used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Blairtown had a population of some eight thousand.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
completely unclothed
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
BlairnounUS /bler/
British statesman who became prime minister in 1997 (born in 1953)
From this reading Dan Blair heard it, looked up, and it made a mark in his life.
Blairtown
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Blairtown had a population of some eight thousand.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading A girl in a white dress trimmed with blue gentians, white cotton gloves, and golden hair, was the soloist.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
casingsnounUS /ˈkeɪsɪŋz/
plural of “casing” — the housing or outer covering of something
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
cottonnounUS /ˈkɑːtən/
soft silky fibers from cotton plants in their raw state
From this reading A girl in a white dress trimmed with blue gentians, white cotton gloves, and golden hair, was the soloist.
Dan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading One day there was a missionary sermon, and for the first time in its history a girl sang a solo in the First Presbyterian Church.
put on clothes
From this reading A girl in a white dress trimmed with blue gentians, white cotton gloves, and golden hair, was the soloist.
being one more than seven
From this reading Blairtown had a population of some eight thousand.
fansnounUS /fænz/
plural of “fan” — a device for creating a current of air by movement of a surface or surfaces
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading One day there was a missionary sermon, and for the first time in its history a girl sang a solo in the First Presbyterian Church.
fliesnounUS /flaɪz/
(theater) the space over the stage (out of view of the audience) used to store scenery (drop curtains)
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading One day there was a missionary sermon, and for the first time in its history a girl sang a solo in the First Presbyterian Church.
gentians
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A girl in a white dress trimmed with blue gentians, white cotton gloves, and golden hair, was the soloist.
a young female
From this reading One day there was a missionary sermon, and for the first time in its history a girl sang a solo in the First Presbyterian Church.
glovesnounUS /ɡlʌvz/
plural of “glove” — the handwear used by fielders in playing baseball
From this reading A girl in a white dress trimmed with blue gentians, white cotton gloves, and golden hair, was the soloist.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading A girl in a white dress trimmed with blue gentians, white cotton gloves, and golden hair, was the soloist.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Blairtown had a population of some eight thousand.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading A girl in a white dress trimmed with blue gentians, white cotton gloves, and golden hair, was the soloist.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Dan Blair heard it, looked up, and it made a mark in his life.
a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
the aggregate of past events
From this reading One day there was a missionary sermon, and for the first time in its history a girl sang a solo in the First Presbyterian Church.
hymn-books
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Dan Blair heard it, looked up, and it made a mark in his life.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading One day there was a missionary sermon, and for the first time in its history a girl sang a solo in the First Presbyterian Church.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Dan Blair heard it, looked up, and it made a mark in his life.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Dan Blair heard it, looked up, and it made a mark in his life.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Dan Blair heard it, looked up, and it made a mark in his life.
attach a tag or label to
From this reading Dan Blair heard it, looked up, and it made a mark in his life.
missionarynounUS /ˈmɪʃəneri/
someone who attempts to convert others to a particular doctrine or program
From this reading One day there was a missionary sermon, and for the first time in its history a girl sang a solo in the First Presbyterian Church.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Blairtown had a population of some eight thousand.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One day there was a missionary sermon, and for the first time in its history a girl sang a solo in the First Presbyterian Church.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
panamanounUS /ˈpænəmɑː/
a republic on the Isthmus of Panama; achieved independence from Colombia in 1903
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
panesnounUS /peɪnz/
plural of “pane” — sheet glass cut in shapes for windows or doors
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
pewnounUS /pjuː/
long bench with backs; used in church by the congregation
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
pewsnounUS /pjuːz/
plural of “pew” — long bench with backs; used in church by the congregation
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
populationnounUS /ˌpɑːpjəˈleɪʃən/
the people who inhabit a territory or state
From this reading Blairtown had a population of some eight thousand.
PresbyteriannounUS /ˌpresbɪˈtɪriən/
a follower of Calvinism as taught in the Presbyterian Church
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
rattledadjectiveUS /ˈrætəld/
thrown into a state of agitated confusion; (“rattled” is an informal term)
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
regularlyadverbUS /ˈreɡjələrli/
in a regular manner
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
North American woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the Chinese ginseng
From this reading One day there was a missionary sermon, and for the first time in its history a girl sang a solo in the First Presbyterian Church.
sermonnounUS /ˈsɜːrmən/
an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a church service)
From this reading One day there was a missionary sermon, and for the first time in its history a girl sang a solo in the First Presbyterian Church.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
solonounUS /ˈsoʊloʊ/
any activity that is performed alone without assistance
From this reading One day there was a missionary sermon, and for the first time in its history a girl sang a solo in the First Presbyterian Church.
soloistnounUS /ˈsoʊloʊəst/
a musician who performs a solo
From this reading A girl in a white dress trimmed with blue gentians, white cotton gloves, and golden hair, was the soloist.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Blairtown had a population of some eight thousand.
stormsnounUS /stɔːrmz/
plural of “storm” — a violent weather condition with winds 64-72 knots (11 on the Beaufort scale) and precipitation and thunder and lightning
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
the rays of the sun
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading Blairtown had a population of some eight thousand.
throngedadjectiveUS /θrɔːŋd/
filled with great numbers crowded together
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading One day there was a missionary sermon, and for the first time in its history a girl sang a solo in the First Presbyterian Church.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
trimmedadjectiveUS /trɪmd/
made neat and tidy by trimming
From this reading A girl in a white dress trimmed with blue gentians, white cotton gloves, and golden hair, was the soloist.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Dan Blair heard it, looked up, and it made a mark in his life.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
at the time that
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
a Caucasian
From this reading A girl in a white dress trimmed with blue gentians, white cotton gloves, and golden hair, was the soloist.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
winter'snounUS /ˈwɪntərz/
possessive form of “winter” — the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading There was a Presbyterian church to which Dan and his father went regularly, sitting in the bare pew when the winter’s storms beat and rattled on the panes, or in the summer sunshine, when the flies thronged the window casings, when the smell of the pews and the panama fans and the hymn-books came strong to them through the heat.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A girl in a white dress trimmed with blue gentians, white cotton gloves, and golden hair, was the soloist.
