adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/
from one side of something to the other
From this reading After a little, he left the spot where he had been waiting and went across to where he had seen her.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After a little, he left the spot where he had been waiting and went across to where he had seen her.
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/
anew
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
airnounUS /er/
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
appearancenounUS /əˈpɪrəns/
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
askverbUS /æsk/
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
bramblenounUS /ˈbræmbəl/
any of various rough thorny shrubs or vines
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
branchnounUS /bræntʃ/
a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
brokenadjectiveUS /ˈbroʊkən/
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
brushingnounUS /ˈbrʌʃɪŋ/
the act of brushing your teeth
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
caughtverbUS /kɑːt/
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading He caught no further glimpse of Ella, whom the green depths of the spinney hid well; and he heard no more shots.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
depthsnounUS /depθs/
(plural) the deepest and most remote part
From this reading He caught no further glimpse of Ella, whom the green depths of the spinney hid well; and he heard no more shots.
developmentnounUS /dɪˈveləpmənt/
act of improving by expanding or enlarging or refining
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
Dunn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
Ella
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
errandnounUS /ˈerənd/
a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
exactadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzækt/
Strictly particular and correct.
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
expectingverbUS /ɪkˈspektɪŋ/
-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
furtheradverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading He caught no further glimpse of Ella, whom the green depths of the spinney hid well; and he heard no more shots.
furtivenessnoun
a disposition to be sly and stealthy and to do things surreptitiously
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
glimpsenounUS /ɡlɪmps/
a quick look
From this reading He caught no further glimpse of Ella, whom the green depths of the spinney hid well; and he heard no more shots.
greennounUS /ɡriːn/
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading He caught no further glimpse of Ella, whom the green depths of the spinney hid well; and he heard no more shots.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
halfadjectiveUS /hæf/
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
hastenounUS /heɪst/
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
hesitatedverbUS /ˈhezɪteɪtɪd/
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
hidverbUS /hɪd/
inflected form of “hide” — prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading He caught no further glimpse of Ella, whom the green depths of the spinney hid well; and he heard no more shots.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
leftnounUS /left/
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 After a little, he left the spot where he had been waiting and went across to where he had seen her.
liftedadjectiveUS /ˈlɪftəd/
held up in the air
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading After a little, he left the spot where he had been waiting and went across to where he had seen her.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
markedadjectiveUS /mɑːrkt/
strongly marked; easily noticeable
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/
a particular point in time
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading He caught no further glimpse of Ella, whom the green depths of the spinney hid well; and he heard no more shots.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
pressedadjectiveUS /prest/
compacted by ironing
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
quicklyadverbUS /ˈkwɪkli/
with speed
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
sawverbUS /sɔː/
cut with a saw
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
seeverbUS /siː/
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
seenverbUS /siːn/
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading After a little, he left the spot where he had been waiting and went across to where he had seen her.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
shotsnounUS /ʃɑːts/
plural of “shot” — the act of firing a projectile
From this reading He caught no further glimpse of Ella, whom the green depths of the spinney hid well; and he heard no more shots.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
spinneynounUS /ˈspɪni/
a copse that shelters game
From this reading He caught no further glimpse of Ella, whom the green depths of the spinney hid well; and he heard no more shots.
spotnounUS /spɑːt/
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading After a little, he left the spot where he had been waiting and went across to where he had seen her.
swiftadjectiveUS /swɪft/
moving very fast
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He caught no further glimpse of Ella, whom the green depths of the spinney hid well; and he heard no more shots.
ThereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
treenounUS /triː/
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
troddenverbUS /ˈtrɑːdən/
inflected form of “tread” — put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
uneasilyadverbUS /əˈniːzəli/
with anxiety or apprehension
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
vanishingnounUS /ˈvænɪʃɪŋ/
a sudden or mysterious disappearance
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading After a little, he left the spot where he had been waiting and went across to where he had seen her.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
welladverbUS /wel/
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading He caught no further glimpse of Ella, whom the green depths of the spinney hid well; and he heard no more shots.
wentverbUS /went/
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading After a little, he left the spot where he had been waiting and went across to where he had seen her.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading There had been an air of haste, almost of furtiveness, about this swift appearance and more swift vanishing of Ella, that made Dunn ask himself uneasily what errand she could have been on.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading After a little, he left the spot where he had been waiting and went across to where he had seen her.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
whompronounUS /huːm/
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He caught no further glimpse of Ella, whom the green depths of the spinney hid well; and he heard no more shots.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He hesitated for a moment, half expecting to see her return again, or that there would be some other development, but he heard and saw nothing.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The exact spot where she had entered the spinney was marked, for she had broken the branch of a young tree in brushing quickly by it, and a bramble she had trodden on had not yet lifted itself from the earth to which she had pressed it.
