used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
appallingnounUS /əˈpɔːlɪŋ/
an experience that appalls
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Yet, paradoxically enough, the Harpers in the later feud stages had followed a man named Thornton and the Doanes had fought at the behest of a Rowlett.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
behestnounUS /bɪˈhest/
an authoritative command or request
From this reading Yet, paradoxically enough, the Harpers in the later feud stages had followed a man named Thornton and the Doanes had fought at the behest of a Rowlett.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
certaintynounUS /ˈsɜːrtənti/
the state of being certain
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
cleavagenounUS /ˈkliːvədʒ/
the state of being split or cleft
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
connectionsnounUS /kəˈnekʃənz/
plural of “connection” — a relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it)
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
CreeknounUS /kriːk/
a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
deathsnounUS /deθs/
plural of “death” — the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
decadesnounUS /deˈkeɪdz/
plural of “decade” — a period of 10 years
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
made known or openly avowed
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
DefeatedadjectiveUS /dɪˈfiːtəd/
beaten or overcome; not victorious
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
Doanes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
enmitiesnounUS /ˈenmətiz/
plural of “enmity” — a state of deep-seated ill-will
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading Yet, paradoxically enough, the Harpers in the later feud stages had followed a man named Thornton and the Doanes had fought at the behest of a Rowlett.
divisible by two
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
a social unit living together
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
feudnounUS /fjuːd/
a bitter quarrel between two parties
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading Yet, paradoxically enough, the Harpers in the later feud stages had followed a man named Thornton and the Doanes had fought at the behest of a Rowlett.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
formaladjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrməl/
being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress)
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
inflected form of “fight” — be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading Yet, paradoxically enough, the Harpers in the later feud stages had followed a man named Thornton and the Doanes had fought at the behest of a Rowlett.
(of animals) fully developed
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
HarpersnounUS /ˈhɑːrpərz/
plural of “harper” — someone who plays the harp
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Back into the limbo of tradition and vagueness went the origin of that "war".
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Yet, paradoxically enough, the Harpers in the later feud stages had followed a man named Thornton and the Doanes had fought at the behest of a Rowlett.
levyverbUS /ˈlevi/
impose and collect
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
limbonounUS /ˈlɪmboʊ/
the state of being disregarded or forgotten
From this reading Back into the limbo of tradition and vagueness went the origin of that "war".
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 A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Yet, paradoxically enough, the Harpers in the later feud stages had followed a man named Thornton and the Doanes had fought at the behest of a Rowlett.
past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Yet, paradoxically enough, the Harpers in the later feud stages had followed a man named Thornton and the Doanes had fought at the behest of a Rowlett.
occasionaladjectiveUS /əˈkeɪʒənəl/
occurring from time to time
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
originnounUS /ˈɔːrədʒən/
the place where something begins, where it springs into being
From this reading Back into the limbo of tradition and vagueness went the origin of that "war".
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
paradoxicallyadverbUS /ˌperəˈdɑːksəkli/
in a paradoxical manner
From this reading Yet, paradoxically enough, the Harpers in the later feud stages had followed a man named Thornton and the Doanes had fought at the behest of a Rowlett.
Rowlett
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, paradoxically enough, the Harpers in the later feud stages had followed a man named Thornton and the Doanes had fought at the behest of a Rowlett.
except for; apart from
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
splitverbUS /splɪt/
separate into parts or portions
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
stagesnounUS /ˈsteɪdʒəz/
plural of “stage” — any distinct time period in a sequence of events
From this reading Yet, paradoxically enough, the Harpers in the later feud stages had followed a man named Thornton and the Doanes had fought at the behest of a Rowlett.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
temporaryadjectiveUS /ˈtempəreri/
not permanent; not lasting
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
tenantnounUS /ˈtenənt/
someone who pays rent to use land or a building or a car that is owned by someone else
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
ThorntonnounUS /ˈθɔːrntən/
American architect (1759-1828)
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
traditionnounUS /trəˈdɪʃən/
an inherited pattern of thought or action
From this reading Back into the limbo of tradition and vagueness went the origin of that "war".
trucenounUS /truːs/
a state of peace agreed to between opponents so they can discuss peace terms
From this reading A long time back a formal truce had been declared in the feud that had split in sharp and bitter cleavage the family connections of the Harpers and the Doanes.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
uncloudedadjective
(of sound or color) free from anything that dulls or dims
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
vacantadjectiveUS /ˈveɪkənt/
void of intelligence or thought
From this reading The old Thornton house on Defeated Creek had for almost two decades stood vacant save for an occasional and temporary tenant.
vaguenessnounUS /ˈveɪɡnɪs/
unclearness by virtue of being poorly expressed or not coherent in meaning
From this reading Back into the limbo of tradition and vagueness went the origin of that "war".
vendettanounUS /venˈdetə/
a feud in which members of the opposing parties murder each other
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
acting with or marked by or resulting from great force or energy or emotional intensity
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading Back into the limbo of tradition and vagueness went the origin of that "war".
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The one unclouded certainty was that the hatred had grown until even in this land of vendetta its levy of violent deaths had been appalling beyond those of other enmities.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Back into the limbo of tradition and vagueness went the origin of that "war".
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet, paradoxically enough, the Harpers in the later feud stages had followed a man named Thornton and the Doanes had fought at the behest of a Rowlett.
