used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
acrenounUS /ˈeɪkər/
a unit of area (4840 square yards) used in English-speaking countries
From this reading A painful acre at a time, we cleared lands that once had been cleared.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
AssociationnounUS /əˌsoʊsiˈeɪʃən/
a formal organization of people or groups of people
From this reading We joined the Despair Association finally by reason of our water problem.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A painful acre at a time, we cleared lands that once had been cleared.
attentionsnounUS /əˈtenʃənz/
plural of “attention” — the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading A painful acre at a time, we cleared lands that once had been cleared.
inflected form of “buy” — obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
briarnounUS /ˈbraɪər/
Eurasian rose with prickly stems and fragrant leaves and bright pink flowers followed by scarlet hips
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading We joined the Despair Association finally by reason of our water problem.
rid of objects or obstructions such as e.g. trees and brush
From this reading A painful acre at a time, we cleared lands that once had been cleared.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading However, that was to come into our lives later.
conglomeratenounUS /kənˈɡlɑːmərət/
a composite rock made up of particles of varying size
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading We joined the Despair Association finally by reason of our water problem.
disusenounUS /dɪˈsjuːs/
the state of something that has been unused and neglected
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
dooryardnoun
a yard outside the front or rear door of a house
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
dwellingnounUS /ˈdwelɪŋ/
housing that someone is living in
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
energiesnounUS /ˈenərdʒiz/
plural of “energy” — (physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
fencesnounUS /ˈfensəz/
plural of “fence” — a barrier that serves to enclose an area
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading We joined the Despair Association finally by reason of our water problem.
focusedadjectiveUS /ˈfoʊkəst/
being in focus or brought into focus
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
forty-odd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
hackingverbUS /ˈhækɪŋ/
-ing form of “hack” — cut with a hacking tool
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
highroadnoun
a highway
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
homesteadnounUS /ˈhoʊmsted/
the home and adjacent grounds occupied by a family
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading However, that was to come into our lives later.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading However, that was to come into our lives later.
of or relating to two people who are married to each other
From this reading We joined the Despair Association finally by reason of our water problem.
junglenounUS /ˈdʒʌŋɡəl/
a location marked by an intense competition and struggle for survival
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
plural of “land” — the land on which real estate is located
From this reading A painful acre at a time, we cleared lands that once had been cleared.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading However, that was to come into our lives later.
lawnnounUS /lɔːn/
a field of cultivated and mowed grass
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading However, that was to come into our lives later.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
meadownounUS /ˈmedoʊ/
a field where grass or alfalfa are grown to be made into hay
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
moldering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We joined the Despair Association finally by reason of our water problem.
on one occasion
From this reading A painful acre at a time, we cleared lands that once had been cleared.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading We joined the Despair Association finally by reason of our water problem.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
causing physical or psychological pain
From this reading A painful acre at a time, we cleared lands that once had been cleared.
patchnounUS /pætʃ/
a small contrasting part of something
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
by chance
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading We joined the Despair Association finally by reason of our water problem.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading We joined the Despair Association finally by reason of our water problem.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
springtimenounUS /ˈsprɪŋtaɪm/
the season of growth
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
statedadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪtɪd/
declared as fact; explicitly stated
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
successive (without a break)
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
stretchingnounUS /ˈstretʃɪŋ/
act of expanding by lengthening or widening
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
tangledadjectiveUS /ˈtæŋɡəld/
in a confused mass
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading However, that was to come into our lives later.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We joined the Despair Association finally by reason of our water problem.
thornyadjectiveUS /ˈθɔːrni/
bristling with perplexities
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading A painful acre at a time, we cleared lands that once had been cleared.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading However, that was to come into our lives later.
toweringadjectiveUS /ˈtaʊərɪŋ/
of imposing height; especially standing out above others
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
tumbledown
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
underbrushnounUS /ˈʌndərbrʌʃ/
the brush (small trees and bushes and ferns etc.) growing beneath taller trees in a wood or forest
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
the act of using
From this reading Through the springtime we had more water than we could possibly hope to use, and we focused our attentions and our energies upon hacking a homestead out of the briar patch we had bought.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading However, that was to come into our lives later.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading We joined the Despair Association finally by reason of our water problem.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We joined the Despair Association finally by reason of our water problem.
weedsnounUS /wiːdz/
a black garment (dress) worn by a widow as a sign of mourning
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
a late time of life
From this reading As I may have stated already, forty-odd years of disuse had turned lawn space, garden space and meadow into one conglomerate jungle of towering weeds and tangled thorny underbrush, stretching from the broken fences along the highroad straight back to the dooryard of the moldering tumbledown dwelling.
