adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
afterwardsadverbUS /ˈæftərwərdz/
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
ancientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading The village of Birlstone is a small and very ancient cluster of half-timbered cottages on the northern border of the county of Sussex.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
appearancenounUS /əˈpɪrəns/
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
appreciateverbUS /əˈpriːʃieɪt/
recognize with gratitude; be grateful for
From this reading Only in this way can I make the reader appreciate the people concerned and the strange setting in which their fate was cast.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading These woods are locally supposed to be the extreme fringe of the great Weald forest, which thins away until it reaches the northern chalk downs.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
arrivedverbUS /ərˈaɪvd/
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
askverbUS /æsk/
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
attractedverbUS /əˈtræktɪd/
past form of “attract” — direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading These woods are locally supposed to be the extreme fringe of the great Weald forest, which thins away until it reaches the northern chalk downs.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading These woods are locally supposed to be the extreme fringe of the great Weald forest, which thins away until it reaches the northern chalk downs.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
Birlstone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
bordernounUS /ˈbɔːrdər/
a line that indicates a boundary
From this reading The village of Birlstone is a small and very ancient cluster of half-timbered cottages on the northern border of the county of Sussex.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
canmodal verbUS /kæn/
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Only in this way can I make the reader appreciate the people concerned and the strange setting in which their fate was cast.
castverbUS /kæst/
put or send forth
From this reading Only in this way can I make the reader appreciate the people concerned and the strange setting in which their fate was cast.
centuriesnounUS /ˈsentʃəriz/
plural of “century” — a period of 100 years
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
chalknounUS /tʃɔːk/
A soft white limestone used for marking doors, stone walls, and slate.
From this reading These woods are locally supposed to be the extreme fringe of the great Weald forest, which thins away until it reaches the northern chalk downs.
clusterverbUS /ˈklʌstər/
come together as in a cluster or flock
From this reading The village of Birlstone is a small and very ancient cluster of half-timbered cottages on the northern border of the county of Sussex.
concernedadjectiveUS /kənˈsɜːrnd/
feeling or showing worry or solicitude
From this reading Only in this way can I make the reader appreciate the people concerned and the strange setting in which their fate was cast.
cottagesnounUS /ˈkɑːtɪdʒɪz/
plural of “cottage” — a small house with a single story
From this reading The village of Birlstone is a small and very ancient cluster of half-timbered cottages on the northern border of the county of Sussex.
countynounUS /ˈkaʊnti/
(United Kingdom) a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government
From this reading The village of Birlstone is a small and very ancient cluster of half-timbered cottages on the northern border of the county of Sussex.
describeverbUS /dɪˈskraɪb/
give a description of
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
downsnounUS /daʊnz/
plural of “down” — soft fine feathers
From this reading These woods are locally supposed to be the extreme fringe of the great Weald forest, which thins away until it reaches the northern chalk downs.
eventsnounUS /ɪˈvents/
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
extremeadjectiveUS /ekˈstriːm/
of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity
From this reading These woods are locally supposed to be the extreme fringe of the great Weald forest, which thins away until it reaches the northern chalk downs.
fatenounUS /feɪt/
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading Only in this way can I make the reader appreciate the people concerned and the strange setting in which their fate was cast.
fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
forestnounUS /ˈfɔːrəst/
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading These woods are locally supposed to be the extreme fringe of the great Weald forest, which thins away until it reaches the northern chalk downs.
fringenounUS /frɪndʒ/
the outside boundary or surface of something
From this reading These woods are locally supposed to be the extreme fringe of the great Weald forest, which thins away until it reaches the northern chalk downs.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading These woods are locally supposed to be the extreme fringe of the great Weald forest, which thins away until it reaches the northern chalk downs.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
half-timberedadjective
having exposed wood framing with spaces filled with masonry, as in Tudor architecture
From this reading The village of Birlstone is a small and very ancient cluster of half-timbered cottages on the northern border of the county of Sussex.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Only in this way can I make the reader appreciate the people concerned and the strange setting in which their fate was cast.
insignificantadjectiveUS /ˌɪnsɪɡˈnjɪfɪkənt/
signifying nothing
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The village of Birlstone is a small and very ancient cluster of half-timbered cottages on the northern border of the county of Sussex.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
knowledgenounUS /ˈnɑːlədʒ/
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
lastadjectiveUS /læst/
immediately past
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
leaveverbUS /liːv/
go away from a place
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
locallyadverbUS /ˈloʊkəli/
by a particular locality
From this reading These woods are locally supposed to be the extreme fringe of the great Weald forest, which thins away until it reaches the northern chalk downs.
makeverbUS /meɪk/
engage in
From this reading Only in this way can I make the reader appreciate the people concerned and the strange setting in which their fate was cast.
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/
a particular point in time
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
northernadjectiveUS /ˈnɔːrðərn/
in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading The village of Birlstone is a small and very ancient cluster of half-timbered cottages on the northern border of the county of Sussex.
NowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
numbernounUS /ˈnʌmbər/
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
occurredverbUS /əˈkɜːrd/
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The village of Birlstone is a small and very ancient cluster of half-timbered cottages on the northern border of the county of Sussex.
OnlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/
and nothing more
From this reading Only in this way can I make the reader appreciate the people concerned and the strange setting in which their fate was cast.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
ownverbUS /oʊn/
have ownership or possession of
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
peepverbUS /piːp/
look furtively
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading Only in this way can I make the reader appreciate the people concerned and the strange setting in which their fate was cast.
personalitynounUS /ˌpɜːrsəˈnælɪti/
the complex of all the attributes--behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental--that characterize a unique individual
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
picturesqueadjectiveUS /ˈpɪktʃərəsk/
suggesting or suitable for a picture; pretty as a picture
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
reachesnounUS /ˈriːtʃəz/
plural of “reach” — the limits within which something can be effective
From this reading These woods are locally supposed to be the extreme fringe of the great Weald forest, which thins away until it reaches the northern chalk downs.
readernounUS /ˈriːdər/
a person who enjoys reading
From this reading Only in this way can I make the reader appreciate the people concerned and the strange setting in which their fate was cast.
remainedverbUS /rɪˈmeɪnd/
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
removeverbUS /riˈmuːv/
remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
residentsnounUS /ˈrezɪdənts/
plural of “resident” — someone who lives at a particular place for a prolonged period or who was born there
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
scenenounUS /siːn/
the place where some action occurs
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
settingnounUS /ˈsetɪŋ/
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading Only in this way can I make the reader appreciate the people concerned and the strange setting in which their fate was cast.
situationnounUS /ˌsɪtʃuːˈeɪʃən/
the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The village of Birlstone is a small and very ancient cluster of half-timbered cottages on the northern border of the county of Sussex.
strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading Only in this way can I make the reader appreciate the people concerned and the strange setting in which their fate was cast.
supposedadjectiveUS /səˈpoʊzd/
required or under orders
From this reading These woods are locally supposed to be the extreme fringe of the great Weald forest, which thins away until it reaches the northern chalk downs.
SussexnounUS /ˈsʌsɪks/
a county in southern England on the English Channel; formerly an Anglo-Saxon kingdom that was captured by Wessex in the 9th century
From this reading The village of Birlstone is a small and very ancient cluster of half-timbered cottages on the northern border of the county of Sussex.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Only in this way can I make the reader appreciate the people concerned and the strange setting in which their fate was cast.
ThesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These woods are locally supposed to be the extreme fringe of the great Weald forest, which thins away until it reaches the northern chalk downs.
thinsverbUS /θɪnz/
third-person singular of “thin” — lose thickness; become thin or thinner
From this reading These woods are locally supposed to be the extreme fringe of the great Weald forest, which thins away until it reaches the northern chalk downs.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Only in this way can I make the reader appreciate the people concerned and the strange setting in which their fate was cast.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
TragedynounUS /ˈtrædʒədi/
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
unchangedadjectiveUS /ənˈtʃeɪndʒd/
not made or become different
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading These woods are locally supposed to be the extreme fringe of the great Weald forest, which thins away until it reaches the northern chalk downs.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/
precisely as stated
From this reading The village of Birlstone is a small and very ancient cluster of half-timbered cottages on the northern border of the county of Sussex.
villagenounUS /ˈvɪlədʒ/
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading The village of Birlstone is a small and very ancient cluster of half-timbered cottages on the northern border of the county of Sussex.
villasnounUS /ˈvɪləz/
plural of “villa” — Mexican revolutionary leader (1877-1923)
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Only in this way can I make the reader appreciate the people concerned and the strange setting in which their fate was cast.
waynounUS /weɪ/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Only in this way can I make the reader appreciate the people concerned and the strange setting in which their fate was cast.
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
Wealdnoun
an area of open or forested country
From this reading These woods are locally supposed to be the extreme fringe of the great Weald forest, which thins away until it reaches the northern chalk downs.
well-to-doadjective
in fortunate circumstances financially; moderately rich
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
whosedeterminerUS /huːz/
belonging to which person
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading The Tragedy of Birlstone Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificant personality and to describe events which occurred before we arrived upon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.
withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
woodsnounUS /wʊdz/
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/
a late time of life
From this reading For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around.
