used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The primroses were dwindling, but the wild hyacinths were blue in the woods, and the blackthorn hung white against the sky.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
beadsnounUS /biːdz/
several beads threaded together on a string
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
beaknounUS /biːk/
beaklike mouth of animals other than birds (e.g., turtles)
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
betimesadverb
in good time
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
blackthornnoun
a thorny Eurasian bush with plumlike fruits
From this reading The primroses were dwindling, but the wild hyacinths were blue in the woods, and the blackthorn hung white against the sky.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading The primroses were dwindling, but the wild hyacinths were blue in the woods, and the blackthorn hung white against the sky.
food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
brushedadjectiveUS /brʌʃt/
touched lightly in passing; grazed against
From this reading The friar’s grey habit brushed the dew from the grass and heather.
a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The primroses were dwindling, but the wild hyacinths were blue in the woods, and the blackthorn hung white against the sky.
provide with a covering or cause to be covered
From this reading Rabbits scampered to cover.
dewnounUS /duː/
water that has condensed on a cool surface overnight from water vapor in the air
From this reading The friar’s grey habit brushed the dew from the grass and heather.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
dwindlingadjectiveUS /ˈdwɪndəlɪŋ/
gradually decreasing until little remains
From this reading The primroses were dwindling, but the wild hyacinths were blue in the woods, and the blackthorn hung white against the sky.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
freshnessnounUS /ˈfreʃnəs/
the property of being pure and fresh (as if newly made); not stale or deteriorated
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
friar's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The friar’s grey habit brushed the dew from the grass and heather.
frocknounUS /frɑːk/
a long, loose outer garment
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The friar’s grey habit brushed the dew from the grass and heather.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading The friar’s grey habit brushed the dew from the grass and heather.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
an established custom
From this reading The friar’s grey habit brushed the dew from the grass and heather.
decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
heathernounUS /ˈheðər/
common Old World heath represented by many varieties; low evergreen grown widely in the northern hemisphere
From this reading The friar’s grey habit brushed the dew from the grass and heather.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
hunchnounUS /hʌntʃ/
an impression that something might be the case
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading The primroses were dwindling, but the wild hyacinths were blue in the woods, and the blackthorn hung white against the sky.
feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
hyacinthsnounUS /ˈhaɪəsɪnθs/
plural of “hyacinth” — a red transparent variety of zircon used as a gemstone
From this reading The primroses were dwindling, but the wild hyacinths were blue in the woods, and the blackthorn hung white against the sky.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
joyousadjectiveUS /ˈdʒɔɪəs/
full of or characterized by joy
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
MerlinnounUS /ˈmɜːrlɪn/
(Arthurian legend) the magician who acted as King Arthur's advisor
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
nostrilsnounUS /ˈnɑːstrəlz/
plural of “nostril” — either one of the two external openings to the nasal cavity in the nose
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
primrosesnounUS /ˈprɪmroʊzəz/
plural of “primrose” — any of numerous short-stemmed plants of the genus Primula having tufted basal leaves and showy flowers clustered in umbels or heads
From this reading The primroses were dwindling, but the wild hyacinths were blue in the woods, and the blackthorn hung white against the sky.
RabbitsnounUS /ˈræbəts/
plural of “rabbit” — any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food
From this reading Rabbits scampered to cover.
scamperedverbUS /ˈskæmpərd/
past form of “scamper” — to move about or proceed hurriedly
From this reading Rabbits scampered to cover.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
the act of singing vocal music
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading The primroses were dwindling, but the wild hyacinths were blue in the woods, and the blackthorn hung white against the sky.
sniffingverbUS /ˈsnɪfɪŋ/
-ing form of “sniff” — perceive by inhaling through the nose
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
the season of growth
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Rabbits scampered to cover.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
walletnounUS /ˈwɔːlət/
a pocket-size case for holding papers and paper money
From this reading Father Merlin set out betimes on a fine spring morning, a hunch of bread in his wallet and his beads hanging down over his grey frock.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
a Caucasian
From this reading The primroses were dwindling, but the wild hyacinths were blue in the woods, and the blackthorn hung white against the sky.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading The primroses were dwindling, but the wild hyacinths were blue in the woods, and the blackthorn hung white against the sky.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Father Merlin walked with his head thrown back, and his beak of a nose with its hungry nostrils sniffing the freshness of the morning; for the forest was in a joyous mood and the birds were singing in every bush and tree.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading The primroses were dwindling, but the wild hyacinths were blue in the woods, and the blackthorn hung white against the sky.
