used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The woman who had come to visit her had deliberately turned away her head with a murmured word about the sunshine and the field of buttercups.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The woman who had come to visit her had deliberately turned away her head with a murmured word about the sunshine and the field of buttercups.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The woman who had come to visit her had deliberately turned away her head with a murmured word about the sunshine and the field of buttercups.
bedsnounUS /bedz/
plural of “bed” — a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading There were flowers everywhere--beds of hyacinths, and borders of purple and yellow crocuses.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
BehindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
blossomverbUS /ˈblɑːsəm/
produce or yield flowers
From this reading A lilac tree was bursting into blossom, the breeze was soft and full of life.
bordersnounUS /ˈbɔːrdərz/
plural of “border” — a line that indicates a boundary
From this reading There were flowers everywhere--beds of hyacinths, and borders of purple and yellow crocuses.
a slight wind (usually refreshing)
From this reading A lilac tree was bursting into blossom, the breeze was soft and full of life.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
burstingverbUS /ˈbɜːrstɪŋ/
-ing form of “burst” — come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading A lilac tree was bursting into blossom, the breeze was soft and full of life.
buttercupsnounUS /ˈbʌtərkʌps/
plural of “buttercup” — any of various plants of the genus Ranunculus
From this reading The woman who had come to visit her had deliberately turned away her head with a murmured word about the sunshine and the field of buttercups.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
châteaunounUS /ʃæˈtoʊ/
A large French country house or castle, often surrounded by expansive estates and private galleries.
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The woman who had come to visit her had deliberately turned away her head with a murmured word about the sunshine and the field of buttercups.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
creepers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
crocusesnounUS /ˈkroʊkjuːsɪz/
plural of “crocus” — any of numerous low-growing plants of the genus Crocus having slender grasslike leaves and white or yellow or purple flowers; native chiefly to the Mediterranean region but widely cultivated
From this reading There were flowers everywhere--beds of hyacinths, and borders of purple and yellow crocuses.
cushionsnounUS /ˈkʊʃənz/
plural of “cushion” — a mechanical damper; absorbs energy of sudden impulses
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
deliberatelyadverbUS /dɪˈlɪbərətli/
with intention; in an intentional manner
From this reading The woman who had come to visit her had deliberately turned away her head with a murmured word about the sunshine and the field of buttercups.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
dyingadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪɪŋ/
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
earlier in time; previously
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
to or in any or all places
From this reading There were flowers everywhere--beds of hyacinths, and borders of purple and yellow crocuses.
a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed
From this reading The woman who had come to visit her had deliberately turned away her head with a murmured word about the sunshine and the field of buttercups.
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading There were flowers everywhere--beds of hyacinths, and borders of purple and yellow crocuses.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading A lilac tree was bursting into blossom, the breeze was soft and full of life.
a young female
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The woman who had come to visit her had deliberately turned away her head with a murmured word about the sunshine and the field of buttercups.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading The woman who had come to visit her had deliberately turned away her head with a murmured word about the sunshine and the field of buttercups.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The woman who had come to visit her had deliberately turned away her head with a murmured word about the sunshine and the field of buttercups.
hyacinthsnounUS /ˈhaɪəsɪnθs/
plural of “hyacinth” — a red transparent variety of zircon used as a gemstone
From this reading There were flowers everywhere--beds of hyacinths, and borders of purple and yellow crocuses.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading A lilac tree was bursting into blossom, the breeze was soft and full of life.
invalidnounUS /ˈɪnvələd/
someone who is incapacitated by a chronic illness or injury
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
lawnnounUS /lɔːn/
a field of cultivated and mowed grass
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
lawnsnounUS /lɔːnz/
plural of “lawn” — a field of cultivated and mowed grass
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading A lilac tree was bursting into blossom, the breeze was soft and full of life.
lilacnounUS /ˈlaɪlæk/
any of various plants of the genus Syringa having large panicles of usually fragrant flowers
From this reading A lilac tree was bursting into blossom, the breeze was soft and full of life.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly
From this reading The woman who had come to visit her had deliberately turned away her head with a murmured word about the sunshine and the field of buttercups.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
overgrownadjectiveUS /ˌoʊvərˈɡroʊn/
covered with growing plants
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
piledverbUS /paɪld/
past form of “pile” — arrange in stacks
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
a purple color or pigment
From this reading There were flowers everywhere--beds of hyacinths, and borders of purple and yellow crocuses.
sanitariumnoun
a hospital for recuperation or for the treatment of chronic diseases
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
shelteredadjectiveUS /ˈʃeltərd/
protected from danger or bad weather
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading A lilac tree was bursting into blossom, the breeze was soft and full of life.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
stretchingnounUS /ˈstretʃɪŋ/
act of expanding by lengthening or widening
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
sunnyadjectiveUS /ˈsʌni/
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
the rays of the sun
From this reading The woman who had come to visit her had deliberately turned away her head with a murmured word about the sunshine and the field of buttercups.
terracedverbUS /ˈterəst/
past form of “terrace” — provide (a house) with a terrace
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were flowers everywhere--beds of hyacinths, and borders of purple and yellow crocuses.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The woman who had come to visit her had deliberately turned away her head with a murmured word about the sunshine and the field of buttercups.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading A lilac tree was bursting into blossom, the breeze was soft and full of life.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading The woman who had come to visit her had deliberately turned away her head with a murmured word about the sunshine and the field of buttercups.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
villanounUS /ˈvɪlə/
Mexican revolutionary leader (1877-1923)
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading The woman who had come to visit her had deliberately turned away her head with a murmured word about the sunshine and the field of buttercups.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were flowers everywhere--beds of hyacinths, and borders of purple and yellow crocuses.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Behind them was the little sanitarium, a gray stone villa built in the style of a château, overgrown with creepers, and with terraced lawns stretching down to the sunny corner to which the girl had been carried earlier in the day.
which person or people
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The girl who was dying lay in an invalid chair piled up with cushions in a sheltered corner of the lawn.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The woman who had come to visit her had deliberately turned away her head with a murmured word about the sunshine and the field of buttercups.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading The woman who had come to visit her had deliberately turned away her head with a murmured word about the sunshine and the field of buttercups.
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading There were flowers everywhere--beds of hyacinths, and borders of purple and yellow crocuses.
