Chapter I · What the Children Saw from the Playground on the Plateau

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

in the past

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

a steep high face of rock

From this reading The south side descended in a steep cliff, and up and down its slope the huts of a little village seemed to climb along the stony path that led to the plateau.

go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading The south side descended in a steep cliff, and up and down its slope the huts of a little village seemed to climb along the stony path that led to the plateau.

plural of “company” — an institution created to conduct business

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading This meadow was part of a great table-land overlooking a wide stretch of country.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

From this reading The south side descended in a steep cliff, and up and down its slope the huts of a little village seemed to climb along the stony path that led to the plateau.

having abnormal sagging of the spine (especially in horses)

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading The south side descended in a steep cliff, and up and down its slope the huts of a little village seemed to climb along the stony path that led to the plateau.

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

more distant in especially space or time

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

surrounded as with a border or fringe; sometimes used in combination

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading This meadow was part of a great table-land overlooking a wide stretch of country.

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

evasively worded in order to avoid an unqualified statement

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

ten 10s

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

plural of “hut” — temporary military shelter

From this reading The south side descended in a steep cliff, and up and down its slope the huts of a little village seemed to climb along the stony path that led to the plateau.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The south side descended in a steep cliff, and up and down its slope the huts of a little village seemed to climb along the stony path that led to the plateau.

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used

From this reading The south side descended in a steep cliff, and up and down its slope the huts of a little village seemed to climb along the stony path that led to the plateau.

plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

a field where grass or alfalfa are grown to be made into hay

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

above and across; more than

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

used of a height or viewpoint

From this reading This meadow was part of a great table-land overlooking a wide stretch of country.

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading This meadow was part of a great table-land overlooking a wide stretch of country.

a course of conduct

From this reading The south side descended in a steep cliff, and up and down its slope the huts of a little village seemed to climb along the stony path that led to the plateau.

a relatively flat highland

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

the act of playing a musical instrument

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

possessing material wealth

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading The south side descended in a steep cliff, and up and down its slope the huts of a little village seemed to climb along the stony path that led to the plateau.

the context and environment in which something is set

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

an instance of visual perception

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

an elevated geological formation

From this reading The south side descended in a steep cliff, and up and down its slope the huts of a little village seemed to climb along the stony path that led to the plateau.

characterized by good substantial quality

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading The south side descended in a steep cliff, and up and down its slope the huts of a little village seemed to climb along the stony path that led to the plateau.

having a sharp inclination

From this reading The south side descended in a steep cliff, and up and down its slope the huts of a little village seemed to climb along the stony path that led to the plateau.

abounding in rocks or stones

From this reading The south side descended in a steep cliff, and up and down its slope the huts of a little village seemed to climb along the stony path that led to the plateau.

a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

occupy a large, elongated area

From this reading This meadow was part of a great table-land overlooking a wide stretch of country.

(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This meadow was part of a great table-land overlooking a wide stretch of country.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

in or at that place or location

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This meadow was part of a great table-land overlooking a wide stretch of country.

arable land that is worked by plowing and sowing and raising crops

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

turned or stirred by plowing or harrowing or hoeing

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading The south side descended in a steep cliff, and up and down its slope the huts of a little village seemed to climb along the stony path that led to the plateau.

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading The south side descended in a steep cliff, and up and down its slope the huts of a little village seemed to climb along the stony path that led to the plateau.

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading Farther away lines of dark forest stretched off out of sight, in solid walls that looked almost black over against the bright green of meadow and field and the rich brown of the tilled land.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading This meadow was part of a great table-land overlooking a wide stretch of country.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.

the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading This meadow was part of a great table-land overlooking a wide stretch of country.

plural of “willow” — any of numerous deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Salix

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

in the company of; together with

From this reading It was hedged along the west with white-thorn, setting it off from the tillage on the other side, and on the east it dipped to the bank of a little stream fringed with willows and low bushes.

a late time of life

From this reading One sunny forenoon in the month of May, something over six hundred years ago, some children were playing under the oak-trees that grew in little companies here and there in a pleasant meadow on a high plateau.