used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A WALK IN THE DARK.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Before them, at a distance of about four miles, rose the city, amid the verdure of the plain, which formed a girdle of flowers and grass.
(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 The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
amidprepositionUS /əˈmɪd/
in the middle of; surrounded by
From this reading Before them, at a distance of about four miles, rose the city, amid the verdure of the plain, which formed a girdle of flowers and grass.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The sun was setting as the Gambusinos reached the skirt of the forest and the limit of the covert.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The sun was setting as the Gambusinos reached the skirt of the forest and the limit of the covert.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Before them, at a distance of about four miles, rose the city, amid the verdure of the plain, which formed a girdle of flowers and grass.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before them, at a distance of about four miles, rose the city, amid the verdure of the plain, which formed a girdle of flowers and grass.
fearless and daring
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
boldlyadverbUS /ˈboʊldli/
with boldness, in a bold manner
From this reading They whispered a last farewell to their comrades, and boldly entered the tall grass, in the centre of which they speedily disappeared.
a low-lying region in central France
From this reading They whispered a last farewell to their comrades, and boldly entered the tall grass, in the centre of which they speedily disappeared.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading Before them, at a distance of about four miles, rose the city, amid the verdure of the plain, which formed a girdle of flowers and grass.
plural of “comrade” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading They whispered a last farewell to their comrades, and boldly entered the tall grass, in the centre of which they speedily disappeared.
covertnounUS /ˈkoʊvərt/
a flock of coots
From this reading The sun was setting as the Gambusinos reached the skirt of the forest and the limit of the covert.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading A WALK IN THE DARK.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading They whispered a last farewell to their comrades, and boldly entered the tall grass, in the centre of which they speedily disappeared.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading Before them, at a distance of about four miles, rose the city, amid the verdure of the plain, which formed a girdle of flowers and grass.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading They whispered a last farewell to their comrades, and boldly entered the tall grass, in the centre of which they speedily disappeared.
experimentnounUS /ɪkˈsperəmənt/
the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting
From this reading They whispered a last farewell to their comrades, and boldly entered the tall grass, in the centre of which they speedily disappeared.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading Before them, at a distance of about four miles, rose the city, amid the verdure of the plain, which formed a girdle of flowers and grass.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading The sun was setting as the Gambusinos reached the skirt of the forest and the limit of the covert.
having or given a form or shape
From this reading Before them, at a distance of about four miles, rose the city, amid the verdure of the plain, which formed a girdle of flowers and grass.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Before them, at a distance of about four miles, rose the city, amid the verdure of the plain, which formed a girdle of flowers and grass.
Gambusinos
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun was setting as the Gambusinos reached the skirt of the forest and the limit of the covert.
girdlenounUS /ˈɡɜːrdəl/
an encircling or ringlike structure
From this reading Before them, at a distance of about four miles, rose the city, amid the verdure of the plain, which formed a girdle of flowers and grass.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading Before them, at a distance of about four miles, rose the city, amid the verdure of the plain, which formed a girdle of flowers and grass.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
heavieradjectiveUS /ˈheviər/
comparative of “heavy” — of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A WALK IN THE DARK.
immediately past
From this reading They whispered a last farewell to their comrades, and boldly entered the tall grass, in the centre of which they speedily disappeared.
limitnounUS /ˈlɪmət/
the greatest possible degree of something
From this reading The sun was setting as the Gambusinos reached the skirt of the forest and the limit of the covert.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading Before them, at a distance of about four miles, rose the city, amid the verdure of the plain, which formed a girdle of flowers and grass.
minglingnounUS /ˈmɪŋɡəlɪŋ/
the action of people mingling and coming into contact
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
momentarilyadverbUS /ˌmoʊmənˈterəli/
for an instant or moment
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
used to form the superlative
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The sun was setting as the Gambusinos reached the skirt of the forest and the limit of the covert.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading Before them, at a distance of about four miles, rose the city, amid the verdure of the plain, which formed a girdle of flowers and grass.
propitiousadjectiveUS /prəˈpɪʃəs/
presenting favorable circumstances; likely to result in or show signs of success
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
with speed
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading The sun was setting as the Gambusinos reached the skirt of the forest and the limit of the covert.
determined
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Before them, at a distance of about four miles, rose the city, amid the verdure of the plain, which formed a girdle of flowers and grass.
scenerynounUS /ˈsiːnəri/
the painted structures of a stage set that are intended to suggest a particular locale
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading The sun was setting as the Gambusinos reached the skirt of the forest and the limit of the covert.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
skirtnounUS /skɜːrt/
cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading The sun was setting as the Gambusinos reached the skirt of the forest and the limit of the covert.
sombreadjective
lacking brightness or color; dull
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
speedilyadverbUS /ˈspiːdəli/
with speed
From this reading They whispered a last farewell to their comrades, and boldly entered the tall grass, in the centre of which they speedily disappeared.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The sun was setting as the Gambusinos reached the skirt of the forest and the limit of the covert.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading They whispered a last farewell to their comrades, and boldly entered the tall grass, in the centre of which they speedily disappeared.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A WALK IN THE DARK.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They whispered a last farewell to their comrades, and boldly entered the tall grass, in the centre of which they speedily disappeared.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Before them, at a distance of about four miles, rose the city, amid the verdure of the plain, which formed a girdle of flowers and grass.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They whispered a last farewell to their comrades, and boldly entered the tall grass, in the centre of which they speedily disappeared.
hard to endure
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
varietiesnounUS /vərˈaɪətiz/
plural of “variety” — a collection containing a variety of sorts of things
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
verdurenoun
green foliage
From this reading Before them, at a distance of about four miles, rose the city, amid the verdure of the plain, which formed a girdle of flowers and grass.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading A WALK IN THE DARK.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The sun was setting as the Gambusinos reached the skirt of the forest and the limit of the covert.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The night fell rapidly, the darkness grew momentarily heavier, mingling all the varieties of the scenery in a sombre mass; the hour, in short, was most propitious for trying the bold experiment on which they were resolved.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Before them, at a distance of about four miles, rose the city, amid the verdure of the plain, which formed a girdle of flowers and grass.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading They whispered a last farewell to their comrades, and boldly entered the tall grass, in the centre of which they speedily disappeared.
