used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
presently existing in fact and not merely potential or possible
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
(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 In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
barrenadjectiveUS /ˈbærən/
providing no shelter or sustenance
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
bricksnounUS /brɪks/
plural of “brick” — rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
brickworknoun
masonry done with bricks and mortar
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
make by combining materials and parts
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
plural of “building” — a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
centuriesnounUS /ˈsentʃəriz/
plural of “century” — a period of 100 years
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
coarseadjectiveUS /kɔːrs/
of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Riding over the ruins on the following day, I realised for the first time the immense task that I had undertaken.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
depthnounUS /depθ/
the extent downward or backward or inward
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading INTO THE DESERT.
plural of “direction” — a line leading to a place or point
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
disclosedadjectiveUS /dɪˈskloʊzd/
made known (especially something secret or concealed)
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
ditchesnounUS /ˈdɪtʃəz/
plural of “ditch” — a long narrow excavation in the earth
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
donkeysnounUS /ˈdɑːŋkiz/
plural of “donkey” — the symbol of the Democratic Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
dugnounUS /dʌɡ/
an udder or breast or teat
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
divisible by two
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
excavatorsnounUS /ˈekskəveɪtərz/
plural of “excavator” — a workman who excavates for foundations of buildings or for quarrying
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Riding over the ruins on the following day, I realised for the first time the immense task that I had undertaken.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading Riding over the ruins on the following day, I realised for the first time the immense task that I had undertaken.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Riding over the ruins on the following day, I realised for the first time the immense task that I had undertaken.
set up or found
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Riding over the ruins on the following day, I realised for the first time the immense task that I had undertaken.
heapsnounUS /hiːps/
a large number or amount
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Riding over the ruins on the following day, I realised for the first time the immense task that I had undertaken.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading Riding over the ruins on the following day, I realised for the first time the immense task that I had undertaken.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
INTOprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading INTO THE DESERT.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
loadingnounUS /ˈloʊdɪŋ/
weight to be borne or conveyed
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
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 Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
massesnounUS /ˈmæsəz/
the common people generally
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
moundsnounUS /maʊndz/
plural of “mound” — (baseball) the slight elevation on which the pitcher stands
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
plural of “native” — an indigenous person who was born in a particular place
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
a surrounding or nearby region
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
not one, and not any
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
occasionaladjectiveUS /əˈkeɪʒənəl/
occurring from time to time
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Riding over the ruins on the following day, I realised for the first time the immense task that I had undertaken.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Riding over the ruins on the following day, I realised for the first time the immense task that I had undertaken.
overgrownadjectiveUS /ˌoʊvərˈɡroʊn/
covered with growing plants
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
panniers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
ransackedadjectiveUS /ˈrænsækt/
wrongfully emptied or stripped of anything of value
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
realisedadjectiveUS /ˈriːəlaɪzd/
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading Riding over the ruins on the following day, I realised for the first time the immense task that I had undertaken.
any object that is left unused or still extant
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements
From this reading Riding over the ruins on the following day, I realised for the first time the immense task that I had undertaken.
rubbishnounUS /ˈrʌbɪʃ/
worthless material that is to be disposed of
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
ruinsnounUS /ˈruːənz/
plural of “ruin” — an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction
From this reading Riding over the ruins on the following day, I realised for the first time the immense task that I had undertaken.
scrubverbUS /skrʌb/
clean with hard rubbing
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading Riding over the ruins on the following day, I realised for the first time the immense task that I had undertaken.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Riding over the ruins on the following day, I realised for the first time the immense task that I had undertaken.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading INTO THE DESERT.
in or at that place or location
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Riding over the ruins on the following day, I realised for the first time the immense task that I had undertaken.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
townsnounUS /taʊnz/
plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
trenchnounUS /trentʃ/
a ditch dug as a fortification having a parapet of the excavated earth
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
undertakenverbUS /ˈʌndərteɪkən/
inflected form of “undertake” — enter upon an activity or enterprise
From this reading Riding over the ruins on the following day, I realised for the first time the immense task that I had undertaken.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
villagesnounUS /ˈvɪlədʒəz/
plural of “village” — a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading For centuries the place had been ransacked for bricks to build the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and even now I found natives with donkeys loading up the panniers with masses of broken brickwork.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Actual ruins, such as walls and the remains of buildings above ground, there were none, though an occasional long deep trench, dug by modern excavators, disclosed the presence of a wall at a considerable depth below the surface.
in the company of; together with
From this reading In all directions there stretched miles and miles of barren land, with here and there low mounds, ditches, and heaps of rubbish, overgrown with scrub and coarse grass.
