used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Behind and before it extended, to where far away in front of them it sloped upwards towards a line of violet hills.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The sun was not high enough yet to cause the tropical shimmer, and the wide landscape, brown with its violet edging, stood out with a hard clearness in that dry, pure air.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading The long caravan straggled along at the slow swing of the baggage-camels.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Behind and before it extended, to where far away in front of them it sloped upwards towards a line of violet hills.
baggage-camels
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The long caravan straggled along at the slow swing of the baggage-camels.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
borderedadjectiveUS /ˈbɔːrdərd/
having a border especially of a specified kind; sometimes used as a combining term
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
camel-grass
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
caravannounUS /ˈkærəvæn/
a procession (of wagons or mules or camels) traveling together in single file
From this reading The long caravan straggled along at the slow swing of the baggage-camels.
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading The sun was not high enough yet to cause the tropical shimmer, and the wide landscape, brown with its violet edging, stood out with a hard clearness in that dry, pure air.
clearnessnounUS /ˈklɪrnəs/
free from obscurity and easy to understand; the comprehensibility of clear expression
From this reading The sun was not high enough yet to cause the tropical shimmer, and the wide landscape, brown with its violet edging, stood out with a hard clearness in that dry, pure air.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading The sun was not high enough yet to cause the tropical shimmer, and the wide landscape, brown with its violet edging, stood out with a hard clearness in that dry, pure air.
edgingnounUS /ˈedʒɪŋ/
border consisting of anything placed on the edge to finish something (such as a fringe on clothing or on a rug)
From this reading The sun was not high enough yet to cause the tropical shimmer, and the wide landscape, brown with its violet edging, stood out with a hard clearness in that dry, pure air.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading The sun was not high enough yet to cause the tropical shimmer, and the wide landscape, brown with its violet edging, stood out with a hard clearness in that dry, pure air.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
to or in any or all places
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
From this reading Behind and before it extended, to where far away in front of them it sloped upwards towards a line of violet hills.
fantasticadjectiveUS /fænˈtæstɪk/
ludicrously odd
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Behind and before it extended, to where far away in front of them it sloped upwards towards a line of violet hills.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading Behind and before it extended, to where far away in front of them it sloped upwards towards a line of violet hills.
gravellyadjectiveUS /ˈɡrævəli/
abounding in small stones
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
ground-swell
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading The sun was not high enough yet to cause the tropical shimmer, and the wide landscape, brown with its violet edging, stood out with a hard clearness in that dry, pure air.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The sun was not high enough yet to cause the tropical shimmer, and the wide landscape, brown with its violet edging, stood out with a hard clearness in that dry, pure air.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Behind and before it extended, to where far away in front of them it sloped upwards towards a line of violet hills.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Behind and before it extended, to where far away in front of them it sloped upwards towards a line of violet hills.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
journeyedverbUS /ˈdʒɜːrnid/
past form of “journey” — undertake a journey or trip
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
landscapenounUS /ˈlændskeɪp/
an expanse of scenery that can be seen in a single view
From this reading The sun was not high enough yet to cause the tropical shimmer, and the wide landscape, brown with its violet edging, stood out with a hard clearness in that dry, pure air.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Behind and before it extended, to where far away in front of them it sloped upwards towards a line of violet hills.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
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 region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
occasionaladjectiveUS /əˈkeɪʒənəl/
occurring from time to time
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
onwardsadverbUS /ˈɑːnwərdz/
in a forward direction
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
orangenounUS /ˈɔːrəndʒ/
round yellow to orange fruit of any of several citrus trees
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The sun was not high enough yet to cause the tropical shimmer, and the wide landscape, brown with its violet edging, stood out with a hard clearness in that dry, pure air.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
pebblesnounUS /ˈpebəlz/
plural of “pebble” — a small smooth rounded rock
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
free of extraneous elements of any kind
From this reading The sun was not high enough yet to cause the tropical shimmer, and the wide landscape, brown with its violet edging, stood out with a hard clearness in that dry, pure air.
regionnounUS /ˈriːdʒən/
the extended spatial location of something
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
uttered with a trill
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
roundedadjectiveUS /ˈraʊndəd/
curving and somewhat round in shape rather than jagged
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
sage-greenadjective
of the grey-green color of sage leaves
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
Identical; not different.
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
shimmerverbUS /ˈʃɪmər/
shine with a weak or fitful light
From this reading The sun was not high enough yet to cause the tropical shimmer, and the wide landscape, brown with its violet edging, stood out with a hard clearness in that dry, pure air.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
slopedadjective
having an oblique or slanted direction
From this reading Behind and before it extended, to where far away in front of them it sloped upwards towards a line of violet hills.
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
From this reading The long caravan straggled along at the slow swing of the baggage-camels.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
sproutsnounUS /spraʊts/
plural of “sprout” — any new growth of a plant such as a new branch or a bud
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The sun was not high enough yet to cause the tropical shimmer, and the wide landscape, brown with its violet edging, stood out with a hard clearness in that dry, pure air.
straggledverbUS /ˈstræɡəld/
past form of “straggle” — wander from a direct or straight course
From this reading The long caravan straggled along at the slow swing of the baggage-camels.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The sun was not high enough yet to cause the tropical shimmer, and the wide landscape, brown with its violet edging, stood out with a hard clearness in that dry, pure air.
the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
swingverbUS /swɪŋ/
move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading The long caravan straggled along at the slow swing of the baggage-camels.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
in the direction of
From this reading Behind and before it extended, to where far away in front of them it sloped upwards towards a line of violet hills.
tropicaladjectiveUS /ˈtrɑːpɪkəl/
relating to or situated in or characteristic of the tropics (the region on either side of the equator)
From this reading The sun was not high enough yet to cause the tropical shimmer, and the wide landscape, brown with its violet edging, stood out with a hard clearness in that dry, pure air.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
upwardsadverbUS /ˈʌpwərdz/
spatially or metaphorically from a lower to a higher position
From this reading Behind and before it extended, to where far away in front of them it sloped upwards towards a line of violet hills.
precisely as stated
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
violetnounUS /ˈvaɪəlɪt/
any of numerous low-growing violas with small flowers
From this reading Behind and before it extended, to where far away in front of them it sloped upwards towards a line of violet hills.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There was nothing to show them as they journeyed onwards that they were not on the very spot that they had passed at sunset upon the evening before.
in or at the place that
From this reading Behind and before it extended, to where far away in front of them it sloped upwards towards a line of violet hills.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading The sun was not high enough yet to cause the tropical shimmer, and the wide landscape, brown with its violet edging, stood out with a hard clearness in that dry, pure air.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The region of fantastic black hills and orange sand which bordered the river had long been left behind, and everywhere now was the same brown, rolling, gravelly plain, the ground-swell with the shining rounded pebbles upon its surface, and the occasional little sprouts of sage-green camel-grass.
but in spite of that
From this reading The sun was not high enough yet to cause the tropical shimmer, and the wide landscape, brown with its violet edging, stood out with a hard clearness in that dry, pure air.