used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
in the past
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
apsenoun
a domed or vaulted recess or projection on a building especially the east end of a church; usually contains the altar
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Thus thought, thus, in some such words, proclaimed the Dean, sitting in the shade, with his hands clasped behind his head.
blazenounUS /bleɪz/
a strong flame that burns brightly
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
broodedverbUS /ˈbruːdɪd/
past form of “brood” — think moodily or anxiously about something
From this reading The peace of centuries brooded over the place.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
make calm or still
From this reading No outside convulsions could ever cause a flutter of her calm wings.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
put or send forth
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
cathedralnounUS /kəˈθiːdrəl/
any large and important church
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading No outside convulsions could ever cause a flutter of her calm wings.
centuriesnounUS /ˈsentʃəriz/
plural of “century” — a period of 100 years
From this reading The peace of centuries brooded over the place.
past form of “clasp” — hold firmly and tightly
From this reading Thus thought, thus, in some such words, proclaimed the Dean, sitting in the shade, with his hands clasped behind his head.
contrastnounUS /ˈkɑːntræst/
the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
convulsionsnounUS /kənˈvʌlʃənz/
plural of “convulsion” — a sudden uncontrollable attack
From this reading No outside convulsions could ever cause a flutter of her calm wings.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading No outside convulsions could ever cause a flutter of her calm wings.
DeannounUS /diːn/
an administrator in charge of a division of a university or college
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
Deanerynoun
the official residence of a dean
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
separated into parts or pieces
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
Durdlebury
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
at any time
From this reading No outside convulsions could ever cause a flutter of her calm wings.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
flutterverbUS /ˈflʌtər/
move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading No outside convulsions could ever cause a flutter of her calm wings.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Thus thought, thus, in some such words, proclaimed the Dean, sitting in the shade, with his hands clasped behind his head.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Thus thought, thus, in some such words, proclaimed the Dean, sitting in the shade, with his hands clasped behind his head.
for this reason
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading No outside convulsions could ever cause a flutter of her calm wings.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Thus thought, thus, in some such words, proclaimed the Dean, sitting in the shade, with his hands clasped behind his head.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
housingnounUS /ˈhaʊzɪŋ/
structures collectively in which people are housed
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
ten 10s
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
plural of “hundred” — ten 10s
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
immediately past
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
the act of departing
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
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 As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
majesticadjectiveUS /məˈdʒestɪk/
majestic in manner or bearing; superior to mundane matters
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
not any; not one
From this reading No outside convulsions could ever cause a flutter of her calm wings.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading No outside convulsions could ever cause a flutter of her calm wings.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
the state prevailing during the absence of war
From this reading The peace of centuries brooded over the place.
pilenounUS /paɪl/
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The peace of centuries brooded over the place.
proclaimedadjectiveUS /proʊˈkleɪmd/
declared publicly; made widely known
From this reading Thus thought, thus, in some such words, proclaimed the Dean, sitting in the shade, with his hands clasped behind his head.
red-brickadjective
of or relating to British universities founded in the late 19th century or the 20th century
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body
From this reading Thus thought, thus, in some such words, proclaimed the Dean, sitting in the shade, with his hands clasped behind his head.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading Thus thought, thus, in some such words, proclaimed the Dean, sitting in the shade, with his hands clasped behind his head.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
slantedadjectiveUS /ˈslæntɪd/
having an oblique or slanted direction
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Thus thought, thus, in some such words, proclaimed the Dean, sitting in the shade, with his hands clasped behind his head.
the vital principle or animating force within living things
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Thus thought, thus, in some such words, proclaimed the Dean, sitting in the shade, with his hands clasped behind his head.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Thus thought, thus, in some such words, proclaimed the Dean, sitting in the shade, with his hands clasped behind his head.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading Thus thought, thus, in some such words, proclaimed the Dean, sitting in the shade, with his hands clasped behind his head.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
vividadjectiveUS /ˈvɪvəd/
evoking lifelike images within the mind
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading The shadow cast by the great apse of the cathedral slanted over the end of the Deanery garden, leaving the house in the blaze of the afternoon sun, and divided the old red-brick wall into a vivid contrast of tones.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
at the time that
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
a means of flight or ascent
From this reading No outside convulsions could ever cause a flutter of her calm wings.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Thus thought, thus, in some such words, proclaimed the Dean, sitting in the shade, with his hands clasped behind his head.
the words that are spoken
From this reading Thus thought, thus, in some such words, proclaimed the Dean, sitting in the shade, with his hands clasped behind his head.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
a late time of life
From this reading As it was thirty years ago, when the Dean first came to Durdlebury, as it was three hundred, six hundred years ago, so it was now; and so it would be hundreds of years hence as long as that majestic pile housing the Spirit of God should last.
