used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
alertnessnounUS /əˈlɜːrtnəs/
the process of paying close and continuous attention
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
arrestedverbUS /ərˈestɪd/
past form of “arrest” — take into custody
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
exhale hard
From this reading The houses seemed to have huddled together as if in fear before they sank into sleep, to crouch close to the earth as if warding off a blow.
breathlessadjectiveUS /ˈbreθləs/
not breathing or able to breathe except with difficulty
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
climbingnounUS /ˈklaɪmɪŋ/
an event that involves rising to a higher point (as in altitude or temperature or intensity etc.)
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading The houses seemed to have huddled together as if in fear before they sank into sleep, to crouch close to the earth as if warding off a blow.
crouchverbUS /kraʊtʃ/
bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading The houses seemed to have huddled together as if in fear before they sank into sleep, to crouch close to the earth as if warding off a blow.
the first light of day
From this reading It looked like the ghost of a city in that pallid dawn.
domenounUS /doʊm/
a concave shape whose distinguishing characteristic is that the concavity faces downward
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading The houses seemed to have huddled together as if in fear before they sank into sleep, to crouch close to the earth as if warding off a blow.
eucalyptusnounUS /ˌjuːkəˈlɪptəs/
wood of any of various eucalyptus trees valued as timber
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading The houses seemed to have huddled together as if in fear before they sank into sleep, to crouch close to the earth as if warding off a blow.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
a mental representation of some haunting experience
From this reading It looked like the ghost of a city in that pallid dawn.
grovenounUS /ɡroʊv/
a small growth of trees without underbrush
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The houses seemed to have huddled together as if in fear before they sank into sleep, to crouch close to the earth as if warding off a blow.
plural of “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 Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The houses seemed to have huddled together as if in fear before they sank into sleep, to crouch close to the earth as if warding off a blow.
huddledadjectiveUS /ˈhʌdəld/
crowded or massed together
From this reading The houses seemed to have huddled together as if in fear before they sank into sleep, to crouch close to the earth as if warding off a blow.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The houses seemed to have huddled together as if in fear before they sank into sleep, to crouch close to the earth as if warding off a blow.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It looked like the ghost of a city in that pallid dawn.
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 The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading It looked like the ghost of a city in that pallid dawn.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
a particular point in time
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The houses seemed to have huddled together as if in fear before they sank into sleep, to crouch close to the earth as if warding off a blow.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
and nothing more
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
outlinenounUS /ˈaʊtlaɪn/
the line that appears to bound an object
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
pallidadjectiveUS /ˈpæləd/
abnormally deficient in color as suggesting physical or emotional distress
From this reading It looked like the ghost of a city in that pallid dawn.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading The houses seemed to have huddled together as if in fear before they sank into sleep, to crouch close to the earth as if warding off a blow.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The houses seemed to have huddled together as if in fear before they sank into sleep, to crouch close to the earth as if warding off a blow.
sharpnessnounUS /ˈʃɑːrpnəs/
a quick and penetrating intelligence
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading The houses seemed to have huddled together as if in fear before they sank into sleep, to crouch close to the earth as if warding off a blow.
slippingadjectiveUS /ˈslɪpɪŋ/
moving as on a slippery surface
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
the season of growth
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
steeplesnounUS /ˈstiːpəlz/
plural of “steeple” — a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building (usually a church or temple) and that tapers to a point at the top
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
terrifyingadjectiveUS /ˈterəfaɪɪŋ/
causing extreme terror
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It looked like the ghost of a city in that pallid dawn.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The houses seemed to have huddled together as if in fear before they sank into sleep, to crouch close to the earth as if warding off a blow.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The houses seemed to have huddled together as if in fear before they sank into sleep, to crouch close to the earth as if warding off a blow.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading The houses seemed to have huddled together as if in fear before they sank into sleep, to crouch close to the earth as if warding off a blow.
a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
displeasing to the senses
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Only the ugly dome of the City Hall, the church steeples, and the old shot tower held up their heads, and they had an almost terrifying sharpness of outline, of alertness, as if ready to spring.
valleysnounUS /ˈvæliz/
plural of “valley” — a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
wardingverbUS /ˈwɔːrdɪŋ/
-ing form of “ward” — watch over or shield from danger or harm; protect
From this reading The houses seemed to have huddled together as if in fear before they sank into sleep, to crouch close to the earth as if warding off a blow.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was quite breathless as she reached the eucalyptus grove and paused for a moment before slipping into the house and climbing the stairs.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading The city lying in the valleys and on the hills arrested her attention, for it was a long while since she had been awake and out of doors at five in the morning.
