used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In our fields it was now May, and the buttercups stretched away before the troll, a world of yellow mingled with the brown of the budding grasses.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
(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 This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
surrounded by; in the company of
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There he paused for some instants, looking to left and right; and, seeing no dogs, he left the barrier of twilight.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading In our fields it was now May, and the buttercups stretched away before the troll, a world of yellow mingled with the brown of the budding grasses.
barriernounUS /ˈbæriər/
a structure or object that impedes free movement
From this reading There he paused for some instants, looking to left and right; and, seeing no dogs, he left the barrier of twilight.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
boundariesnounUS /ˈbaʊndəriz/
plural of “boundary” — the line or plane indicating the limit or extent of something
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading In our fields it was now May, and the buttercups stretched away before the troll, a world of yellow mingled with the brown of the budding grasses.
buddingnounUS /ˈbʌdɪŋ/
reproduction of some unicellular organisms (such as yeasts) by growth and specialization followed by the separation by constriction of a part of the parent
From this reading In our fields it was now May, and the buttercups stretched away before the troll, a world of yellow mingled with the brown of the budding grasses.
buttercupsnounUS /ˈbʌtərkʌps/
plural of “buttercup” — any of various plants of the genus Ranunculus
From this reading In our fields it was now May, and the buttercups stretched away before the troll, a world of yellow mingled with the brown of the budding grasses.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
cautiouslyadverbUS /ˈkɔːʃəsli/
as if with kid gloves; with caution or prudence or tact
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
denseadjectiveUS /dens/
permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
plural of “dog” — a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
Elfland
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
emergedverbUS /ɪˈmɜːrdʒd/
past form of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
divisible by two
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
the organ of sight
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
frontiernounUS /frənˈtɪr/
a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
grassesnounUS /ˈɡræsəz/
plural of “grass” — narrow-leaved green herbage: grown as lawns; used as pasture for grazing animals; cut and dried as hay
From this reading In our fields it was now May, and the buttercups stretched away before the troll, a world of yellow mingled with the brown of the budding grasses.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
instants
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There he paused for some instants, looking to left and right; and, seeing no dogs, he left the barrier of twilight.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
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 There he paused for some instants, looking to left and right; and, seeing no dogs, he left the barrier of twilight.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading There he paused for some instants, looking to left and right; and, seeing no dogs, he left the barrier of twilight.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
massesnounUS /ˈmæsəz/
the common people generally
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading In our fields it was now May, and the buttercups stretched away before the troll, a world of yellow mingled with the brown of the budding grasses.
past form of “mingle” — to bring or combine together or with something else
From this reading In our fields it was now May, and the buttercups stretched away before the troll, a world of yellow mingled with the brown of the budding grasses.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
nimblyadverbUS /ˈnɪmbli/
in a nimble or agile manner; with quickness and lightness and ease
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
not any; not one
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading In our fields it was now May, and the buttercups stretched away before the troll, a world of yellow mingled with the brown of the budding grasses.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading There he paused for some instants, looking to left and right; and, seeing no dogs, he left the barrier of twilight.
with low volume
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
precisely, exactly
From this reading There he paused for some instants, looking to left and right; and, seeing no dogs, he left the barrier of twilight.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading There he paused for some instants, looking to left and right; and, seeing no dogs, he left the barrier of twilight.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
skippedverbUS /skɪpt/
inflected form of “skip” — bypass
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
SlippingadjectiveUS /ˈslɪpɪŋ/
moving as on a slippery surface
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
with low volume
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading There he paused for some instants, looking to left and right; and, seeing no dogs, he left the barrier of twilight.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading In our fields it was now May, and the buttercups stretched away before the troll, a world of yellow mingled with the brown of the budding grasses.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There he paused for some instants, looking to left and right; and, seeing no dogs, he left the barrier of twilight.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
TrollnounUS /troʊl/
(Scandanavian folklore) a supernatural creature (either a dwarf or a giant) that is supposed to live in caves or in the mountains
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
twilightnounUS /ˈtwaɪlaɪt/
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
universaladjectiveUS /ˌjuːnəˈvɜːrsəl/
of worldwide scope or applicability
From this reading This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
except if; if not
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
(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 This troll had never before been in the fields we know, yet he knew well to avoid dogs, for the fear of dogs is so deep and universal amongst all that are less than Man, that it seems to have passed even beyond our boundaries and to have been felt in Elfland.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
at the time that
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Slipping quietly out of those dense masses of twilight he came so softly into our fields that no eye had seen him unless it were gazing already at the spot at which he appeared.
in the company of; together with
From this reading In our fields it was now May, and the buttercups stretched away before the troll, a world of yellow mingled with the brown of the budding grasses.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading In our fields it was now May, and the buttercups stretched away before the troll, a world of yellow mingled with the brown of the budding grasses.
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading In our fields it was now May, and the buttercups stretched away before the troll, a world of yellow mingled with the brown of the budding grasses.
but in spite of that
From this reading _The Coming of the Troll_ When the troll came to the frontier of twilight he skipped nimbly through; yet he emerged cautiously into the fields we know, for he was afraid of dogs.
