used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At other times, it was like riding in a huge caldron of pitch.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading At times, the moon struggled out and made the shadows black along the way.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At times, the moon struggled out and made the shadows black along the way.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At times, the moon struggled out and made the shadows black along the way.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading His singing was very bad, and the ballad lacked tune, but it served its purpose of saving him from the suspicion of furtiveness.
balladnounUS /ˈbæləd/
a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
From this reading His singing was very bad, and the ballad lacked tune, but it served its purpose of saving him from the suspicion of furtiveness.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading At times, the moon struggled out and made the shadows black along the way.
a youthful male person
From this reading The boy from Misery rode slowly toward Hixon.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading His singing was very bad, and the ballad lacked tune, but it served its purpose of saving him from the suspicion of furtiveness.
caldronnoun
a very large pot that is used for boiling
From this reading At other times, it was like riding in a huge caldron of pitch.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading When he passed into that stretch of country at whose heart Jesse Purvy dwelt, he raised his voice in song.
dweltverbUS /dwelt/
inflected form of “dwell” — think moodily or anxiously about something
From this reading When he passed into that stretch of country at whose heart Jesse Purvy dwelt, he raised his voice in song.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The boy from Misery rode slowly toward Hixon.
furtivenessnoun
a disposition to be sly and stealthy and to do things surreptitiously
From this reading His singing was very bad, and the ballad lacked tune, but it served its purpose of saving him from the suspicion of furtiveness.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When he passed into that stretch of country at whose heart Jesse Purvy dwelt, he raised his voice in song.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading When he passed into that stretch of country at whose heart Jesse Purvy dwelt, he raised his voice in song.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading His singing was very bad, and the ballad lacked tune, but it served its purpose of saving him from the suspicion of furtiveness.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When he passed into that stretch of country at whose heart Jesse Purvy dwelt, he raised his voice in song.
Hixon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The boy from Misery rode slowly toward Hixon.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading At other times, it was like riding in a huge caldron of pitch.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At other times, it was like riding in a huge caldron of pitch.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading When he passed into that stretch of country at whose heart Jesse Purvy dwelt, he raised his voice in song.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading At other times, it was like riding in a huge caldron of pitch.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading His singing was very bad, and the ballad lacked tune, but it served its purpose of saving him from the suspicion of furtiveness.
Jesse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When he passed into that stretch of country at whose heart Jesse Purvy dwelt, he raised his voice in song.
lackedverbUS /lækt/
past form of “lack” — be without
From this reading His singing was very bad, and the ballad lacked tune, but it served its purpose of saving him from the suspicion of furtiveness.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading At other times, it was like riding in a huge caldron of pitch.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading At times, the moon struggled out and made the shadows black along the way.
a state of ill-being due to affliction or misfortune
From this reading The boy from Misery rode slowly toward Hixon.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading At times, the moon struggled out and made the shadows black along the way.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At other times, it was like riding in a huge caldron of pitch.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading At other times, it was like riding in a huge caldron of pitch.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading At times, the moon struggled out and made the shadows black along the way.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading When he passed into that stretch of country at whose heart Jesse Purvy dwelt, he raised his voice in song.
pitchnounUS /pɪtʃ/
the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration
From this reading At other times, it was like riding in a huge caldron of pitch.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading His singing was very bad, and the ballad lacked tune, but it served its purpose of saving him from the suspicion of furtiveness.
Purvy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When he passed into that stretch of country at whose heart Jesse Purvy dwelt, he raised his voice in song.
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading When he passed into that stretch of country at whose heart Jesse Purvy dwelt, he raised his voice in song.
the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements
From this reading At other times, it was like riding in a huge caldron of pitch.
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading The boy from Misery rode slowly toward Hixon.
savingnounUS /ˈseɪvɪŋ/
an act of economizing; reduction in cost
From this reading His singing was very bad, and the ballad lacked tune, but it served its purpose of saving him from the suspicion of furtiveness.
past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading His singing was very bad, and the ballad lacked tune, but it served its purpose of saving him from the suspicion of furtiveness.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading At times, the moon struggled out and made the shadows black along the way.
the act of singing vocal music
From this reading His singing was very bad, and the ballad lacked tune, but it served its purpose of saving him from the suspicion of furtiveness.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading The boy from Misery rode slowly toward Hixon.
a short musical composition with words
From this reading When he passed into that stretch of country at whose heart Jesse Purvy dwelt, he raised his voice in song.
stretchverbUS /stretʃ/
occupy a large, elongated area
From this reading When he passed into that stretch of country at whose heart Jesse Purvy dwelt, he raised his voice in song.
struggledverbUS /ˈstrʌɡəld/
past form of “struggle” — make a strenuous or labored effort
From this reading At times, the moon struggled out and made the shadows black along the way.
an impression that something might be the case
From this reading His singing was very bad, and the ballad lacked tune, but it served its purpose of saving him from the suspicion of furtiveness.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When he passed into that stretch of country at whose heart Jesse Purvy dwelt, he raised his voice in song.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The boy from Misery rode slowly toward Hixon.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading At times, the moon struggled out and made the shadows black along the way.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading The boy from Misery rode slowly toward Hixon.
tunenounUS /tuːn/
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading His singing was very bad, and the ballad lacked tune, but it served its purpose of saving him from the suspicion of furtiveness.
precisely as stated
From this reading His singing was very bad, and the ballad lacked tune, but it served its purpose of saving him from the suspicion of furtiveness.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading When he passed into that stretch of country at whose heart Jesse Purvy dwelt, he raised his voice in song.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At other times, it was like riding in a huge caldron of pitch.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading At times, the moon struggled out and made the shadows black along the way.
at the time that
From this reading When he passed into that stretch of country at whose heart Jesse Purvy dwelt, he raised his voice in song.
belonging to which person
From this reading When he passed into that stretch of country at whose heart Jesse Purvy dwelt, he raised his voice in song.
