Chapter II · Chapter 2

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

anew

From this reading In a few minutes the song went spearing aloft again ....

a compact fine-textured, usually white gypsum used for carving

From this reading I say that he was young; he was very young, and looked very delicate, with his transparent, alabaster skin, lustrous grey eyes and pale, thin lips.

at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship

From this reading In a few minutes the song went spearing aloft again ....

Having no one else present.

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

possessive form of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

completely unclothed

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "_En batalla-a-a temero-o-sa-a_....!"

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

on the far side of; further than

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

put or send forth

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

a region of central Spain; a former kingdom that comprised most of modern Spain and united with Aragon to form Spain in 1479

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

recite with musical intonation; recite as a chant or a psalm

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury

From this reading I say that he was young; he was very young, and looked very delicate, with his transparent, alabaster skin, lustrous grey eyes and pale, thin lips.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

operate or control a vehicle

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

half the width of an em

From this reading "_En batalla-a-a temero-o-sa-a_....!"

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

opinion or judgment

From this reading I say that he was young; he was very young, and looked very delicate, with his transparent, alabaster skin, lustrous grey eyes and pale, thin lips.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading In a few minutes the song went spearing aloft again ....

a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black

From this reading I say that he was young; he was very young, and looked very delicate, with his transparent, alabaster skin, lustrous grey eyes and pale, thin lips.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I say that he was young; he was very young, and looked very delicate, with his transparent, alabaster skin, lustrous grey eyes and pale, thin lips.

unusual largeness in size or extent or number

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

drive or propel with the foot

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking

From this reading I say that he was young; he was very young, and looked very delicate, with his transparent, alabaster skin, lustrous grey eyes and pale, thin lips.

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading I say that he was young; he was very young, and looked very delicate, with his transparent, alabaster skin, lustrous grey eyes and pale, thin lips.

made smooth and bright by or as if by rubbing; reflecting a sheen or glow

From this reading I say that he was young; he was very young, and looked very delicate, with his transparent, alabaster skin, lustrous grey eyes and pale, thin lips.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

of lesser importance or stature or rank

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading In a few minutes the song went spearing aloft again ....

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

not any; not one

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

and nothing more

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

very light colored; highly diluted with white

From this reading I say that he was young; he was very young, and looked very delicate, with his transparent, alabaster skin, lustrous grey eyes and pale, thin lips.

past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

the part of an animal that corresponds to the human buttocks

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

express in words

From this reading I say that he was young; he was very young, and looked very delicate, with his transparent, alabaster skin, lustrous grey eyes and pale, thin lips.

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

the act of singing vocal music

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch

From this reading I say that he was young; he was very young, and looked very delicate, with his transparent, alabaster skin, lustrous grey eyes and pale, thin lips.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

a short musical composition with words

From this reading In a few minutes the song went spearing aloft again ....

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

-ing form of “spear” — pierce with a spear

From this reading In a few minutes the song went spearing aloft again ....

of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

filled or abounding with clouds

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "_En batalla-a-a temero-o-sa-a_....!"

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading I say that he was young; he was very young, and looked very delicate, with his transparent, alabaster skin, lustrous grey eyes and pale, thin lips.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity

From this reading I say that he was young; he was very young, and looked very delicate, with his transparent, alabaster skin, lustrous grey eyes and pale, thin lips.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

precisely as stated

From this reading I say that he was young; he was very young, and looked very delicate, with his transparent, alabaster skin, lustrous grey eyes and pale, thin lips.

loud cries made while weeping

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading I say that he was young; he was very young, and looked very delicate, with his transparent, alabaster skin, lustrous grey eyes and pale, thin lips.

(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 THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading In a few minutes the song went spearing aloft again ....

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

marked by repeated turns and bends

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading He only paused in it to look before him between his donkey's ears; and then--"_Arre, burra, hijo de perra!_"--he would drive his heels into the animal's rump.

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading THE PLEASANT ERRAND Into the plain beyond Burgos, through the sunless glare of before-dawn; upon a soft-padding ass that cast no shadow and made no sound; well upon the stern of that ass, and with two bare heels to kick him; alone in the immensity of Castile, and as happy as a king may be, rode a young man on a May morning, singing to himself a wailing, winding chant in the minor which, as it had no end, may well have had no beginning.