used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
Agustin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had been riding beside Blanca, while Father Agustin and two others followed at some distance.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Behind were barren slopes, deepening in color to dusky purple as they ran back to the foot of the mountain wall.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Walthew pulled up his mule and sat gazing at the town.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Behind were barren slopes, deepening in color to dusky purple as they ran back to the foot of the mountain wall.
barrenadjectiveUS /ˈbærən/
providing no shelter or sustenance
From this reading Behind were barren slopes, deepening in color to dusky purple as they ran back to the foot of the mountain wall.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had been riding beside Blanca, while Father Agustin and two others followed at some distance.
BehindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Behind were barren slopes, deepening in color to dusky purple as they ran back to the foot of the mountain wall.
next to; at the side of
From this reading He had been riding beside Blanca, while Father Agustin and two others followed at some distance.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
Blanca
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had been riding beside Blanca, while Father Agustin and two others followed at some distance.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
clumpsnounUS /klʌmps/
plural of “clump” — a grouping of a number of similar things
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
clusteredadjectiveUS /ˈklʌstərd/
growing close together but not in dense mats
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect
From this reading Behind were barren slopes, deepening in color to dusky purple as they ran back to the foot of the mountain wall.
cordillera
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
the activity of selecting the scenes to be shown and putting them together to create a film
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
deepeningnounUS /ˈdiːpənɪŋ/
a process of becoming deeper and more profound
From this reading Behind were barren slopes, deepening in color to dusky purple as they ran back to the foot of the mountain wall.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading He had been riding beside Blanca, while Father Agustin and two others followed at some distance.
duskyadjective
lighted by or as if by twilight
From this reading Behind were barren slopes, deepening in color to dusky purple as they ran back to the foot of the mountain wall.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
etherealadjectiveUS /ɪˈθɪriəl/
characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; as impalpable or intangible as air
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading He had been riding beside Blanca, while Father Agustin and two others followed at some distance.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading He had been riding beside Blanca, while Father Agustin and two others followed at some distance.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Behind were barren slopes, deepening in color to dusky purple as they ran back to the foot of the mountain wall.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
Frio
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Walthew pulled up his mule and sat gazing at the town.
glaringadjectiveUS /ˈɡlerɪŋ/
shining intensely
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
glimmeringnounUS /ˈɡlɪmərɪŋ/
a slight suggestion or vague understanding
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
gulfnounUS /ɡʌlf/
an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed by land; larger than a bay
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had been riding beside Blanca, while Father Agustin and two others followed at some distance.
hillsidenounUS /ˈhɪlsaɪd/
the side or slope of a hill
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Walthew pulled up his mule and sat gazing at the town.
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
move something or somebody to a lower position
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
lusternounUS /ˈlʌstər/
a quality that outshines the usual
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading Behind were barren slopes, deepening in color to dusky purple as they ran back to the foot of the mountain wall.
mulenounUS /mjuːl/
hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse; usually sterile
From this reading Walthew pulled up his mule and sat gazing at the town.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had been riding beside Blanca, while Father Agustin and two others followed at some distance.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
peaknounUS /piːk/
the most extreme possible amount or value
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
pearlyadjectiveUS /ˈpɜːrli/
of a white the color of pearls
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
PRESIDIOnounUS /prɪˈsɪdioʊ/
a fortress established in the southwestern United States by the Spanish in order to protect their missions and other holdings
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading Walthew pulled up his mule and sat gazing at the town.
a purple color or pigment
From this reading Behind were barren slopes, deepening in color to dusky purple as they ran back to the foot of the mountain wall.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Behind were barren slopes, deepening in color to dusky purple as they ran back to the foot of the mountain wall.
the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements
From this reading He had been riding beside Blanca, while Father Agustin and two others followed at some distance.
RionounUS /ˈriːoʊ/
the former capital and 2nd largest city of Brazil; chief Brazilian port; famous as a tourist attraction
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Walthew pulled up his mule and sat gazing at the town.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
slopesnounUS /sloʊps/
plural of “slope” — an elevated geological formation
From this reading Behind were barren slopes, deepening in color to dusky purple as they ran back to the foot of the mountain wall.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading He had been riding beside Blanca, while Father Agustin and two others followed at some distance.
make square
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Behind were barren slopes, deepening in color to dusky purple as they ran back to the foot of the mountain wall.
tiersnounUS /tiːrz/
plural of “tier” — a relative position or degree of value in a graded group
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Behind were barren slopes, deepening in color to dusky purple as they ran back to the foot of the mountain wall.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading He had been riding beside Blanca, while Father Agustin and two others followed at some distance.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Walthew pulled up his mule and sat gazing at the town.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
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 Behind were barren slopes, deepening in color to dusky purple as they ran back to the foot of the mountain wall.
Walthew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walthew pulled up his mule and sat gazing at the town.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Behind were barren slopes, deepening in color to dusky purple as they ran back to the foot of the mountain wall.
relating to or characteristic of the western parts of the world or the West as opposed to the eastern or oriental parts
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading He had been riding beside Blanca, while Father Agustin and two others followed at some distance.
a Caucasian
From this reading Seen from the road across the valley, the town had an ethereal look, for the tiers of square, white houses rose from a gulf of shadow and clustered upon the hillside, glimmering with a pearly luster, picked out by clumps of green.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE PRESIDIO The sun hung low in the western sky, with a peak of the black cordillera cutting its lower edge, and Rio Frio shone in the glaring light.
