used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Their murmuring and sighing was as sad as the voice of pines and hemlocks in a graveyard on a winter’s night.
abandonedadjectiveUS /əˈbændənd/
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading On the bed of decaying mats in the abandoned cabin where little lizards ran in and out, Johnny Thompson lay white and motionless.
(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 Came an hour when there fell upon all this gloom a shrill discordant note.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Sadder still was the strange wail of some tropical bird, piping always on the same minor key.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Came an hour when there fell upon all this gloom a shrill discordant note.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Palms that hung over the silent, swiftly flowing stream murmured and sighed.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Their murmuring and sighing was as sad as the voice of pines and hemlocks in a graveyard on a winter’s night.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading On the bed of decaying mats in the abandoned cabin where little lizards ran in and out, Johnny Thompson lay white and motionless.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading Sadder still was the strange wail of some tropical bird, piping always on the same minor key.
small room on a ship or boat where people sleep
From this reading On the bed of decaying mats in the abandoned cabin where little lizards ran in and out, Johnny Thompson lay white and motionless.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Came an hour when there fell upon all this gloom a shrill discordant note.
decayingverbUS /dɪˈkeɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “decay” — lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current
From this reading On the bed of decaying mats in the abandoned cabin where little lizards ran in and out, Johnny Thompson lay white and motionless.
discordantadjectiveUS /dɪˈskɔːrdənt/
not in agreement or harmony
From this reading Came an hour when there fell upon all this gloom a shrill discordant note.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading Came an hour when there fell upon all this gloom a shrill discordant note.
flowingnounUS /ˈfloʊɪŋ/
the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)
From this reading Palms that hung over the silent, swiftly flowing stream murmured and sighed.
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading Came an hour when there fell upon all this gloom a shrill discordant note.
graveyardnounUS /ˈɡreɪvjɑːrd/
a tract of land used for burials
From this reading Their murmuring and sighing was as sad as the voice of pines and hemlocks in a graveyard on a winter’s night.
hemlocks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Their murmuring and sighing was as sad as the voice of pines and hemlocks in a graveyard on a winter’s night.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Came an hour when there fell upon all this gloom a shrill discordant note.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading Palms that hung over the silent, swiftly flowing stream murmured and sighed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Their murmuring and sighing was as sad as the voice of pines and hemlocks in a graveyard on a winter’s night.
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading On the bed of decaying mats in the abandoned cabin where little lizards ran in and out, Johnny Thompson lay white and motionless.
metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
From this reading Sadder still was the strange wail of some tropical bird, piping always on the same minor key.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading On the bed of decaying mats in the abandoned cabin where little lizards ran in and out, Johnny Thompson lay white and motionless.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading On the bed of decaying mats in the abandoned cabin where little lizards ran in and out, Johnny Thompson lay white and motionless.
lizardsnounUS /ˈlɪzərdz/
plural of “lizard” — relatively long-bodied reptile with usually two pairs of legs and a tapering tail
From this reading On the bed of decaying mats in the abandoned cabin where little lizards ran in and out, Johnny Thompson lay white and motionless.
matsnounUS /mæts/
plural of “mat” — a thick flat pad used as a floor covering
From this reading On the bed of decaying mats in the abandoned cabin where little lizards ran in and out, Johnny Thompson lay white and motionless.
minoradjectiveUS /ˈmaɪnər/
of lesser importance or stature or rank
From this reading Sadder still was the strange wail of some tropical bird, piping always on the same minor key.
not in physical motion
From this reading On the bed of decaying mats in the abandoned cabin where little lizards ran in and out, Johnny Thompson lay white and motionless.
past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly
From this reading Palms that hung over the silent, swiftly flowing stream murmured and sighed.
murmuringnounUS /ˈmɜːrmərɪŋ/
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading Their murmuring and sighing was as sad as the voice of pines and hemlocks in a graveyard on a winter’s night.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Their murmuring and sighing was as sad as the voice of pines and hemlocks in a graveyard on a winter’s night.
a brief written record
From this reading Came an hour when there fell upon all this gloom a shrill discordant note.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Their murmuring and sighing was as sad as the voice of pines and hemlocks in a graveyard on a winter’s night.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Their murmuring and sighing was as sad as the voice of pines and hemlocks in a graveyard on a winter’s night.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading On the bed of decaying mats in the abandoned cabin where little lizards ran in and out, Johnny Thompson lay white and motionless.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Palms that hung over the silent, swiftly flowing stream murmured and sighed.
PalmsnounUS /pɑːmz/
plural of “palm” — the inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers
From this reading Palms that hung over the silent, swiftly flowing stream murmured and sighed.
pinesnounUS /paɪnz/
plural of “pine” — a coniferous tree
From this reading Their murmuring and sighing was as sad as the voice of pines and hemlocks in a graveyard on a winter’s night.
pipingnounUS /ˈpaɪpɪŋ/
a thin strip of covered cord used to edge hems
From this reading Sadder still was the strange wail of some tropical bird, piping always on the same minor key.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading On the bed of decaying mats in the abandoned cabin where little lizards ran in and out, Johnny Thompson lay white and motionless.
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading Their murmuring and sighing was as sad as the voice of pines and hemlocks in a graveyard on a winter’s night.
SadderadjectiveUS /ˈsædər/
comparative of “sad” — experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading Sadder still was the strange wail of some tropical bird, piping always on the same minor key.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Sadder still was the strange wail of some tropical bird, piping always on the same minor key.
shrilladjectiveUS /ʃrɪl/
having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones
From this reading Came an hour when there fell upon all this gloom a shrill discordant note.
past form of “sigh” — heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading Palms that hung over the silent, swiftly flowing stream murmured and sighed.
sighingverbUS /ˈsaɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “sigh” — heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading Their murmuring and sighing was as sad as the voice of pines and hemlocks in a graveyard on a winter’s night.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading Palms that hung over the silent, swiftly flowing stream murmured and sighed.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Sadder still was the strange wail of some tropical bird, piping always on the same minor key.
not in physical motion
From this reading Sadder still was the strange wail of some tropical bird, piping always on the same minor key.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading Sadder still was the strange wail of some tropical bird, piping always on the same minor key.
a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading Palms that hung over the silent, swiftly flowing stream murmured and sighed.
in a swift manner
From this reading Palms that hung over the silent, swiftly flowing stream murmured and sighed.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Palms that hung over the silent, swiftly flowing stream murmured and sighed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Palms that hung over the silent, swiftly flowing stream murmured and sighed.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Their murmuring and sighing was as sad as the voice of pines and hemlocks in a graveyard on a winter’s night.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Came an hour when there fell upon all this gloom a shrill discordant note.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Came an hour when there fell upon all this gloom a shrill discordant note.
ThompsonnounUS /ˈtɑːmpsən/
United States classical archaeologist (born in Canada) noted for leading the excavation of the Athenian agora (1906-2000)
From this reading On the bed of decaying mats in the abandoned cabin where little lizards ran in and out, Johnny Thompson lay white and motionless.
tropicaladjectiveUS /ˈtrɑːpɪkəl/
relating to or situated in or characteristic of the tropics (the region on either side of the equator)
From this reading Sadder still was the strange wail of some tropical bird, piping always on the same minor key.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Came an hour when there fell upon all this gloom a shrill discordant note.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Their murmuring and sighing was as sad as the voice of pines and hemlocks in a graveyard on a winter’s night.
wailverbUS /weɪl/
emit long loud cries
From this reading Sadder still was the strange wail of some tropical bird, piping always on the same minor key.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Their murmuring and sighing was as sad as the voice of pines and hemlocks in a graveyard on a winter’s night.
at the time that
From this reading Came an hour when there fell upon all this gloom a shrill discordant note.
in or at the place that
From this reading On the bed of decaying mats in the abandoned cabin where little lizards ran in and out, Johnny Thompson lay white and motionless.
a Caucasian
From this reading On the bed of decaying mats in the abandoned cabin where little lizards ran in and out, Johnny Thompson lay white and motionless.
winter'snounUS /ˈwɪntərz/
possessive form of “winter” — the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading Their murmuring and sighing was as sad as the voice of pines and hemlocks in a graveyard on a winter’s night.
