used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
agedadjectiveUS /eɪdʒd/
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading Beyond the fountain, before the timeworn cloister, sat an aged brother surrounded by monks.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Beyond the fountain, before the timeworn cloister, sat an aged brother surrounded by monks.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As Philip gazed down on the scene below, translating as well he might the end of justified means to Catholic grace, his eyes filled with tears.
awkwardadjectiveUS /ˈɑːkwərd/
causing inconvenience
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Beyond the fountain, before the timeworn cloister, sat an aged brother surrounded by monks.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading As Philip gazed down on the scene below, translating as well he might the end of justified means to Catholic grace, his eyes filled with tears.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading Beyond the fountain, before the timeworn cloister, sat an aged brother surrounded by monks.
biernounUS /biːr/
a coffin along with its stand
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading Beyond the fountain, before the timeworn cloister, sat an aged brother surrounded by monks.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Beyond the fountain, before the timeworn cloister, sat an aged brother surrounded by monks.
move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
CatholicadjectiveUS /ˈkæθlɪk/
of or relating to or supporting Catholicism
From this reading As Philip gazed down on the scene below, translating as well he might the end of justified means to Catholic grace, his eyes filled with tears.
cemeterynounUS /ˈseməteri/
a tract of land used for burials
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
one who is the object of choice; who is given preference
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
cloisterverbUS /ˈklɔɪstər/
surround with a cloister, as of a garden
From this reading Beyond the fountain, before the timeworn cloister, sat an aged brother surrounded by monks.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
feelings of ardent love
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
displaceverbUS /dɪˈspleɪs/
cause to move, usually with force or pressure
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Philip stood looking down, with his hand lightly resting on Isabel's shoulder.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
opinion or judgment
From this reading As Philip gazed down on the scene below, translating as well he might the end of justified means to Catholic grace, his eyes filled with tears.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading As Philip gazed down on the scene below, translating as well he might the end of justified means to Catholic grace, his eyes filled with tears.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
fountainnounUS /ˈfaʊntən/
a structure from which an artificially produced jet of water arises
From this reading Beyond the fountain, before the timeworn cloister, sat an aged brother surrounded by monks.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading As Philip gazed down on the scene below, translating as well he might the end of justified means to Catholic grace, his eyes filled with tears.
(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence
From this reading As Philip gazed down on the scene below, translating as well he might the end of justified means to Catholic grace, his eyes filled with tears.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Philip stood looking down, with his hand lightly resting on Isabel's shoulder.
be suspended or hanging
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Philip stood looking down, with his hand lightly resting on Isabel's shoulder.
hoveringverbUS /ˈhʌvərɪŋ/
-ing form of “hover” — be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
Isabel's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Philip stood looking down, with his hand lightly resting on Isabel's shoulder.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
justifiedadjectiveUS /ˈdʒʌstəfaɪd/
having words so spaced that lines have straight even margins
From this reading As Philip gazed down on the scene below, translating as well he might the end of justified means to Catholic grace, his eyes filled with tears.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
without good reason
From this reading Philip stood looking down, with his hand lightly resting on Isabel's shoulder.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Philip stood looking down, with his hand lightly resting on Isabel's shoulder.
masculineadjectiveUS /ˈmæskjələn/
of grammatical gender
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading As Philip gazed down on the scene below, translating as well he might the end of justified means to Catholic grace, his eyes filled with tears.
the force of workers available
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
monknounUS /mʌŋk/
a male religious living in a cloister and devoting himself to contemplation and prayer and work
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
monksnounUS /mʌŋks/
plural of “monk” — a male religious living in a cloister and devoting himself to contemplation and prayer and work
From this reading Beyond the fountain, before the timeworn cloister, sat an aged brother surrounded by monks.
nearingverbUS /ˈnɪrɪŋ/
-ing form of “near” — move towards
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Philip stood looking down, with his hand lightly resting on Isabel's shoulder.
by chance
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)
From this reading Philip stood looking down, with his hand lightly resting on Isabel's shoulder.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
probabilitynounUS /ˌprɑːbəˈbɪlətiː/
a measure of how likely it is that some event will occur; a number expressing the ratio of favorable cases to the whole number of cases possible
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
-ing form of “rest” — not move; be in a resting position
From this reading Philip stood looking down, with his hand lightly resting on Isabel's shoulder.
Identical; not different.
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Beyond the fountain, before the timeworn cloister, sat an aged brother surrounded by monks.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading As Philip gazed down on the scene below, translating as well he might the end of justified means to Catholic grace, his eyes filled with tears.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading Philip stood looking down, with his hand lightly resting on Isabel's shoulder.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Philip stood looking down, with his hand lightly resting on Isabel's shoulder.
confined on all sides
From this reading Beyond the fountain, before the timeworn cloister, sat an aged brother surrounded by monks.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading As Philip gazed down on the scene below, translating as well he might the end of justified means to Catholic grace, his eyes filled with tears.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Beyond the fountain, before the timeworn cloister, sat an aged brother surrounded by monks.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
timewornadjective
repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
From this reading Beyond the fountain, before the timeworn cloister, sat an aged brother surrounded by monks.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
translatingverbUS /trænzˈleɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language
From this reading As Philip gazed down on the scene below, translating as well he might the end of justified means to Catholic grace, his eyes filled with tears.
vigorousadjectiveUS /ˈvɪɡərəs/
characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading As Philip gazed down on the scene below, translating as well he might the end of justified means to Catholic grace, his eyes filled with tears.
in or at the place that
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
whitenedadjective
(of hair) having lost its color
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
which person or people
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Philip stood looking down, with his hand lightly resting on Isabel's shoulder.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading In all probability these same vigorous men would carry the old brother on his bier to the little cemetery, where he might displace the whitened bones of some monk long dead and forgotten.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading It was plain that the old brother was ill, perhaps nearing the end of a chosen life on earth, for he was speaking to the young monks, who seemed to hang on every word, hovering around his chair with awkward, masculine devotion.
