Chapter IV · Chapter 4

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading It was bordered by a low stone wall along which two peacocks strutted with almost ridiculous self-consciousness of their beauty.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

an upward slope or grade (as in a road)

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

the month following July and preceding September

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading It was bordered by a low stone wall along which two peacocks strutted with almost ridiculous self-consciousness of their beauty.

plural of “bed” — a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

at or toward the back of something

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

a strong flame that burns brightly

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

having a border especially of a specified kind; sometimes used as a combining term

From this reading It was bordered by a low stone wall along which two peacocks strutted with almost ridiculous self-consciousness of their beauty.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

of surpassing excellence

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

plural of “century” — a period of 100 years

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

the person or thing chosen or selected

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

one who is the object of choice; who is given preference

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

having or capable of producing colors

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

past form of “contrast” — put in opposition to show or emphasize differences

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

lacking in liveliness or animation

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

earlier in time; previously

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

the part of a scene that is near the viewer

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

the act of giving

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

in a harmonious manner

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

a vague idea in which some confidence is placed

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

in place of, or as an alternative to

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

inflected form of “level” — aim at

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading It was bordered by a low stone wall along which two peacocks strutted with almost ridiculous self-consciousness of their beauty.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

having hills and crags

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

characterized by active hostility

From this reading OPPOSING VIEWS.

plural of “peacock” — European butterfly having reddish-brown wings each marked with a purple eyespot

From this reading It was bordered by a low stone wall along which two peacocks strutted with almost ridiculous self-consciousness of their beauty.

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

inspiring scornful pity

From this reading It was bordered by a low stone wall along which two peacocks strutted with almost ridiculous self-consciousness of their beauty.

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

embarrassment deriving from the feeling that others are critically aware of you

From this reading It was bordered by a low stone wall along which two peacocks strutted with almost ridiculous self-consciousness of their beauty.

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

the piece of land on which something is located (or is to be located)

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

having an oblique or slanted direction

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

toned down

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading It was bordered by a low stone wall along which two peacocks strutted with almost ridiculous self-consciousness of their beauty.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was bordered by a low stone wall along which two peacocks strutted with almost ridiculous self-consciousness of their beauty.

a following of one thing after another in time

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

the rays of the sun

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

usually paved outdoor area adjoining a residence

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

plural of “terrace” — usually paved outdoor area adjoining a residence

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading It was bordered by a low stone wall along which two peacocks strutted with almost ridiculous self-consciousness of their beauty.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

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 The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading It was bordered by a low stone wall along which two peacocks strutted with almost ridiculous self-consciousness of their beauty.

a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading Instead of a valley he had chosen the side of a hill, and the sloping foreground had been levelled into a succession of terraces, giving the impression of an almost mountainous ascent to the house from the road which lay beneath.

plural of “view” — a way of regarding situations or topics etc.

From this reading OPPOSING VIEWS.

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 It was bordered by a low stone wall along which two peacocks strutted with almost ridiculous self-consciousness of their beauty.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

which person or people

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

comparative of “wise” — having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

From this reading The man who some centuries earlier had built Rudham Court, had been wiser than the generation in which he lived in his choice of a site.

in the company of; together with

From this reading The house, not beautiful in itself, was softened by the hand of time into a dull red that contrasted harmoniously with the group of trees behind it, and the gravelled terrace in front with its box-bordered beds was a blaze of colour in the brilliant sunshine of the August morning.