used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading She had beside her a little pile of correspondence, mostly about trifles.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
amethystnounUS /ˈæmɪθɪst/
a transparent purple variety of quartz; used as a gemstone
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
any thing at all
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
next to; at the side of
From this reading She had beside her a little pile of correspondence, mostly about trifles.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
having or capable of producing colors
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
correspondencenounUS /ˌkɔːrəˈspɑːndəns/
communication by the exchange of letters
From this reading She had beside her a little pile of correspondence, mostly about trifles.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
the organ of sight
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
guessingnounUS /ˈɡesɪŋ/
an estimate based on little or no information
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
Heritage'snounUS /ˈherətɪdʒɪz/
possessive form of “heritage” — practices that are handed down from the past by tradition
From this reading The first incident came up suddenly whilst she was writing Lady Heritage’s letters on the second day.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
a single distinct event
From this reading The first incident came up suddenly whilst she was writing Lady Heritage’s letters on the second day.
incidentsnounUS /ˈɪnsədənts/
plural of “incident” — a single distinct event
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
Jane
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading The first incident came up suddenly whilst she was writing Lady Heritage’s letters on the second day.
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 Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
the literary culture
From this reading The first incident came up suddenly whilst she was writing Lady Heritage’s letters on the second day.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading She had beside her a little pile of correspondence, mostly about trifles.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
Luttrell
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
MarchesnounUS /ˈmɑːrtʃɪz/
a region in central Italy
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
mostlyadverbUS /ˈmoʊstli/
in large part; mainly or chiefly
From this reading She had beside her a little pile of correspondence, mostly about trifles.
negligibleadjectiveUS /ˈneɡlədʒəbəl/
so small as to be meaningless; insignificant
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The first incident came up suddenly whilst she was writing Lady Heritage’s letters on the second day.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
OverprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
the state prevailing during the absence of war
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading She had beside her a little pile of correspondence, mostly about trifles.
participate in games or sport
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
recurringadjectiveUS /rɪˈkɜːrɪŋ/
coming back
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
remindverbUS /riˈmaɪnd/
put in the mind of someone
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
cut with a saw
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading The first incident came up suddenly whilst she was writing Lady Heritage’s letters on the second day.
relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
shiftingadjectiveUS /ˈʃɪftɪŋ/
continuously varying
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
stretchverbUS /stretʃ/
occupy a large, elongated area
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading The first incident came up suddenly whilst she was writing Lady Heritage’s letters on the second day.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
triflesnounUS /ˈtraɪfəlz/
plural of “trifle” — a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading She had beside her a little pile of correspondence, mostly about trifles.
unchangingadjectiveUS /ənˈtʃeɪndʒɪŋ/
conforming to the same principles or course of action over time
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The first incident came up suddenly whilst she was writing Lady Heritage’s letters on the second day.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
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 Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Over the surface all was pleasant enough, but incidents, some of them almost negligible in themselves, kept recurring to remind Jane that there were rocks beneath the sea.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
at the time that
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
in or at the place that
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Such a smooth stretch of water, pleasant to the eye, where blue and green, amethyst, grey and silver came and went, and under the play of colour and the shifting light and shade of day and evening, the unchanging black of rocks which showed for an instant and then left one guessing whether anything had really broken the beauty and the peace.
an old and formal word for “while”
From this reading The first incident came up suddenly whilst she was writing Lady Heritage’s letters on the second day.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading When Jane stood at her window and looked across the sea, she saw what might have been a picture of life at Luttrell Marches during those first few days.
the act of creating written works
From this reading The first incident came up suddenly whilst she was writing Lady Heritage’s letters on the second day.
