used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE LAND OF STRANGERS It had been a day of intense and brooding heat.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading The moving train seemed the only sign of life in all that wilderness.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE LAND OF STRANGERS It had been a day of intense and brooding heat.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading THE LAND OF STRANGERS It had been a day of intense and brooding heat.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Black clouds hung sullenly low in the sky, and a heavy gloom obscured the face of the earth.
blanklyadverbUS /ˈblæŋkli/
in a blank and uncomprehending manner
From this reading Sylvia leaned from the carriage window and gazed blankly forth.
broodingnounUS /ˈbruːdɪŋ/
sitting on eggs so as to hatch them by the warmth of the body
From this reading THE LAND OF STRANGERS It had been a day of intense and brooding heat.
a railcar where passengers ride
From this reading Sylvia leaned from the carriage window and gazed blankly forth.
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading Black clouds hung sullenly low in the sky, and a heavy gloom obscured the face of the earth.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading THE LAND OF STRANGERS It had been a day of intense and brooding heat.
desolateadjectiveUS /ˈdesələt/
providing no shelter or sustenance
From this reading On each side of the railway the _veldt_ stretched for miles, vivid green, yet strangely desolate to unaccustomed eyes.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading On each side of the railway the _veldt_ stretched for miles, vivid green, yet strangely desolate to unaccustomed eyes.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading Black clouds hung sullenly low in the sky, and a heavy gloom obscured the face of the earth.
opinion or judgment
From this reading On each side of the railway the _veldt_ stretched for miles, vivid green, yet strangely desolate to unaccustomed eyes.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Black clouds hung sullenly low in the sky, and a heavy gloom obscured the face of the earth.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading On each side of the railway the _veldt_ stretched for miles, vivid green, yet strangely desolate to unaccustomed eyes.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Sylvia leaned from the carriage window and gazed blankly forth.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Sylvia leaned from the carriage window and gazed blankly forth.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Sylvia leaned from the carriage window and gazed blankly forth.
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading Black clouds hung sullenly low in the sky, and a heavy gloom obscured the face of the earth.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading On each side of the railway the _veldt_ stretched for miles, vivid green, yet strangely desolate to unaccustomed eyes.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE LAND OF STRANGERS It had been a day of intense and brooding heat.
a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
From this reading THE LAND OF STRANGERS It had been a day of intense and brooding heat.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading Black clouds hung sullenly low in the sky, and a heavy gloom obscured the face of the earth.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading Black clouds hung sullenly low in the sky, and a heavy gloom obscured the face of the earth.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Black clouds hung sullenly low in the sky, and a heavy gloom obscured the face of the earth.
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading THE LAND OF STRANGERS It had been a day of intense and brooding heat.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE LAND OF STRANGERS It had been a day of intense and brooding heat.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading THE LAND OF STRANGERS It had been a day of intense and brooding heat.
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading Sylvia leaned from the carriage window and gazed blankly forth.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The moving train seemed the only sign of life in all that wilderness.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Black clouds hung sullenly low in the sky, and a heavy gloom obscured the face of the earth.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading On each side of the railway the _veldt_ stretched for miles, vivid green, yet strangely desolate to unaccustomed eyes.
in motion
From this reading The moving train seemed the only sign of life in all that wilderness.
obscuredverbUS /əbsˈkjʊrd/
past form of “obscure” — make less visible or unclear
From this reading Black clouds hung sullenly low in the sky, and a heavy gloom obscured the face of the earth.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE LAND OF STRANGERS It had been a day of intense and brooding heat.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On each side of the railway the _veldt_ stretched for miles, vivid green, yet strangely desolate to unaccustomed eyes.
and nothing more
From this reading The moving train seemed the only sign of life in all that wilderness.
railwaynounUS /ˈreɪlweɪ/
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading On each side of the railway the _veldt_ stretched for miles, vivid green, yet strangely desolate to unaccustomed eyes.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The moving train seemed the only sign of life in all that wilderness.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading On each side of the railway the _veldt_ stretched for miles, vivid green, yet strangely desolate to unaccustomed eyes.
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading The moving train seemed the only sign of life in all that wilderness.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading Black clouds hung sullenly low in the sky, and a heavy gloom obscured the face of the earth.
in a strange manner
From this reading On each side of the railway the _veldt_ stretched for miles, vivid green, yet strangely desolate to unaccustomed eyes.
plural of “stranger” — anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading THE LAND OF STRANGERS It had been a day of intense and brooding heat.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading On each side of the railway the _veldt_ stretched for miles, vivid green, yet strangely desolate to unaccustomed eyes.
sullenlyadverb
in a sullen manner
From this reading Black clouds hung sullenly low in the sky, and a heavy gloom obscured the face of the earth.
Sylvia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sylvia leaned from the carriage window and gazed blankly forth.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The moving train seemed the only sign of life in all that wilderness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE LAND OF STRANGERS It had been a day of intense and brooding heat.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading On each side of the railway the _veldt_ stretched for miles, vivid green, yet strangely desolate to unaccustomed eyes.
create by training and teaching
From this reading The moving train seemed the only sign of life in all that wilderness.
unaccustomedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəˈkʌstəmd/
unusual or unfamiliar
From this reading On each side of the railway the _veldt_ stretched for miles, vivid green, yet strangely desolate to unaccustomed eyes.
veldtnoun
elevated open grassland in southern Africa
From this reading On each side of the railway the _veldt_ stretched for miles, vivid green, yet strangely desolate to unaccustomed eyes.
vividadjectiveUS /ˈvɪvəd/
evoking lifelike images within the mind
From this reading On each side of the railway the _veldt_ stretched for miles, vivid green, yet strangely desolate to unaccustomed eyes.
wildernessnounUS /ˈwɪldərnəs/
(politics) a state of disfavor
From this reading The moving train seemed the only sign of life in all that wilderness.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading Sylvia leaned from the carriage window and gazed blankly forth.
but in spite of that
From this reading On each side of the railway the _veldt_ stretched for miles, vivid green, yet strangely desolate to unaccustomed eyes.
