used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
anew
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading John Douglass Graham, by birth American, by descent Scottish, by profession painter, sat looking out from his tower window.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
the time when something begins (especially life)
From this reading John Douglass Graham, by birth American, by descent Scottish, by profession painter, sat looking out from his tower window.
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
copsenoun
a dense growth of bushes
From this reading The sun’s last rays made the little copse look more golden and dreamy than did the stronger morning light.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
descentnounUS /dɪˈsent/
An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.
From this reading John Douglass Graham, by birth American, by descent Scottish, by profession painter, sat looking out from his tower window.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The sun’s last rays made the little copse look more golden and dreamy than did the stronger morning light.
DouglassnounUS /ˈdʌɡləs/
United States abolitionist who escaped from slavery and became an influential writer and lecturer in the North (1817-1895)
From this reading John Douglass Graham, by birth American, by descent Scottish, by profession painter, sat looking out from his tower window.
dreamyadjectiveUS /ˈdriːmi/
dreamy in mood or nature
From this reading The sun’s last rays made the little copse look more golden and dreamy than did the stronger morning light.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
fire-light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
firesidenounUS /ˈfaɪərsaɪd/
an area near a fireplace (usually paved and extending out into a room)
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
forgivenverbUS /fərˈɡɪvən/
inflected form of “forgive” — stop blaming or grant forgiveness
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading John Douglass Graham, by birth American, by descent Scottish, by profession painter, sat looking out from his tower window.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading The sun’s last rays made the little copse look more golden and dreamy than did the stronger morning light.
GrahamnounUS /ˈɡreɪəm/
United States evangelical preacher famous as a mass evangelist (born in 1918)
From this reading John Douglass Graham, by birth American, by descent Scottish, by profession painter, sat looking out from his tower window.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading John Douglass Graham, by birth American, by descent Scottish, by profession painter, sat looking out from his tower window.
hour'snounUS /ˈaʊərz/
possessive form of “hour” — a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
not in action or at work
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
idlenessnounUS /ˈaɪdəlnəs/
having no employment
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading John Douglass Graham, by birth American, by descent Scottish, by profession painter, sat looking out from his tower window.
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
landscapenounUS /ˈlændskeɪp/
an expanse of scenery that can be seen in a single view
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
immediately past
From this reading The sun’s last rays made the little copse look more golden and dreamy than did the stronger morning light.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The sun’s last rays made the little copse look more golden and dreamy than did the stronger morning light.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The sun’s last rays made the little copse look more golden and dreamy than did the stronger morning light.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading John Douglass Graham, by birth American, by descent Scottish, by profession painter, sat looking out from his tower window.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The sun’s last rays made the little copse look more golden and dreamy than did the stronger morning light.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
the force of workers available
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The sun’s last rays made the little copse look more golden and dreamy than did the stronger morning light.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The sun’s last rays made the little copse look more golden and dreamy than did the stronger morning light.
MusingnounUS /ˈmjuːzɪŋ/
a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
mutelyadverb
without speaking
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading John Douglass Graham, by birth American, by descent Scottish, by profession painter, sat looking out from his tower window.
paintverbUS /peɪnt/
make a painting
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
painternounUS /ˈpeɪntər/
an artist who paints
From this reading John Douglass Graham, by birth American, by descent Scottish, by profession painter, sat looking out from his tower window.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
the body of people in a learned occupation
From this reading John Douglass Graham, by birth American, by descent Scottish, by profession painter, sat looking out from his tower window.
proppingverbUS /ˈprɑːpɪŋ/
inflected form of “prop” — support by placing against something solid or rigid
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
raysnounUS /reɪz/
plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading The sun’s last rays made the little copse look more golden and dreamy than did the stronger morning light.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading John Douglass Graham, by birth American, by descent Scottish, by profession painter, sat looking out from his tower window.
ScottishnounUS /ˈskɑːtɪʃ/
the dialect of English used in Scotland
From this reading John Douglass Graham, by birth American, by descent Scottish, by profession painter, sat looking out from his tower window.
sinkverbUS /sɪŋk/
fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
be seated
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
spirit-small
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
comparative of “strong” — having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading The sun’s last rays made the little copse look more golden and dreamy than did the stronger morning light.
a detailed critical inspection
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
sun'snounUS /sʌnz/
possessive form of “sun” — the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The sun’s last rays made the little copse look more golden and dreamy than did the stronger morning light.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The sun’s last rays made the little copse look more golden and dreamy than did the stronger morning light.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
in or at that place or location
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
a special situation
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building
From this reading John Douglass Graham, by birth American, by descent Scottish, by profession painter, sat looking out from his tower window.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
look attentively
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Before his window there stretched a fair landscape; and a man, a painter above other men, might well be forgiven an hour’s idleness in such a place.
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 John Douglass Graham, by birth American, by descent Scottish, by profession painter, sat looking out from his tower window.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
but in spite of that
From this reading It was too dark to paint, and not yet late enough for him to light his study lamp and begin his evening work; so he sat idle, a rare thing for him.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "And to watch you sink by the fireside now Back again, as you mutely sit Musing by fire-light, that great brow And the spirit-small hand propping it."
