used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At last a low, dull thud sounded up from the mouth of the pit.
next to; at the side of
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading Our brother in the white coffin had at last found a lasting tenure in the soil.
claynounUS /kleɪ/
a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired
From this reading The men's feet slipped and shuffled for a foothold in the yielding clay.
coffinnounUS /ˈkɔːfɪn/
box in which a corpse is buried or cremated
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading At last a low, dull thud sounded up from the mouth of the pit.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading The men's feet slipped and shuffled for a foothold in the yielding clay.
footholdnounUS /ˈfʊthoʊld/
an area in hostile territory that has been captured and is held awaiting further troops and supplies
From this reading The men's feet slipped and shuffled for a foothold in the yielding clay.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The men's feet slipped and shuffled for a foothold in the yielding clay.
set up or found
From this reading Our brother in the white coffin had at last found a lasting tenure in the soil.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading At last a low, dull thud sounded up from the mouth of the pit.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Our brother in the white coffin had at last found a lasting tenure in the soil.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The official from the dark house moved over to me.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The men's feet slipped and shuffled for a foothold in the yielding clay.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
immediately past
From this reading At last a low, dull thud sounded up from the mouth of the pit.
lastingadjectiveUS /ˈlæstɪŋ/
continuing or enduring without marked change in status or condition or place
From this reading Our brother in the white coffin had at last found a lasting tenure in the soil.
liftingverbUS /ˈlɪftɪŋ/
-ing form of “lift” — raise from a lower to a higher position
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading At last a low, dull thud sounded up from the mouth of the pit.
loweringadjectiveUS /ˈloʊərɪŋ/
darkened by clouds
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The official from the dark house moved over to me.
the force of workers available
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
men'snounUS /menz/
a public toilet for men
From this reading The men's feet slipped and shuffled for a foothold in the yielding clay.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading At last a low, dull thud sounded up from the mouth of the pit.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading The official from the dark house moved over to me.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
having official authority or sanction
From this reading The official from the dark house moved over to me.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Our brother in the white coffin had at last found a lasting tenure in the soil.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The official from the dark house moved over to me.
pilenounUS /paɪl/
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
pitnounUS /pɪt/
A large hole in the ground, or an abyss of darkness and peril.
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
shuffledverbUS /ˈʃʌfəld/
past form of “shuffle” — walk by dragging one's feet
From this reading The men's feet slipped and shuffled for a foothold in the yielding clay.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading The men's feet slipped and shuffled for a foothold in the yielding clay.
the state of being covered with unclean things
From this reading Our brother in the white coffin had at last found a lasting tenure in the soil.
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading At last a low, dull thud sounded up from the mouth of the pit.
tenurenounUS /ˈtenjər/
the term during which some position is held
From this reading Our brother in the white coffin had at last found a lasting tenure in the soil.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
thudverbUS /θʌd/
make a dull sound
From this reading At last a low, dull thud sounded up from the mouth of the pit.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The official from the dark house moved over to me.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading At last a low, dull thud sounded up from the mouth of the pit.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
a Caucasian
From this reading There was a movement beside the white coffin, the men were lifting it off the golden pile of earth and lowering it into the dark pit.
yieldingadjectiveUS /ˈjiːldɪŋ/
inclined to yield to argument or influence or control
From this reading The men's feet slipped and shuffled for a foothold in the yielding clay.
