used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
AmongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading Among the flapping lines walked maids--fully a score of them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
basketsnounUS /ˈbæskəts/
plural of “basket” — a container that is usually woven and has handles
From this reading Some were taking down wash that was dry and stuffing it into baskets.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Gwendolyn, watching from the side window of the nursery, pretended that the garments were so many tortured creatures, vainly struggling to be free.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
blowingnounUS /ˈbloʊɪŋ/
processing that involves blowing a gas
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
buildingsnounUS /ˈbɪldɪŋz/
plural of “building” — a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
clothes-lines
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
plural of “creature” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading Gwendolyn, watching from the side window of the nursery, pretended that the garments were so many tortured creatures, vainly struggling to be free.
crescentnounUS /ˈkresənt/
any shape resembling the curved shape of the moon in its first or last quarters
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Some were taking down wash that was dry and stuffing it into baskets.
operate or control a vehicle
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading Some were taking down wash that was dry and stuffing it into baskets.
flappingnounUS /ˈflæpɪŋ/
the motion made by flapping up and down
From this reading Among the flapping lines walked maids--fully a score of them.
moving swiftly
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading Gwendolyn, watching from the side window of the nursery, pretended that the garments were so many tortured creatures, vainly struggling to be free.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Gwendolyn, watching from the side window of the nursery, pretended that the garments were so many tortured creatures, vainly struggling to be free.
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading Among the flapping lines walked maids--fully a score of them.
garmentsnounUS /ˈɡɑːrmənts/
plural of “garment” — an article of clothing
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
Gwendolyn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Gwendolyn, watching from the side window of the nursery, pretended that the garments were so many tortured creatures, vainly struggling to be free.
decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Some were taking down wash that was dry and stuffing it into baskets.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Some were taking down wash that was dry and stuffing it into baskets.
The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Among the flapping lines walked maids--fully a score of them.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
maidsnounUS /meɪdz/
plural of “maid” — a female domestic
From this reading Among the flapping lines walked maids--fully a score of them.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Gwendolyn, watching from the side window of the nursery, pretended that the garments were so many tortured creatures, vainly struggling to be free.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
nearbyadjectiveUS /ˈnɪrˈbaɪ/
close at hand
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
newlyadverbUS /ˈnuːli/
very recently
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
nurserynounUS /ˈnɜːrsəri/
a child's room for a baby
From this reading Gwendolyn, watching from the side window of the nursery, pretended that the garments were so many tortured creatures, vainly struggling to be free.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
pretendedadjectiveUS /priˈtendɪd/
adopted in order to deceive
From this reading Gwendolyn, watching from the side window of the nursery, pretended that the garments were so many tortured creatures, vainly struggling to be free.
prettiestadjectiveUS /ˈprɪtiəst/
superlative of “pretty” — pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
roofsnounUS /ruːfs/
plural of “roof” — a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)
From this reading Among the flapping lines walked maids--fully a score of them.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Gwendolyn, watching from the side window of the nursery, pretended that the garments were so many tortured creatures, vainly struggling to be free.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Gwendolyn, watching from the side window of the nursery, pretended that the garments were so many tortured creatures, vainly struggling to be free.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some were taking down wash that was dry and stuffing it into baskets.
strugglingadjectiveUS /ˈstrʌɡəlɪŋ/
engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity
From this reading Gwendolyn, watching from the side window of the nursery, pretended that the garments were so many tortured creatures, vainly struggling to be free.
stuffingnounUS /ˈstʌfɪŋ/
a mixture of seasoned ingredients used to stuff meats and vegetables
From this reading Some were taking down wash that was dry and stuffing it into baskets.
swagging
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading Some were taking down wash that was dry and stuffing it into baskets.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Gwendolyn, watching from the side window of the nursery, pretended that the garments were so many tortured creatures, vainly struggling to be free.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Among the flapping lines walked maids--fully a score of them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Gwendolyn, watching from the side window of the nursery, pretended that the garments were so many tortured creatures, vainly struggling to be free.
torturedadjectiveUS /ˈtɔːrtʃərd/
experiencing intense pain especially mental pain
From this reading Gwendolyn, watching from the side window of the nursery, pretended that the garments were so many tortured creatures, vainly struggling to be free.
tuggingverbUS /ˈtʌɡɪŋ/
inflected form of “tug” — pull hard
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
twistingnounUS /ˈtwɪstɪŋ/
the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
vainlyadverbUS /ˈveɪnli/
to no avail
From this reading Gwendolyn, watching from the side window of the nursery, pretended that the garments were so many tortured creatures, vainly struggling to be free.
in a violent manner
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading Among the flapping lines walked maids--fully a score of them.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
washverbUS /wɑːʃ/
clean with some chemical process
From this reading Some were taking down wash that was dry and stuffing it into baskets.
washedadjectiveUS /wɑːʃt/
clean by virtue of having been washed in water
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading Gwendolyn, watching from the side window of the nursery, pretended that the garments were so many tortured creatures, vainly struggling to be free.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
whitestadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪtɪst/
superlative of “white” — being of the achromatic color of maximum lightness; having little or no hue owing to reflection of almost all incident light
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading Gwendolyn, watching from the side window of the nursery, pretended that the garments were so many tortured creatures, vainly struggling to be free.
past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish
From this reading And she wished that two or three of the whitest and prettiest might loose their hold and go flying away--across the crescent of the Drive and the wide river--to liberty and happiness in the forest beyond.
writhingadjectiveUS /ˈraɪðɪŋ/
moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion
From this reading There was a high wind blowing, and the newly washed garments hanging on the roofs of nearby buildings were writhing and twisting violently, and tugging at the long swagging clothes-lines.
