used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
a-fishing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One evening in early summer Caius went a-fishing.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Then his way led him across a farm.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He started to walk several miles to an inlet where at high tide the sea-trout came within reach of the line.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He started to walk several miles to an inlet where at high tide the sea-trout came within reach of the line.
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 The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
Caius
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One evening in early summer Caius went a-fishing.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He started to walk several miles to an inlet where at high tide the sea-trout came within reach of the line.
a young person of either sex
From this reading THE SAD-EYED CHILD.
claynounUS /kleɪ/
a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
cliffsnounUS /klɪfs/
plural of “cliff” — a steep high face of rock
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
districtnounUS /ˈdɪstrɪkt/
a region marked off for administrative or other purposes
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading One evening in early summer Caius went a-fishing.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading One evening in early summer Caius went a-fishing.
be a farmer; work as a farmer
From this reading Then his way led him across a farm.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He started to walk several miles to an inlet where at high tide the sea-trout came within reach of the line.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading He started to walk several miles to an inlet where at high tide the sea-trout came within reach of the line.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then his way led him across a farm.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Then his way led him across a farm.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading One evening in early summer Caius went a-fishing.
inletnounUS /ˈɪnlet/
an arm off of a larger body of water (often between rocky headlands)
From this reading He started to walk several miles to an inlet where at high tide the sea-trout came within reach of the line.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
lappingnounUS /ˈlæpɪŋ/
covering with a design in which one element covers a part of another (as with tiles or shingles)
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading Then his way led him across a farm.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading He started to walk several miles to an inlet where at high tide the sea-trout came within reach of the line.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading He started to walk several miles to an inlet where at high tide the sea-trout came within reach of the line.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He started to walk several miles to an inlet where at high tide the sea-trout came within reach of the line.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One evening in early summer Caius went a-fishing.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading He started to walk several miles to an inlet where at high tide the sea-trout came within reach of the line.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
SAD-EYED
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SAD-EYED CHILD.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
sea-trout
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He started to walk several miles to an inlet where at high tide the sea-trout came within reach of the line.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading He started to walk several miles to an inlet where at high tide the sea-trout came within reach of the line.
skirtedverbUS /ˈskɜːrtɪd/
past form of “skirt” — avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading He started to walk several miles to an inlet where at high tide the sea-trout came within reach of the line.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading One evening in early summer Caius went a-fishing.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SAD-EYED CHILD.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then his way led him across a farm.
thickly-settled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon
From this reading He started to walk several miles to an inlet where at high tide the sea-trout came within reach of the line.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He started to walk several miles to an inlet where at high tide the sea-trout came within reach of the line.
the upper part of anything
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
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 The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading He started to walk several miles to an inlet where at high tide the sea-trout came within reach of the line.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Then his way led him across a farm.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading One evening in early summer Caius went a-fishing.
in or at the place that
From this reading He started to walk several miles to an inlet where at high tide the sea-trout came within reach of the line.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading He started to walk several miles to an inlet where at high tide the sea-trout came within reach of the line.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading The country road was of red clay, and, turning from the more thickly-settled district, Caius followed it through a wide wood of budding trees and out where it skirted the top of low red cliffs, against which the sea was lapping.
