adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
actuallyadverbUS /ˈæktʃuːəli/
in actual fact
From this reading Only when actually under the shelter of the porch, which some folk thought enhanced the old Greek-temple effect of the Mallorings' house, Derek broke through that taciturnity:
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Still later, that same morning, Derek and Sheila moved slowly up the Mallorings' well-swept drive.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
battlenounUS /ˈbætəl/
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/
lacking funds
From this reading Only when actually under the shelter of the porch, which some folk thought enhanced the old Greek-temple effect of the Mallorings' house, Derek broke through that taciturnity:
bushesnounUS /ˈbʊʃəz/
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
cockverbUS /kɑːk/
tilt or slant to one side
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
covertnounUS /ˈkoʊvərt/
a flock of coots
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
Derek
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Still later, that same morning, Derek and Sheila moved slowly up the Mallorings' well-swept drive.
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Wait and see; and don't lose your head, Derek.”
driveverbUS /draɪv/
operate or control a vehicle
From this reading Still later, that same morning, Derek and Sheila moved slowly up the Mallorings' well-swept drive.
effectnounUS /ɪˈfekt/
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading Only when actually under the shelter of the porch, which some folk thought enhanced the old Greek-temple effect of the Mallorings' house, Derek broke through that taciturnity:
enhancedadjectiveUS /enˈhænst/
increased or intensified in value or beauty or quality
From this reading Only when actually under the shelter of the porch, which some folk thought enhanced the old Greek-temple effect of the Mallorings' house, Derek broke through that taciturnity:
folknounUS /foʊk/
people in general (often used in the plural)
From this reading Only when actually under the shelter of the porch, which some folk thought enhanced the old Greek-temple effect of the Mallorings' house, Derek broke through that taciturnity:
footstepsnounUS /ˈfʊtsteps/
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
Greek-temple
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only when actually under the shelter of the porch, which some folk thought enhanced the old Greek-temple effect of the Mallorings' house, Derek broke through that taciturnity:
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
headnounUS /hed/
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading “Wait and see; and don't lose your head, Derek.”
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Only when actually under the shelter of the porch, which some folk thought enhanced the old Greek-temple effect of the Mallorings' house, Derek broke through that taciturnity:
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “What if they won't?”
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
lastadjectiveUS /læst/
immediately past
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Still later, that same morning, Derek and Sheila moved slowly up the Mallorings' well-swept drive.
lipsnounUS /lɪps/
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
loseverbUS /luːz/
fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading “Wait and see; and don't lose your head, Derek.”
Mallorings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Still later, that same morning, Derek and Sheila moved slowly up the Mallorings' well-swept drive.
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Still later, that same morning, Derek and Sheila moved slowly up the Mallorings' well-swept drive.
movedadjectiveUS /muːvd/
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading Still later, that same morning, Derek and Sheila moved slowly up the Mallorings' well-swept drive.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
OnlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/
and nothing more
From this reading Only when actually under the shelter of the porch, which some folk thought enhanced the old Greek-temple effect of the Mallorings' house, Derek broke through that taciturnity:
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/
by chance
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
pheasantnounUS /ˈfezənt/
large long-tailed gallinaceous bird native to the Old World but introduced elsewhere
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
porchnounUS /pɔːrtʃ/
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading Only when actually under the shelter of the porch, which some folk thought enhanced the old Greek-temple effect of the Mallorings' house, Derek broke through that taciturnity:
rosenounUS /roʊz/
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
runningadjectiveUS /ˈrʌnɪŋ/
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/
Identical; not different.
From this reading Still later, that same morning, Derek and Sheila moved slowly up the Mallorings' well-swept drive.
scaredadjectiveUS /skerd/
made afraid
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
seeverbUS /siː/
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “Wait and see; and don't lose your head, Derek.”
setverbUS /set/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
Sheila
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Still later, that same morning, Derek and Sheila moved slowly up the Mallorings' well-swept drive.
shelternounUS /ˈʃeltər/
a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger
From this reading Only when actually under the shelter of the porch, which some folk thought enhanced the old Greek-temple effect of the Mallorings' house, Derek broke through that taciturnity:
skimmedadjectiveUS /skɪmd/
used of milk and milk products from which the cream has been removed
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
slowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading Still later, that same morning, Derek and Sheila moved slowly up the Mallorings' well-swept drive.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Only when actually under the shelter of the porch, which some folk thought enhanced the old Greek-temple effect of the Mallorings' house, Derek broke through that taciturnity:
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
spokenadjectiveUS /ˈspoʊkən/
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
StilladjectiveUS /stɪl/
not in physical motion
From this reading Still later, that same morning, Derek and Sheila moved slowly up the Mallorings' well-swept drive.
taciturnitynoun
the trait of being uncommunicative; not volunteering anything more than necessary
From this reading Only when actually under the shelter of the porch, which some folk thought enhanced the old Greek-temple effect of the Mallorings' house, Derek broke through that taciturnity:
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Still later, that same morning, Derek and Sheila moved slowly up the Mallorings' well-swept drive.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Still later, that same morning, Derek and Sheila moved slowly up the Mallorings' well-swept drive.
TheirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Only when actually under the shelter of the porch, which some folk thought enhanced the old Greek-temple effect of the Mallorings' house, Derek broke through that taciturnity:
throughprepositionUS /θruː/
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Only when actually under the shelter of the porch, which some folk thought enhanced the old Greek-temple effect of the Mallorings' house, Derek broke through that taciturnity:
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
uncompromisingadjectiveUS /ənˈkɑːmprəmaɪzɪŋ/
not making concessions
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Only when actually under the shelter of the porch, which some folk thought enhanced the old Greek-temple effect of the Mallorings' house, Derek broke through that taciturnity:
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Still later, that same morning, Derek and Sheila moved slowly up the Mallorings' well-swept drive.
WaitverbUS /weɪt/
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading “Wait and see; and don't lose your head, Derek.”
well-swept
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Still later, that same morning, Derek and Sheila moved slowly up the Mallorings' well-swept drive.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What if they won't?”
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading Only when actually under the shelter of the porch, which some folk thought enhanced the old Greek-temple effect of the Mallorings' house, Derek broke through that taciturnity:
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Only when actually under the shelter of the porch, which some folk thought enhanced the old Greek-temple effect of the Mallorings' house, Derek broke through that taciturnity:
whirnoun
sound of something in rapid motion
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
won't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What if they won't?”
wordnounUS /wɜːrd/
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading Their lips were set, as though they had spoken the last word before battle, and an old cock pheasant, running into the bushes close by, rose with a whir and skimmed out toward his covert, scared, perhaps, by something uncompromising in the footsteps of those two.
yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Wait and see; and don't lose your head, Derek.”
