little way from a fierce brawling stream that flowed amongst densely-wooded hills.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It was entered from a rock which lay a little way from a fierce brawling stream that flowed amongst densely-wooded hills.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was entered from a rock which lay a little way from a fierce brawling stream that flowed amongst densely-wooded hills.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Now Merlin dwelt in a dark cave which ran low underneath the ground.
magiciannounUS /məˈdʒɪʃ.ən/
A practitioner of magic and ancient arcane arts, often wielding deception and powerful spells.
From this reading They found the magician busied in his mysteries, writing strange characters on the ground.
MerlinnounUS /ˈmɜːrlɪn/
(Arthurian legend) the magician who acted as King Arthur's advisor
From this reading Now Merlin dwelt in a dark cave which ran low underneath the ground.
mysteriesnounUS /ˈmɪstəriz/
plural of “mystery” — something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading They found the magician busied in his mysteries, writing strange characters on the ground.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading But Britomart, whose nature was full of spirit, recovered courage, and entered, followed by her nurse.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now Merlin dwelt in a dark cave which ran low underneath the ground.
try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury
From this reading But Britomart, whose nature was full of spirit, recovered courage, and entered, followed by her nurse.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But Britomart, whose nature was full of spirit, recovered courage, and entered, followed by her nurse.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They found the magician busied in his mysteries, writing strange characters on the ground.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading It was a dismal spot, and when the travellers reached it they paused and feared to enter, and half repented their coming.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Now Merlin dwelt in a dark cave which ran low underneath the ground.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading It was a dismal spot, and when the travellers reached it they paused and feared to enter, and half repented their coming.
freed from illness or injury
From this reading But Britomart, whose nature was full of spirit, recovered courage, and entered, followed by her nurse.
repentedverbUS /rɪˈpentɪd/
past form of “repent” — turn away from sin or do penitence
From this reading It was a dismal spot, and when the travellers reached it they paused and feared to enter, and half repented their coming.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading It was entered from a rock which lay a little way from a fierce brawling stream that flowed amongst densely-wooded hills.
the vital principle or animating force within living things
From this reading But Britomart, whose nature was full of spirit, recovered courage, and entered, followed by her nurse.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading It was a dismal spot, and when the travellers reached it they paused and feared to enter, and half repented their coming.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading They found the magician busied in his mysteries, writing strange characters on the ground.
a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading It was entered from a rock which lay a little way from a fierce brawling stream that flowed amongst densely-wooded hills.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was entered from a rock which lay a little way from a fierce brawling stream that flowed amongst densely-wooded hills.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Now Merlin dwelt in a dark cave which ran low underneath the ground.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading It was a dismal spot, and when the travellers reached it they paused and feared to enter, and half repented their coming.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was a dismal spot, and when the travellers reached it they paused and feared to enter, and half repented their coming.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was a dismal spot, and when the travellers reached it they paused and feared to enter, and half repented their coming.
travellersnounUS /ˈtrævələrz/
plural of “traveller” — a person who changes location
From this reading It was a dismal spot, and when the travellers reached it they paused and feared to enter, and half repented their coming.
underneathprepositionUS /ˌʌndərˈniːθ/
directly under, often hidden by what is above
From this reading Now Merlin dwelt in a dark cave which ran low underneath the ground.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was entered from a rock which lay a little way from a fierce brawling stream that flowed amongst densely-wooded hills.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading It was entered from a rock which lay a little way from a fierce brawling stream that flowed amongst densely-wooded hills.
at the time that
From this reading It was a dismal spot, and when the travellers reached it they paused and feared to enter, and half repented their coming.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Now Merlin dwelt in a dark cave which ran low underneath the ground.
belonging to which person
From this reading But Britomart, whose nature was full of spirit, recovered courage, and entered, followed by her nurse.
the act of creating written works
From this reading They found the magician busied in his mysteries, writing strange characters on the ground.
