used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
how long something has existed
From this reading They stood in a ring round a flat tombstone, grey with age, and green with slime of moss.
plural of “age” — how long something has existed
From this reading The girls were of divers ages, from six to sixteen, and all were more or less smartly dressed in holiday clothes, for it was a Good Friday.
aguishadjective
affected by ague
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
(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 girls were of divers ages, from six to sixteen, and all were more or less smartly dressed in holiday clothes, for it was a Good Friday.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
assembledverbUS /əˈsembəld/
past form of “assemble” — create by putting components or members together
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
a youthful male person
From this reading The group of which I have spoken consisted of some six girls and one little boy.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
ChurchyardnounUS /ˈtʃɜːrtʃjɑːrd/
the yard associated with a church
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
clothing in general
From this reading The girls were of divers ages, from six to sixteen, and all were more or less smartly dressed in holiday clothes, for it was a Good Friday.
consistedverbUS /kənˈsɪstəd/
past form of “consist” — originate
From this reading The group of which I have spoken consisted of some six girls and one little boy.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
dampadjectiveUS /dæmp/
slightly wet
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
represented in words especially with sharpness and detail
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
desolateadjectiveUS /ˈdesələt/
providing no shelter or sustenance
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
diversadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪvərz/
many and different
From this reading The girls were of divers ages, from six to sixteen, and all were more or less smartly dressed in holiday clothes, for it was a Good Friday.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
drearyadjectiveUS /ˈdrɪri/
lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading The girls were of divers ages, from six to sixteen, and all were more or less smartly dressed in holiday clothes, for it was a Good Friday.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
EssexnounUS /ˈesɪks/
a county in southeastern England on the North Sea and the Thames estuary
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading They stood in a ring round a flat tombstone, grey with age, and green with slime of moss.
group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The girls were of divers ages, from six to sixteen, and all were more or less smartly dressed in holiday clothes, for it was a Good Friday.
FridaynounUS /ˈfraɪdi/
the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day
From this reading The girls were of divers ages, from six to sixteen, and all were more or less smartly dressed in holiday clothes, for it was a Good Friday.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The girls were of divers ages, from six to sixteen, and all were more or less smartly dressed in holiday clothes, for it was a Good Friday.
gazesnounUS /ˈɡeɪzəz/
plural of “gaze” — a long fixed look
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading The group of which I have spoken consisted of some six girls and one little boy.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading The girls were of divers ages, from six to sixteen, and all were more or less smartly dressed in holiday clothes, for it was a Good Friday.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
Grayfleet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading They stood in a ring round a flat tombstone, grey with age, and green with slime of moss.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading They stood in a ring round a flat tombstone, grey with age, and green with slime of moss.
any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The group of which I have spoken consisted of some six girls and one little boy.
holidaynounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪ/
leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading The girls were of divers ages, from six to sixteen, and all were more or less smartly dressed in holiday clothes, for it was a Good Friday.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The group of which I have spoken consisted of some six girls and one little boy.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
a single distinct event
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The girls were of divers ages, from six to sixteen, and all were more or less smartly dressed in holiday clothes, for it was a Good Friday.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading The girls were of divers ages, from six to sixteen, and all were more or less smartly dressed in holiday clothes, for it was a Good Friday.
lifelessadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪfləs/
deprived of life; no longer living
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The group of which I have spoken consisted of some six girls and one little boy.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
low-lyingadjective
having a small elevation above the ground or horizon or sea level
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
marshesnounUS /ˈmɑːrʃəz/
plural of “marsh” — low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and water
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
mingleverbUS /ˈmɪŋɡəl/
to bring or combine together or with something else
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
become covered with mist
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The girls were of divers ages, from six to sixteen, and all were more or less smartly dressed in holiday clothes, for it was a Good Friday.
mossnounUS /mɔːs/
tiny leafy-stemmed flowerless plants
From this reading They stood in a ring round a flat tombstone, grey with age, and green with slime of moss.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
occurrencenounUS /əˈkɜːrəns/
an event that happens
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The group of which I have spoken consisted of some six girls and one little boy.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The girls were of divers ages, from six to sixteen, and all were more or less smartly dressed in holiday clothes, for it was a Good Friday.
prologuenounUS /ˈproʊlɑːɡ/
an introduction to a play
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading They stood in a ring round a flat tombstone, grey with age, and green with slime of moss.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading They stood in a ring round a flat tombstone, grey with age, and green with slime of moss.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading The group of which I have spoken consisted of some six girls and one little boy.
sixteenadjectiveUS /sɪkˈstiːn/
being one more than fifteen
From this reading The girls were of divers ages, from six to sixteen, and all were more or less smartly dressed in holiday clothes, for it was a Good Friday.
skullnounUS /skʌl/
the bony skeleton of the head of vertebrates
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
slimeverbUS /slaɪm/
cover or stain with slime
From this reading They stood in a ring round a flat tombstone, grey with age, and green with slime of moss.
smartlyadverbUS /ˈsmɑːrtli/
in a clever manner
From this reading The girls were of divers ages, from six to sixteen, and all were more or less smartly dressed in holiday clothes, for it was a Good Friday.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The group of which I have spoken consisted of some six girls and one little boy.
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading The group of which I have spoken consisted of some six girls and one little boy.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading They stood in a ring round a flat tombstone, grey with age, and green with slime of moss.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The girls were of divers ages, from six to sixteen, and all were more or less smartly dressed in holiday clothes, for it was a Good Friday.
tombstonenounUS /ˈtuːmstoʊn/
a stone that is used to mark a grave
From this reading They stood in a ring round a flat tombstone, grey with age, and green with slime of moss.
in the direction of
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
vergenounUS /vɜːrdʒ/
a region marking a boundary
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The girls were of divers ages, from six to sixteen, and all were more or less smartly dressed in holiday clothes, for it was a Good Friday.
in or at the place that
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The group of which I have spoken consisted of some six girls and one little boy.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Gray fleet is a damp, aguish, lonely, desolate village, on the verge of the great Essex marshes; and its old church, like a skull with two empty, lifeless eyes, gazes with two dreary windows right down on the marshes, towards that low-lying mist where they mingle with the sea.
a late time of life
From this reading Twelve years before the occurrence of the incident described in my prologue, a curious group was assembled in a quiet corner of Grayfleet Churchyard.
