used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
antnounUS /ænt/
social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A wooden pail had been placed carefully on the heather at her feet.
avoidedverbUS /əˈvɔɪdɪd/
past form of “avoid” — stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading A wooden pail had been placed carefully on the heather at her feet.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
berthnounUS /bɜːrθ/
a job in an organization
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
bogles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
bouldersnounUS /ˈboʊldərz/
plural of “boulder” — a large smooth mass of rock detached from its place of origin
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
cannyadjectiveUS /ˈkæni/
showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
taking care or paying attention
From this reading A wooden pail had been placed carefully on the heather at her feet.
anything that covers or conceals
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
EARLSTOUN
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE LITTLE LADY OF EARLSTOUN.
elvesnounUS /elvz/
an acronym for emissions of light and very low frequency perturbations due to electromagnetic pulse sources
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
divisible by two
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading A wooden pail had been placed carefully on the heather at her feet.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
a young female
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
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 But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
to an extraordinary extent or degree
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
heathernounUS /ˈheðər/
common Old World heath represented by many varieties; low evergreen grown widely in the northern hemisphere
From this reading A wooden pail had been placed carefully on the heather at her feet.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
hillocknounUS /ˈhɪlək/
a small natural hill
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
hoodnounUS /hʊd/
an aggressive and violent young criminal
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading THE LITTLE LADY OF EARLSTOUN.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading THE LITTLE LADY OF EARLSTOUN.
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 Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
move something or somebody to a lower position
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
a female domestic
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
moundnounUS /maʊnd/
(baseball) the slight elevation on which the pitcher stands
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE LITTLE LADY OF EARLSTOUN.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
pailnounUS /peɪl/
a roughly cylindrical vessel that is open at the top
From this reading A wooden pail had been placed carefully on the heather at her feet.
to some extent; in some degree; not wholly
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
a course of conduct
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
perturbationnounUS /ˌpɜːrtərˈbeɪʃən/
an unhappy and worried mental state
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading A wooden pail had been placed carefully on the heather at her feet.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
shadedadjectiveUS /ˈʃeɪdɪd/
protected from heat and light with shade or shadow
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
slopesnounUS /sloʊps/
plural of “slope” — an elevated geological formation
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
plural of “tale” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE LITTLE LADY OF EARLSTOUN.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
threadingverbUS /ˈθredɪŋ/
-ing form of “thread” — to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
warnverbUS /wɔːrn/
notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
whinnoun
very spiny and dense evergreen shrub with fragrant golden-yellow flowers; common throughout western Europe
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading But it was not the will of God that I should warn my mother that day; for even as I ran, threading my way among the scattered boulders and whin bushes of the lower slopes, I came upon that which surprised me almost as greatly as the shooting itself.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
made or consisting of (entirely or in part) or employing wood
From this reading A wooden pail had been placed carefully on the heather at her feet.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Now, what with the perturbation of my spirits and my head being full of country tales of bogles and elves, at the first glance I took the maid for one of these, and would have avoided and given her a wide berth as something much less than canny.
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading Right in my path a little girl was sitting on a green mound like a deserted ant hillock: She had long yellow hair, and a red cloak was about her, with a hood to it, which came over her head and partly shaded her brow.
