used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The river had opened abruptly into a broad, shallow, nearly circular lake, some five or six miles across.
quickly and without warning
From this reading The river had opened abruptly into a broad, shallow, nearly circular lake, some five or six miles across.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading The river had opened abruptly into a broad, shallow, nearly circular lake, some five or six miles across.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The country here showed an extraordinary change from that they had passed through.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The lake appeared to occupy a depression in the surrounding hills, like the bottom of a huge, shallow bowl.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible.
the lower side of anything
From this reading The lake appeared to occupy a depression in the surrounding hills, like the bottom of a huge, shallow bowl.
bowlnounUS /boʊl/
a round vessel that is open at the top; used chiefly for holding food or liquids
From this reading The lake appeared to occupy a depression in the surrounding hills, like the bottom of a huge, shallow bowl.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading The river had opened abruptly into a broad, shallow, nearly circular lake, some five or six miles across.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading The country here showed an extraordinary change from that they had passed through.
circularadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrkjələr/
having the shape or form of a circle
From this reading The river had opened abruptly into a broad, shallow, nearly circular lake, some five or six miles across.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading THE WATER CITY.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading The country here showed an extraordinary change from that they had passed through.
depressionnounUS /dɪˈpreʃən/
a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity
From this reading The lake appeared to occupy a depression in the surrounding hills, like the bottom of a huge, shallow bowl.
diffusedadjectiveUS /dɪˈfjuːzd/
(of light rays) subjected to scattering by reflection from a rough surface or transmission through a translucent material
From this reading It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible.
beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable
From this reading The country here showed an extraordinary change from that they had passed through.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading The river had opened abruptly into a broad, shallow, nearly circular lake, some five or six miles across.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The country here showed an extraordinary change from that they had passed through.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading The country here showed an extraordinary change from that they had passed through.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading The lake appeared to occupy a depression in the surrounding hills, like the bottom of a huge, shallow bowl.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading The lake appeared to occupy a depression in the surrounding hills, like the bottom of a huge, shallow bowl.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The lake appeared to occupy a depression in the surrounding hills, like the bottom of a huge, shallow bowl.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The river had opened abruptly into a broad, shallow, nearly circular lake, some five or six miles across.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading The river had opened abruptly into a broad, shallow, nearly circular lake, some five or six miles across.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The lake appeared to occupy a depression in the surrounding hills, like the bottom of a huge, shallow bowl.
luminousadjectiveUS /ˈluːmənəs/
softly bright or radiant
From this reading It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible.
MercernounUS /ˈmɜːrsər/
a dealer in textiles (especially silks)
From this reading It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading The river had opened abruptly into a broad, shallow, nearly circular lake, some five or six miles across.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The river had opened abruptly into a broad, shallow, nearly circular lake, some five or six miles across.
occupyverbUS /ˈɑːkjəpaɪ/
keep busy with
From this reading The lake appeared to occupy a depression in the surrounding hills, like the bottom of a huge, shallow bowl.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The lake appeared to occupy a depression in the surrounding hills, like the bottom of a huge, shallow bowl.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading The river had opened abruptly into a broad, shallow, nearly circular lake, some five or six miles across.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The river had opened abruptly into a broad, shallow, nearly circular lake, some five or six miles across.
overheadadverbUS /ˈoʊvərˈhed/
above your head; in the sky
From this reading It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading The country here showed an extraordinary change from that they had passed through.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible.
rainingadjectiveUS /ˈreɪnɪŋ/
falling in drops or as if falling like rain
From this reading It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading The river had opened abruptly into a broad, shallow, nearly circular lake, some five or six miles across.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible.
shallowadjectiveUS /ˈʃæloʊ/
lacking physical depth; having little spatial extension downward or inward from an outer surface or backward or outward from a center
From this reading The river had opened abruptly into a broad, shallow, nearly circular lake, some five or six miles across.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The country here showed an extraordinary change from that they had passed through.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading The river had opened abruptly into a broad, shallow, nearly circular lake, some five or six miles across.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The river had opened abruptly into a broad, shallow, nearly circular lake, some five or six miles across.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible.
the rays of the sun
From this reading It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible.
surroundingadjectiveUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋ/
closely encircling
From this reading The lake appeared to occupy a depression in the surrounding hills, like the bottom of a huge, shallow bowl.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE WATER CITY.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The country here showed an extraordinary change from that they had passed through.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The country here showed an extraordinary change from that they had passed through.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The lake appeared to occupy a depression in the surrounding hills, like the bottom of a huge, shallow bowl.
capable of being seen; or open to easy view
From this reading It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading THE WATER CITY.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible.
