used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Away to the right, beyond the church, he saw a square building.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The air was alive with an intense purity, exceeding still, yet vital.
aliveadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/
possessing life
From this reading The air was alive with an intense purity, exceeding still, yet vital.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The air was alive with an intense purity, exceeding still, yet vital.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Around him the valley lay yet in dusk, through which the trees and bushes reared ghostly arms, white-shrouded, very spectre-like.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading Around him the valley lay yet in dusk, through which the trees and bushes reared ghostly arms, white-shrouded, very spectre-like.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Around him the valley lay yet in dusk, through which the trees and bushes reared ghostly arms, white-shrouded, very spectre-like.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Away to the right, beyond the church, he saw a square building.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading To the west, behind the hills, the sky glowed faintly luminous.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading Away to the right, beyond the church, he saw a square building.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading Away to the right, beyond the church, he saw a square building.
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading Around him the valley lay yet in dusk, through which the trees and bushes reared ghostly arms, white-shrouded, very spectre-like.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading Away to the right, beyond the church, he saw a square building.
a small house with a single story
From this reading ILLUSION THE sun was not yet risen when Peregrine left the cottage.
dusknounUS /dʌsk/
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading Around him the valley lay yet in dusk, through which the trees and bushes reared ghostly arms, white-shrouded, very spectre-like.
exceedingadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsiːdɪŋ/
far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree
From this reading The air was alive with an intense purity, exceeding still, yet vital.
faintlyadverbUS /ˈfeɪntli/
to a faint degree or weakly perceived
From this reading To the west, behind the hills, the sky glowed faintly luminous.
ghostlyadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊstli/
resembling or characteristic of a phantom
From this reading Around him the valley lay yet in dusk, through which the trees and bushes reared ghostly arms, white-shrouded, very spectre-like.
glowedverbUS /ɡloʊd/
past form of “glow” — emit a steady even light without flames
From this reading To the west, behind the hills, the sky glowed faintly luminous.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Away to the right, beyond the church, he saw a square building.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading To the west, behind the hills, the sky glowed faintly luminous.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Around him the valley lay yet in dusk, through which the trees and bushes reared ghostly arms, white-shrouded, very spectre-like.
ILLUSIONnounUS /ˌɪˈluːʒən/
an erroneous mental representation
From this reading ILLUSION THE sun was not yet risen when Peregrine left the cottage.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Around him the valley lay yet in dusk, through which the trees and bushes reared ghostly arms, white-shrouded, very spectre-like.
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading The air was alive with an intense purity, exceeding still, yet vital.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Around him the valley lay yet in dusk, through which the trees and bushes reared ghostly arms, white-shrouded, very spectre-like.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading ILLUSION THE sun was not yet risen when Peregrine left the cottage.
luminousadjectiveUS /ˈluːmənəs/
softly bright or radiant
From this reading To the west, behind the hills, the sky glowed faintly luminous.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading ILLUSION THE sun was not yet risen when Peregrine left the cottage.
PeregrinenounUS /ˈperəɡriːn/
a widely distributed falcon formerly used in falconry
From this reading ILLUSION THE sun was not yet risen when Peregrine left the cottage.
puritynounUS /ˈpjʊrəti/
being undiluted or unmixed with extraneous material
From this reading The air was alive with an intense purity, exceeding still, yet vital.
rearedverbUS /rɪrd/
past form of “rear” — stand up on the hind legs, of quadrupeds
From this reading Around him the valley lay yet in dusk, through which the trees and bushes reared ghostly arms, white-shrouded, very spectre-like.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Away to the right, beyond the church, he saw a square building.
risenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪzən/
(of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon
From this reading ILLUSION THE sun was not yet risen when Peregrine left the cottage.
cut with a saw
From this reading Away to the right, beyond the church, he saw a square building.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading To the west, behind the hills, the sky glowed faintly luminous.
spectre-like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Around him the valley lay yet in dusk, through which the trees and bushes reared ghostly arms, white-shrouded, very spectre-like.
make square
From this reading Away to the right, beyond the church, he saw a square building.
not in physical motion
From this reading The air was alive with an intense purity, exceeding still, yet vital.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading ILLUSION THE sun was not yet risen when Peregrine left the cottage.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ILLUSION THE sun was not yet risen when Peregrine left the cottage.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Around him the valley lay yet in dusk, through which the trees and bushes reared ghostly arms, white-shrouded, very spectre-like.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To the west, behind the hills, the sky glowed faintly luminous.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Around him the valley lay yet in dusk, through which the trees and bushes reared ghostly arms, white-shrouded, very spectre-like.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading Around him the valley lay yet in dusk, through which the trees and bushes reared ghostly arms, white-shrouded, very spectre-like.
precisely as stated
From this reading Around him the valley lay yet in dusk, through which the trees and bushes reared ghostly arms, white-shrouded, very spectre-like.
vitaladjectiveUS /ˈvaɪtəl/
urgently needed; absolutely necessary
From this reading The air was alive with an intense purity, exceeding still, yet vital.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ILLUSION THE sun was not yet risen when Peregrine left the cottage.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading To the west, behind the hills, the sky glowed faintly luminous.
at the time that
From this reading ILLUSION THE sun was not yet risen when Peregrine left the cottage.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Around him the valley lay yet in dusk, through which the trees and bushes reared ghostly arms, white-shrouded, very spectre-like.
white-shrouded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Around him the valley lay yet in dusk, through which the trees and bushes reared ghostly arms, white-shrouded, very spectre-like.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The air was alive with an intense purity, exceeding still, yet vital.
but in spite of that
From this reading ILLUSION THE sun was not yet risen when Peregrine left the cottage.
