used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Then it was discovered that the seeds grew better and yielded a more abundant crop if the ground were broken up and made soft before the seed was sown.
abundantadjectiveUS /əˈbʌndənt/
present in great quantity
From this reading Then it was discovered that the seeds grew better and yielded a more abundant crop if the ground were broken up and made soft before the seed was sown.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Men had long known that the seeds of some of the wild grasses and plants were good to eat.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Presently another step was taken toward civilized life.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Because of these discoveries some men began to be farmers.
for the reason that
From this reading Because of these discoveries some men began to be farmers.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Then it was discovered that the seeds grew better and yielded a more abundant crop if the ground were broken up and made soft before the seed was sown.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Because of these discoveries some men began to be farmers.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading Then it was discovered that the seeds grew better and yielded a more abundant crop if the ground were broken up and made soft before the seed was sown.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading Then it was discovered that the seeds grew better and yielded a more abundant crop if the ground were broken up and made soft before the seed was sown.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Now some one noticed that if these seeds were sown they sprang up and brought forth many more seeds.
civilizedadjectiveUS /ˈsɪvəlaɪzd/
having a high state of culture and development both social and technological
From this reading Presently another step was taken toward civilized life.
cropnounUS /krɑːp/
the yield from plants in a single growing season
From this reading Then it was discovered that the seeds grew better and yielded a more abundant crop if the ground were broken up and made soft before the seed was sown.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading Then it was discovered that the seeds grew better and yielded a more abundant crop if the ground were broken up and made soft before the seed was sown.
discoveriesnounUS /dɪˈskʌvəriz/
plural of “discovery” — the act of discovering something
From this reading Because of these discoveries some men began to be farmers.
take in solid food
From this reading Men had long known that the seeds of some of the wild grasses and plants were good to eat.
farmersnounUS /ˈfɑːrmərz/
plural of “farmer” — a person who operates a farm
From this reading Because of these discoveries some men began to be farmers.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Now some one noticed that if these seeds were sown they sprang up and brought forth many more seeds.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Men had long known that the seeds of some of the wild grasses and plants were good to eat.
grassesnounUS /ˈɡræsəz/
plural of “grass” — narrow-leaved green herbage: grown as lawns; used as pasture for grazing animals; cut and dried as hay
From this reading Men had long known that the seeds of some of the wild grasses and plants were good to eat.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading Then it was discovered that the seeds grew better and yielded a more abundant crop if the ground were broken up and made soft before the seed was sown.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Then it was discovered that the seeds grew better and yielded a more abundant crop if the ground were broken up and made soft before the seed was sown.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Men had long known that the seeds of some of the wild grasses and plants were good to eat.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Now some one noticed that if these seeds were sown they sprang up and brought forth many more seeds.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then it was discovered that the seeds grew better and yielded a more abundant crop if the ground were broken up and made soft before the seed was sown.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading Men had long known that the seeds of some of the wild grasses and plants were good to eat.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Presently another step was taken toward civilized life.
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 Men had long known that the seeds of some of the wild grasses and plants were good to eat.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Then it was discovered that the seeds grew better and yielded a more abundant crop if the ground were broken up and made soft before the seed was sown.
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 Now some one noticed that if these seeds were sown they sprang up and brought forth many more seeds.
the force of workers available
From this reading Men had long known that the seeds of some of the wild grasses and plants were good to eat.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Now some one noticed that if these seeds were sown they sprang up and brought forth many more seeds.
being perceived or observed
From this reading Now some one noticed that if these seeds were sown they sprang up and brought forth many more seeds.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now some one noticed that if these seeds were sown they sprang up and brought forth many more seeds.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Men had long known that the seeds of some of the wild grasses and plants were good to eat.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Now some one noticed that if these seeds were sown they sprang up and brought forth many more seeds.
plantsnounUS /plænts/
plural of “plant” — buildings for carrying on industrial labor
From this reading Men had long known that the seeds of some of the wild grasses and plants were good to eat.
in the near future
From this reading Presently another step was taken toward civilized life.
seednounUS /siːd/
a small hard fruit
From this reading Then it was discovered that the seeds grew better and yielded a more abundant crop if the ground were broken up and made soft before the seed was sown.
seedsnounUS /siːdz/
plural of “seed” — a small hard fruit
From this reading Men had long known that the seeds of some of the wild grasses and plants were good to eat.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading Then it was discovered that the seeds grew better and yielded a more abundant crop if the ground were broken up and made soft before the seed was sown.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Men had long known that the seeds of some of the wild grasses and plants were good to eat.
sownadjectiveUS /soʊn/
sprinkled with seed
From this reading Now some one noticed that if these seeds were sown they sprang up and brought forth many more seeds.
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading Now some one noticed that if these seeds were sown they sprang up and brought forth many more seeds.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading Presently another step was taken toward civilized life.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading Presently another step was taken toward civilized life.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Men had long known that the seeds of some of the wild grasses and plants were good to eat.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Men had long known that the seeds of some of the wild grasses and plants were good to eat.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then it was discovered that the seeds grew better and yielded a more abundant crop if the ground were broken up and made soft before the seed was sown.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Now some one noticed that if these seeds were sown they sprang up and brought forth many more seeds.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Now some one noticed that if these seeds were sown they sprang up and brought forth many more seeds.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Men had long known that the seeds of some of the wild grasses and plants were good to eat.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading Presently another step was taken toward civilized life.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Now some one noticed that if these seeds were sown they sprang up and brought forth many more seeds.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Presently another step was taken toward civilized life.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Men had long known that the seeds of some of the wild grasses and plants were good to eat.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading Men had long known that the seeds of some of the wild grasses and plants were good to eat.
yieldedverbUS /ˈjiːldɪd/
past form of “yield” — be the cause or source of
From this reading Then it was discovered that the seeds grew better and yielded a more abundant crop if the ground were broken up and made soft before the seed was sown.
