used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At last she lifted a letter she held, and read over again the closing words, "Thy devoted grandfather, David Bright."
from one side of something to the other
From this reading She brushed her hand across her cheek more than once, as she sat there, looking off, miles away, to her New England home.
anew
From this reading At last she lifted a letter she held, and read over again the closing words, "Thy devoted grandfather, David Bright."
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Esther Bright sat in the doorway of the schoolhouse, leaning against the jamb of the door, her hands resting idly in her lap.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading CARLA EARLE School had been dismissed, and the shadows had begun to lengthen in the valley.
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading She heard a step, and turning, saw Carla Earle approaching.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She brushed her hand across her cheek more than once, as she sat there, looking off, miles away, to her New England home.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At last she lifted a letter she held, and read over again the closing words, "Thy devoted grandfather, David Bright."
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading She brushed her hand across her cheek more than once, as she sat there, looking off, miles away, to her New England home.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading CARLA EARLE School had been dismissed, and the shadows had begun to lengthen in the valley.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading CARLA EARLE School had been dismissed, and the shadows had begun to lengthen in the valley.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading Esther Bright sat in the doorway of the schoolhouse, leaning against the jamb of the door, her hands resting idly in her lap.
brushedadjectiveUS /brʌʃt/
touched lightly in passing; grazed against
From this reading She brushed her hand across her cheek more than once, as she sat there, looking off, miles away, to her New England home.
CARLA
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CARLA EARLE School had been dismissed, and the shadows had begun to lengthen in the valley.
either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading She brushed her hand across her cheek more than once, as she sat there, looking off, miles away, to her New England home.
closingnounUS /ˈkloʊzɪŋ/
the act of closing something
From this reading At last she lifted a letter she held, and read over again the closing words, "Thy devoted grandfather, David Bright."
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading At last she lifted a letter she held, and read over again the closing words, "Thy devoted grandfather, David Bright."
zealous in devotion or affection
From this reading At last she lifted a letter she held, and read over again the closing words, "Thy devoted grandfather, David Bright."
dismissedadjectiveUS /dɪˈsmɪst/
having lost your job
From this reading CARLA EARLE School had been dismissed, and the shadows had begun to lengthen in the valley.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Esther Bright sat in the doorway of the schoolhouse, leaning against the jamb of the door, her hands resting idly in her lap.
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading Esther Bright sat in the doorway of the schoolhouse, leaning against the jamb of the door, her hands resting idly in her lap.
EARLE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CARLA EARLE School had been dismissed, and the shadows had begun to lengthen in the valley.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading She brushed her hand across her cheek more than once, as she sat there, looking off, miles away, to her New England home.
EsthernounUS /ˈestər/
(Old Testament) a beautiful Jewess chosen by the king of Persia to be his queen; she stopped a plot to massacre all the Jews in Persia (an event celebrated by Jews as the feast of Purim)
From this reading Esther Bright sat in the doorway of the schoolhouse, leaning against the jamb of the door, her hands resting idly in her lap.
the father of your father or mother
From this reading At last she lifted a letter she held, and read over again the closing words, "Thy devoted grandfather, David Bright."
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading CARLA EARLE School had been dismissed, and the shadows had begun to lengthen in the valley.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading She brushed her hand across her cheek more than once, as she sat there, looking off, miles away, to her New England home.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Esther Bright sat in the doorway of the schoolhouse, leaning against the jamb of the door, her hands resting idly in her lap.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading She heard a step, and turning, saw Carla Earle approaching.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading At last she lifted a letter she held, and read over again the closing words, "Thy devoted grandfather, David Bright."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Esther Bright sat in the doorway of the schoolhouse, leaning against the jamb of the door, her hands resting idly in her lap.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading She brushed her hand across her cheek more than once, as she sat there, looking off, miles away, to her New England home.
idlyadverbUS /ˈaɪdli/
in an idle manner
From this reading Esther Bright sat in the doorway of the schoolhouse, leaning against the jamb of the door, her hands resting idly in her lap.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading CARLA EARLE School had been dismissed, and the shadows had begun to lengthen in the valley.
jambnounUS /dʒæm/
upright consisting of a vertical side member of a door or window frame
From this reading Esther Bright sat in the doorway of the schoolhouse, leaning against the jamb of the door, her hands resting idly in her lap.
lapverbUS /læp/
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading Esther Bright sat in the doorway of the schoolhouse, leaning against the jamb of the door, her hands resting idly in her lap.
immediately past
From this reading At last she lifted a letter she held, and read over again the closing words, "Thy devoted grandfather, David Bright."
departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal
From this reading Esther Bright sat in the doorway of the schoolhouse, leaning against the jamb of the door, her hands resting idly in her lap.
lengthenverbUS /ˈleŋθən/
make longer
From this reading CARLA EARLE School had been dismissed, and the shadows had begun to lengthen in the valley.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading At last she lifted a letter she held, and read over again the closing words, "Thy devoted grandfather, David Bright."
held up in the air
From this reading At last she lifted a letter she held, and read over again the closing words, "Thy devoted grandfather, David Bright."
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading She brushed her hand across her cheek more than once, as she sat there, looking off, miles away, to her New England home.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading She brushed her hand across her cheek more than once, as she sat there, looking off, miles away, to her New England home.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading She brushed her hand across her cheek more than once, as she sat there, looking off, miles away, to her New England home.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading She brushed her hand across her cheek more than once, as she sat there, looking off, miles away, to her New England home.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Esther Bright sat in the doorway of the schoolhouse, leaning against the jamb of the door, her hands resting idly in her lap.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading She brushed her hand across her cheek more than once, as she sat there, looking off, miles away, to her New England home.
on one occasion
From this reading She brushed her hand across her cheek more than once, as she sat there, looking off, miles away, to her New England home.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading At last she lifted a letter she held, and read over again the closing words, "Thy devoted grandfather, David Bright."
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading At last she lifted a letter she held, and read over again the closing words, "Thy devoted grandfather, David Bright."
-ing form of “rest” — not move; be in a resting position
From this reading Esther Bright sat in the doorway of the schoolhouse, leaning against the jamb of the door, her hands resting idly in her lap.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Esther Bright sat in the doorway of the schoolhouse, leaning against the jamb of the door, her hands resting idly in her lap.
cut with a saw
From this reading She heard a step, and turning, saw Carla Earle approaching.
an educational institution
From this reading CARLA EARLE School had been dismissed, and the shadows had begun to lengthen in the valley.
schoolhousenounUS /ˈskuːlhaʊs/
a building where young people receive education
From this reading Esther Bright sat in the doorway of the schoolhouse, leaning against the jamb of the door, her hands resting idly in her lap.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading CARLA EARLE School had been dismissed, and the shadows had begun to lengthen in the valley.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At last she lifted a letter she held, and read over again the closing words, "Thy devoted grandfather, David Bright."
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading She heard a step, and turning, saw Carla Earle approaching.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading She brushed her hand across her cheek more than once, as she sat there, looking off, miles away, to her New England home.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading CARLA EARLE School had been dismissed, and the shadows had begun to lengthen in the valley.
in or at that place or location
From this reading She brushed her hand across her cheek more than once, as she sat there, looking off, miles away, to her New England home.
an old word for “your”, speaking to one person
From this reading At last she lifted a letter she held, and read over again the closing words, "Thy devoted grandfather, David Bright."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading CARLA EARLE School had been dismissed, and the shadows had begun to lengthen in the valley.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading She heard a step, and turning, saw Carla Earle approaching.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading CARLA EARLE School had been dismissed, and the shadows had begun to lengthen in the valley.
the words that are spoken
From this reading At last she lifted a letter she held, and read over again the closing words, "Thy devoted grandfather, David Bright."
