used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The jolly sounds came to him as a great comfort.
acuteadjectiveUS /əˈkjuːt/
having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course
From this reading Consequently it was with an acute sensation of annoyance that there crowded in upon his sense of hearing little distracting noises.
anew
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
(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 He had been awake since early hours listening to the singing of the birds in all the trees near the house.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Consequently it was with an acute sensation of annoyance that there crowded in upon his sense of hearing little distracting noises.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
annoyancenounUS /əˈnɔɪəns/
the psychological state of being irritated or annoyed
From this reading Consequently it was with an acute sensation of annoyance that there crowded in upon his sense of hearing little distracting noises.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As if from the excitement of the concert, John Brennan felt weary next morning.
awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading He had been awake since early hours listening to the singing of the birds in all the trees near the house.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had been awake since early hours listening to the singing of the birds in all the trees near the house.
bicyclenounUS /ˈbaɪsɪkəl/
a wheeled vehicle that has two wheels and is moved by foot pedals
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading He had been awake since early hours listening to the singing of the birds in all the trees near the house.
plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
Brennan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As if from the excitement of the concert, John Brennan felt weary next morning.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The jolly sounds came to him as a great comfort.
cartnounUS /kɑːrt/
a heavy open wagon usually having two wheels and drawn by an animal
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain
From this reading The jolly sounds came to him as a great comfort.
concertnounUS /ˈkɑːnsərt/
a performance of music by players or singers not involving theatrical staging
From this reading As if from the excitement of the concert, John Brennan felt weary next morning.
ConsequentlyadverbUS /ˈkɑːnsəkwəntli/
(sentence connectors) because of the reason given
From this reading Consequently it was with an acute sensation of annoyance that there crowded in upon his sense of hearing little distracting noises.
continuallyadverbUS /kənˈtɪnjuːəli/
seemingly without interruption
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
overfilled or compacted or concentrated
From this reading Consequently it was with an acute sensation of annoyance that there crowded in upon his sense of hearing little distracting noises.
distractingverbUS /dɪˈstræktɪŋ/
-ing form of “distract” — draw someone's attention away from something
From this reading Consequently it was with an acute sensation of annoyance that there crowded in upon his sense of hearing little distracting noises.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading He had been awake since early hours listening to the singing of the birds in all the trees near the house.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading As if from the excitement of the concert, John Brennan felt weary next morning.
FarrellnounUS /ˈferɪl/
United States writer remembered for his novels (1904-1979)
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading As if from the excitement of the concert, John Brennan felt weary next morning.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading As if from the excitement of the concert, John Brennan felt weary next morning.
Garradrimna
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
gravelnounUS /ˈɡrævəl/
rock fragments and pebbles
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The jolly sounds came to him as a great comfort.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had been awake since early hours listening to the singing of the birds in all the trees near the house.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had been awake since early hours listening to the singing of the birds in all the trees near the house.
(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence
From this reading Consequently it was with an acute sensation of annoyance that there crowded in upon his sense of hearing little distracting noises.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The jolly sounds came to him as a great comfort.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Consequently it was with an acute sensation of annoyance that there crowded in upon his sense of hearing little distracting noises.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading He had been awake since early hours listening to the singing of the birds in all the trees near the house.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading He had been awake since early hours listening to the singing of the birds in all the trees near the house.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading As if from the excitement of the concert, John Brennan felt weary next morning.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had been awake since early hours listening to the singing of the birds in all the trees near the house.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Consequently it was with an acute sensation of annoyance that there crowded in upon his sense of hearing little distracting noises.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading As if from the excitement of the concert, John Brennan felt weary next morning.
jollyadjectiveUS /ˈdʒɑːli/
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading The jolly sounds came to him as a great comfort.
the literary culture
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading He had been awake since early hours listening to the singing of the birds in all the trees near the house.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Consequently it was with an acute sensation of annoyance that there crowded in upon his sense of hearing little distracting noises.
McGuinness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading As if from the excitement of the concert, John Brennan felt weary next morning.
nailedverbUS /neɪld/
past form of “nail” — attach something somewhere by means of nails
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading He had been awake since early hours listening to the singing of the birds in all the trees near the house.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading As if from the excitement of the concert, John Brennan felt weary next morning.
noisesnounUS /ˈnɔɪzɪz/
plural of “noise” — sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading Consequently it was with an acute sensation of annoyance that there crowded in upon his sense of hearing little distracting noises.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As if from the excitement of the concert, John Brennan felt weary next morning.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
raspnounUS /ræsp/
uttering in an irritated tone
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
riddenverbUS /ˈrɪdən/
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
roundsnounUS /raʊndz/
plural of “round” — a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
rumbleverbUS /ˈrʌmbəl/
make a low noise
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
screechnounUS /skriːtʃ/
a high-pitched noise resembling a human cry
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation
From this reading Consequently it was with an acute sensation of annoyance that there crowded in upon his sense of hearing little distracting noises.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading Consequently it was with an acute sensation of annoyance that there crowded in upon his sense of hearing little distracting noises.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading He had been awake since early hours listening to the singing of the birds in all the trees near the house.
the act of singing vocal music
From this reading He had been awake since early hours listening to the singing of the birds in all the trees near the house.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The jolly sounds came to him as a great comfort.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Consequently it was with an acute sensation of annoyance that there crowded in upon his sense of hearing little distracting noises.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As if from the excitement of the concert, John Brennan felt weary next morning.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Consequently it was with an acute sensation of annoyance that there crowded in upon his sense of hearing little distracting noises.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had been awake since early hours listening to the singing of the birds in all the trees near the house.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading He had been awake since early hours listening to the singing of the birds in all the trees near the house.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Consequently it was with an acute sensation of annoyance that there crowded in upon his sense of hearing little distracting noises.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Consequently it was with an acute sensation of annoyance that there crowded in upon his sense of hearing little distracting noises.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Now it was the heavy rumble of a cart, again the screech of a bicycle ridden by Farrell McGuinness on his way to Garradrimna for the letters of his rounds; and, continually, the hard rasp of nailed boots upon the gravel of the road.
exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress
From this reading As if from the excitement of the concert, John Brennan felt weary next morning.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Consequently it was with an acute sensation of annoyance that there crowded in upon his sense of hearing little distracting noises.
