used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading SYBILLA'S VENGEANCE There stands a solitary rock at the base of which is a cave, on the seashore of La Vendee.
aldernounUS /ˈɔːldər/
wood of any of various alder trees; resistant to underwater rot; used for bridges etc
From this reading The bittern booms in the thickets of grey willow and wet-shot alder.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Behind stretch the marshes, and the place is shut in and desolate.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading SYBILLA'S VENGEANCE There stands a solitary rock at the base of which is a cave, on the seashore of La Vendee.
installation from which a military force initiates operations
From this reading SYBILLA'S VENGEANCE There stands a solitary rock at the base of which is a cave, on the seashore of La Vendee.
BehindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Behind stretch the marshes, and the place is shut in and desolate.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading Birds cry there.
bitternnoun
relatively small compact tawny-brown heron with nocturnal habits and a booming cry; found in marshes
From this reading The bittern booms in the thickets of grey willow and wet-shot alder.
boomsnounUS /buːmz/
plural of “boom” — a deep prolonged loud noise
From this reading The bittern booms in the thickets of grey willow and wet-shot alder.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The herons nest upon the pine trees near by, till the stale scent of them comes down the wind from far.
a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea
From this reading SYBILLA'S VENGEANCE There stands a solitary rock at the base of which is a cave, on the seashore of La Vendee.
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading The herons nest upon the pine trees near by, till the stale scent of them comes down the wind from far.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading Birds cry there.
desolateadjectiveUS /ˈdesələt/
providing no shelter or sustenance
From this reading Behind stretch the marshes, and the place is shut in and desolate.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The herons nest upon the pine trees near by, till the stale scent of them comes down the wind from far.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The herons nest upon the pine trees near by, till the stale scent of them comes down the wind from far.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The herons nest upon the pine trees near by, till the stale scent of them comes down the wind from far.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading The bittern booms in the thickets of grey willow and wet-shot alder.
heronsnounUS /ˈherənz/
plural of “heron” — Greek mathematician and inventor who devised a way to determine the area of a triangle and who described various mechanical devices (first century)
From this reading The herons nest upon the pine trees near by, till the stale scent of them comes down the wind from far.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Behind stretch the marshes, and the place is shut in and desolate.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading SYBILLA'S VENGEANCE There stands a solitary rock at the base of which is a cave, on the seashore of La Vendee.
a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
From this reading SYBILLA'S VENGEANCE There stands a solitary rock at the base of which is a cave, on the seashore of La Vendee.
marshesnounUS /ˈmɑːrʃəz/
plural of “marsh” — low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and water
From this reading Behind stretch the marshes, and the place is shut in and desolate.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading The herons nest upon the pine trees near by, till the stale scent of them comes down the wind from far.
nestnounUS /nest/
a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young
From this reading The herons nest upon the pine trees near by, till the stale scent of them comes down the wind from far.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading SYBILLA'S VENGEANCE There stands a solitary rock at the base of which is a cave, on the seashore of La Vendee.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading SYBILLA'S VENGEANCE There stands a solitary rock at the base of which is a cave, on the seashore of La Vendee.
pinenounUS /paɪn/
a coniferous tree
From this reading The herons nest upon the pine trees near by, till the stale scent of them comes down the wind from far.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Behind stretch the marshes, and the place is shut in and desolate.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading SYBILLA'S VENGEANCE There stands a solitary rock at the base of which is a cave, on the seashore of La Vendee.
scentnounUS /sɛnt/
A distinctive smell or aroma.
From this reading The herons nest upon the pine trees near by, till the stale scent of them comes down the wind from far.
seashorenounUS /ˈsiːʃɔːr/
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading SYBILLA'S VENGEANCE There stands a solitary rock at the base of which is a cave, on the seashore of La Vendee.
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading Behind stretch the marshes, and the place is shut in and desolate.
characterized by or preferring solitude
From this reading SYBILLA'S VENGEANCE There stands a solitary rock at the base of which is a cave, on the seashore of La Vendee.
staleadjectiveUS /steɪl/
lacking freshness, palatability, or showing deterioration from age
From this reading The herons nest upon the pine trees near by, till the stale scent of them comes down the wind from far.
plural of “stand” — a support or foundation
From this reading SYBILLA'S VENGEANCE There stands a solitary rock at the base of which is a cave, on the seashore of La Vendee.
stretchverbUS /stretʃ/
occupy a large, elongated area
From this reading Behind stretch the marshes, and the place is shut in and desolate.
SYBILLA'S
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SYBILLA'S VENGEANCE There stands a solitary rock at the base of which is a cave, on the seashore of La Vendee.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading SYBILLA'S VENGEANCE There stands a solitary rock at the base of which is a cave, on the seashore of La Vendee.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The herons nest upon the pine trees near by, till the stale scent of them comes down the wind from far.
in or at that place or location
From this reading SYBILLA'S VENGEANCE There stands a solitary rock at the base of which is a cave, on the seashore of La Vendee.
thicketsnounUS /ˈθɪkəts/
plural of “thicket” — a dense growth of bushes
From this reading The bittern booms in the thickets of grey willow and wet-shot alder.
up to a particular time
From this reading The herons nest upon the pine trees near by, till the stale scent of them comes down the wind from far.
plural of “tree” — 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 herons nest upon the pine trees near by, till the stale scent of them comes down the wind from far.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The herons nest upon the pine trees near by, till the stale scent of them comes down the wind from far.
VendeenounUS /ˈvenˈdiː/
a person who buys
From this reading SYBILLA'S VENGEANCE There stands a solitary rock at the base of which is a cave, on the seashore of La Vendee.
the act of taking revenge (harming someone in retaliation for something harmful that they have done) especially in the next life
From this reading SYBILLA'S VENGEANCE There stands a solitary rock at the base of which is a cave, on the seashore of La Vendee.
wet-shot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The bittern booms in the thickets of grey willow and wet-shot alder.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading SYBILLA'S VENGEANCE There stands a solitary rock at the base of which is a cave, on the seashore of La Vendee.
willownounUS /ˈwɪloʊ/
any of numerous deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Salix
From this reading The bittern booms in the thickets of grey willow and wet-shot alder.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The herons nest upon the pine trees near by, till the stale scent of them comes down the wind from far.
