used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At their feet lay a shallow valley, hidden close until the very moment of stumbling upon it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At their left the shores of the wider part of the lake, the bulb of the gourd, were, in unexpected contrast to the bareness of the uplands, heavily wooded with great cottonwood trees and spruce.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At their feet lay a shallow valley, hidden close until the very moment of stumbling upon it.
barenessnoun
a bleak and desolate atmosphere
From this reading At their left the shores of the wider part of the lake, the bulb of the gourd, were, in unexpected contrast to the bareness of the uplands, heavily wooded with great cottonwood trees and spruce.
bargeverbUS /bɑːrdʒ/
push one's way
From this reading A grassy islet ringed with willows seemed to be moored here like the barge of some woodland princess.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading In it was a sparkling slough but large enough to be dignified with the name of lake.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading It was something the shape of a gourd, with a long end that curved out of sight below, a very girdle of blue velvet binding the waists of the brown hills.
bindingnounUS /ˈbaɪndɪŋ/
the capacity to attract and hold something
From this reading It was something the shape of a gourd, with a long end that curved out of sight below, a very girdle of blue velvet binding the waists of the brown hills.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading It was something the shape of a gourd, with a long end that curved out of sight below, a very girdle of blue velvet binding the waists of the brown hills.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading It was something the shape of a gourd, with a long end that curved out of sight below, a very girdle of blue velvet binding the waists of the brown hills.
bulbnounUS /bʌlb/
a modified bud consisting of a thickened globular underground stem serving as a reproductive structure
From this reading At their left the shores of the wider part of the lake, the bulb of the gourd, were, in unexpected contrast to the bareness of the uplands, heavily wooded with great cottonwood trees and spruce.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading In it was a sparkling slough but large enough to be dignified with the name of lake.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading At their feet lay a shallow valley, hidden close until the very moment of stumbling upon it.
contrastnounUS /ˈkɑːntræst/
the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared
From this reading At their left the shores of the wider part of the lake, the bulb of the gourd, were, in unexpected contrast to the bareness of the uplands, heavily wooded with great cottonwood trees and spruce.
cottonwoodnounUS /ˈkɑːtənwʊd/
any of several North American trees of the genus Populus having a tuft of cottony hairs on the seed
From this reading At their left the shores of the wider part of the lake, the bulb of the gourd, were, in unexpected contrast to the bareness of the uplands, heavily wooded with great cottonwood trees and spruce.
curvedadjectiveUS /kɜːrvd/
having or marked by a curve or smoothly rounded bend
From this reading It was something the shape of a gourd, with a long end that curved out of sight below, a very girdle of blue velvet binding the waists of the brown hills.
dignifiedadjectiveUS /ˈdɪɡnəfaɪd/
having or expressing dignity; especially formality or stateliness in bearing or appearance
From this reading In it was a sparkling slough but large enough to be dignified with the name of lake.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading It was something the shape of a gourd, with a long end that curved out of sight below, a very girdle of blue velvet binding the waists of the brown hills.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading In it was a sparkling slough but large enough to be dignified with the name of lake.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading At their feet lay a shallow valley, hidden close until the very moment of stumbling upon it.
girdlenounUS /ˈɡɜːrdəl/
an encircling or ringlike structure
From this reading It was something the shape of a gourd, with a long end that curved out of sight below, a very girdle of blue velvet binding the waists of the brown hills.
gourdnounUS /ɡɔːrd/
bottle made from the dried shell of a bottle gourd
From this reading It was something the shape of a gourd, with a long end that curved out of sight below, a very girdle of blue velvet binding the waists of the brown hills.
grassyadjectiveUS /ˈɡræsi/
abounding in grass
From this reading A grassy islet ringed with willows seemed to be moored here like the barge of some woodland princess.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading At their left the shores of the wider part of the lake, the bulb of the gourd, were, in unexpected contrast to the bareness of the uplands, heavily wooded with great cottonwood trees and spruce.
to a considerable degree
From this reading At their left the shores of the wider part of the lake, the bulb of the gourd, were, in unexpected contrast to the bareness of the uplands, heavily wooded with great cottonwood trees and spruce.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading A grassy islet ringed with willows seemed to be moored here like the barge of some woodland princess.
not accessible to view
From this reading At their feet lay a shallow valley, hidden close until the very moment of stumbling upon it.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading It was something the shape of a gourd, with a long end that curved out of sight below, a very girdle of blue velvet binding the waists of the brown hills.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In it was a sparkling slough but large enough to be dignified with the name of lake.
isletnounUS /ˈaɪlɪt/
a small island
From this reading A grassy islet ringed with willows seemed to be moored here like the barge of some woodland princess.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading At their feet lay a shallow valley, hidden close until the very moment of stumbling upon it.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading In it was a sparkling slough but large enough to be dignified with the name of lake.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading In it was a sparkling slough but large enough to be dignified with the name of lake.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading At their feet lay a shallow valley, hidden close until the very moment of stumbling upon it.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading At their left the shores of the wider part of the lake, the bulb of the gourd, were, in unexpected contrast to the bareness of the uplands, heavily wooded with great cottonwood trees and spruce.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading A grassy islet ringed with willows seemed to be moored here like the barge of some woodland princess.
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 It was something the shape of a gourd, with a long end that curved out of sight below, a very girdle of blue velvet binding the waists of the brown hills.
a particular point in time
From this reading At their feet lay a shallow valley, hidden close until the very moment of stumbling upon it.
mooredverbUS /mʊrd/
past form of “moor” — secure in or as if in a berth or dock
From this reading A grassy islet ringed with willows seemed to be moored here like the barge of some woodland princess.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading In it was a sparkling slough but large enough to be dignified with the name of lake.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At their feet lay a shallow valley, hidden close until the very moment of stumbling upon it.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading It was something the shape of a gourd, with a long end that curved out of sight below, a very girdle of blue velvet binding the waists of the brown hills.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading At their left the shores of the wider part of the lake, the bulb of the gourd, were, in unexpected contrast to the bareness of the uplands, heavily wooded with great cottonwood trees and spruce.
The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.
From this reading A grassy islet ringed with willows seemed to be moored here like the barge of some woodland princess.
ringedadjectiveUS /rɪŋd/
shaped like a ring
From this reading A grassy islet ringed with willows seemed to be moored here like the barge of some woodland princess.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading A grassy islet ringed with willows seemed to be moored here like the barge of some woodland princess.
shallowadjectiveUS /ˈʃæloʊ/
lacking physical depth; having little spatial extension downward or inward from an outer surface or backward or outward from a center
From this reading At their feet lay a shallow valley, hidden close until the very moment of stumbling upon it.
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading It was something the shape of a gourd, with a long end that curved out of sight below, a very girdle of blue velvet binding the waists of the brown hills.
shoresnounUS /ʃɔːrz/
plural of “shore” — the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading At their left the shores of the wider part of the lake, the bulb of the gourd, were, in unexpected contrast to the bareness of the uplands, heavily wooded with great cottonwood trees and spruce.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading It was something the shape of a gourd, with a long end that curved out of sight below, a very girdle of blue velvet binding the waists of the brown hills.
sloughnounUS /slʌf/
necrotic tissue; a mortified or gangrenous part or mass
From this reading In it was a sparkling slough but large enough to be dignified with the name of lake.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading A grassy islet ringed with willows seemed to be moored here like the barge of some woodland princess.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading It was something the shape of a gourd, with a long end that curved out of sight below, a very girdle of blue velvet binding the waists of the brown hills.
sparklingadjectiveUS /ˈspɑːrklɪŋ/
shining with brilliant points of light like stars
From this reading In it was a sparkling slough but large enough to be dignified with the name of lake.
sprucenounUS /spruːs/
light soft moderately strong wood of spruce trees; used especially for timbers and millwork
From this reading At their left the shores of the wider part of the lake, the bulb of the gourd, were, in unexpected contrast to the bareness of the uplands, heavily wooded with great cottonwood trees and spruce.
stumblingverbUS /ˈstʌmbəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “stumble” — walk unsteadily
From this reading At their feet lay a shallow valley, hidden close until the very moment of stumbling upon it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was something the shape of a gourd, with a long end that curved out of sight below, a very girdle of blue velvet binding the waists of the brown hills.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At their feet lay a shallow valley, hidden close until the very moment of stumbling upon it.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading At their feet lay a shallow valley, hidden close until the very moment of stumbling upon it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In it was a sparkling slough but large enough to be dignified with the name of lake.
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 At their left the shores of the wider part of the lake, the bulb of the gourd, were, in unexpected contrast to the bareness of the uplands, heavily wooded with great cottonwood trees and spruce.
not expected or anticipated
From this reading At their left the shores of the wider part of the lake, the bulb of the gourd, were, in unexpected contrast to the bareness of the uplands, heavily wooded with great cottonwood trees and spruce.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading At their feet lay a shallow valley, hidden close until the very moment of stumbling upon it.
uplandsnounUS /ˈʌpləndz/
plural of “upland” — elevated (e.g., mountainous) land
From this reading At their left the shores of the wider part of the lake, the bulb of the gourd, were, in unexpected contrast to the bareness of the uplands, heavily wooded with great cottonwood trees and spruce.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading At their feet lay a shallow valley, hidden close until the very moment of stumbling upon it.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading At their feet lay a shallow valley, hidden close until the very moment of stumbling upon it.
velvetnounUS /ˈvelvət/
a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back
From this reading It was something the shape of a gourd, with a long end that curved out of sight below, a very girdle of blue velvet binding the waists of the brown hills.
precisely as stated
From this reading At their feet lay a shallow valley, hidden close until the very moment of stumbling upon it.
waistsnounUS /weɪsts/
plural of “waist” — the narrowing of the body between the ribs and hips
From this reading It was something the shape of a gourd, with a long end that curved out of sight below, a very girdle of blue velvet binding the waists of the brown hills.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In it was a sparkling slough but large enough to be dignified with the name of lake.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading At their left the shores of the wider part of the lake, the bulb of the gourd, were, in unexpected contrast to the bareness of the uplands, heavily wooded with great cottonwood trees and spruce.
wideradjectiveUS /ˈwaɪdər/
comparative of “wide” — having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading At their left the shores of the wider part of the lake, the bulb of the gourd, were, in unexpected contrast to the bareness of the uplands, heavily wooded with great cottonwood trees and spruce.
willowsnounUS /ˈwɪloʊz/
plural of “willow” — any of numerous deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Salix
From this reading A grassy islet ringed with willows seemed to be moored here like the barge of some woodland princess.
in the company of; together with
From this reading In it was a sparkling slough but large enough to be dignified with the name of lake.
woodedadjectiveUS /ˈwʊdɪd/
covered with growing trees and bushes etc
From this reading At their left the shores of the wider part of the lake, the bulb of the gourd, were, in unexpected contrast to the bareness of the uplands, heavily wooded with great cottonwood trees and spruce.
woodlandnounUS /ˈwʊdlænd/
land that is covered with trees and shrubs
From this reading A grassy islet ringed with willows seemed to be moored here like the barge of some woodland princess.
