used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In a few weeks thought of the robbery had ceased greatly to disturb anybody.
generally approved or compelling recognition
From this reading Michael settled down to working with his new mates, and the Ridge accepted the new partnership as the most natural thing in the world.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Life on the Ridge is usually as still as an inland lake.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Michael settled down to working with his new mates, and the Ridge accepted the new partnership as the most natural thing in the world.
any person at all
From this reading In a few weeks thought of the robbery had ceased greatly to disturb anybody.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading In summer the plains are dead and dry; in a drought, deserts.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Michael settled down to working with his new mates, and the Ridge accepted the new partnership as the most natural thing in the world.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading In a few weeks thought of the robbery had ceased greatly to disturb anybody.
citiesnounUS /ˈsɪtiz/
plural of “city” — a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
coastaladjectiveUS /ˈkoʊstəl/
of or relating to a coast
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading In summer the plains are dead and dry; in a drought, deserts.
desertsnounUS /ˈdezərts/
plural of “desert” — arid land with little or no vegetation
From this reading In summer the plains are dead and dry; in a drought, deserts.
districtsnounUS /ˈdɪstrɪkts/
plural of “district” — a region marked off for administrative or other purposes
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
disturbverbUS /dɪˈstɜːrb/
move deeply
From this reading In a few weeks thought of the robbery had ceased greatly to disturb anybody.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Michael settled down to working with his new mates, and the Ridge accepted the new partnership as the most natural thing in the world.
droughtnounUS /draʊt/
a shortage of rainfall
From this reading In summer the plains are dead and dry; in a drought, deserts.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading In summer the plains are dead and dry; in a drought, deserts.
eastwardsadverb
toward the east
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading In a few weeks thought of the robbery had ceased greatly to disturb anybody.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
to an extraordinary extent or degree
From this reading In a few weeks thought of the robbery had ceased greatly to disturb anybody.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In a few weeks thought of the robbery had ceased greatly to disturb anybody.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Michael settled down to working with his new mates, and the Ridge accepted the new partnership as the most natural thing in the world.
plural of “hundred” — ten 10s
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In a few weeks thought of the robbery had ceased greatly to disturb anybody.
inlandadjectiveUS /ˈɪnlænd/
situated away from an area's coast or border
From this reading Life on the Ridge is usually as still as an inland lake.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Life on the Ridge is usually as still as an inland lake.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
and nothing more
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading Life on the Ridge is usually as still as an inland lake.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Life on the Ridge is usually as still as an inland lake.
matesnounUS /meɪts/
a pair of people who live together
From this reading Michael settled down to working with his new mates, and the Ridge accepted the new partnership as the most natural thing in the world.
(Old Testament) the guardian archangel of the Jews
From this reading Michael settled down to working with his new mates, and the Ridge accepted the new partnership as the most natural thing in the world.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Michael settled down to working with his new mates, and the Ridge accepted the new partnership as the most natural thing in the world.
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading Michael settled down to working with his new mates, and the Ridge accepted the new partnership as the most natural thing in the world.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading Michael settled down to working with his new mates, and the Ridge accepted the new partnership as the most natural thing in the world.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In a few weeks thought of the robbery had ceased greatly to disturb anybody.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Life on the Ridge is usually as still as an inland lake.
and nothing more
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
partnershipnounUS /ˈpɑːrtnərʃɪp/
the members of a business venture created by contract
From this reading Michael settled down to working with his new mates, and the Ridge accepted the new partnership as the most natural thing in the world.
pastoraladjectiveUS /ˈpæstərəl/
of or relating to a pastor
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
plainsnounUS /pleɪnz/
plural of “plain” — extensive tract of level open land
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
portsnounUS /pɔːrts/
plural of “port” — a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
rangesnounUS /ˈreɪndʒəz/
plural of “range” — an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
RidgenounUS /rɪdʒ/
a long narrow natural elevation or striation
From this reading Michael settled down to working with his new mates, and the Ridge accepted the new partnership as the most natural thing in the world.
ridgesnounUS /ˈrɪdʒəz/
plural of “ridge” — a long narrow natural elevation or striation
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
robberynounUS /ˈrɑːbəri/
larceny by threat of violence
From this reading In a few weeks thought of the robbery had ceased greatly to disturb anybody.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
seaboardnounUS /ˈsiːbɔːrd/
the shore of a sea or ocean regarded as a resort
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading Michael settled down to working with his new mates, and the Ridge accepted the new partnership as the most natural thing in the world.
settlementnounUS /ˈsetəlmənt/
a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state's system of government
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
shinglyadjective
abounding in small stones
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
not in physical motion
From this reading Life on the Ridge is usually as still as an inland lake.
stretchingnounUS /ˈstretʃɪŋ/
act of expanding by lengthening or widening
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading In summer the plains are dead and dry; in a drought, deserts.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In a few weeks thought of the robbery had ceased greatly to disturb anybody.
a special situation
From this reading Michael settled down to working with his new mates, and the Ridge accepted the new partnership as the most natural thing in the world.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading In a few weeks thought of the robbery had ceased greatly to disturb anybody.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In a few weeks thought of the robbery had ceased greatly to disturb anybody.
townsnounUS /taʊnz/
plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
under normal conditions
From this reading Life on the Ridge is usually as still as an inland lake.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading In a few weeks thought of the robbery had ceased greatly to disturb anybody.
westwardsadverbUS /ˈwestwərdz/
toward the west
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading The settlement is just that, a lake of life, in the country of wide plains stretching westwards for hundreds on hundreds of miles, broken only by shingly ridges to the sea, and eastwards, through pastoral districts, to the coastal ranges, and the seaboard with its busy towns, ports, and cities.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Michael settled down to working with his new mates, and the Ridge accepted the new partnership as the most natural thing in the world.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading Michael settled down to working with his new mates, and the Ridge accepted the new partnership as the most natural thing in the world.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Michael settled down to working with his new mates, and the Ridge accepted the new partnership as the most natural thing in the world.
