used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a June picture beautiful enough to hold the attention of any one, yet it was plain that David’s thoughts were not on the landscape.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading The young man, stretched on the grass among the waving shadows, was gazing across the valley to the hills in their soft afternoon veiling.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading The young man, stretched on the grass among the waving shadows, was gazing across the valley to the hills in their soft afternoon veiling.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Polly leaned back against the great oak, her eyes bent on David’s face.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading The young man, stretched on the grass among the waving shadows, was gazing across the valley to the hills in their soft afternoon veiling.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She wondered--and wondered hard.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading It was a June picture beautiful enough to hold the attention of any one, yet it was plain that David’s thoughts were not on the landscape.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading It was a June picture beautiful enough to hold the attention of any one, yet it was plain that David’s thoughts were not on the landscape.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Polly leaned back against the great oak, her eyes bent on David’s face.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading It was a June picture beautiful enough to hold the attention of any one, yet it was plain that David’s thoughts were not on the landscape.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading Polly leaned back against the great oak, her eyes bent on David’s face.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading If she could only fathom that inscrutable expression!
David'snounUS /ˈdeɪvɪdz/
possessive form of “david” — patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading Polly leaned back against the great oak, her eyes bent on David’s face.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading It was a June picture beautiful enough to hold the attention of any one, yet it was plain that David’s thoughts were not on the landscape.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading If she could only fathom that inscrutable expression!
opinion or judgment
From this reading Polly leaned back against the great oak, her eyes bent on David’s face.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Polly leaned back against the great oak, her eyes bent on David’s face.
fathomverbUS /ˈfæðəm/
come to understand
From this reading If she could only fathom that inscrutable expression!
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading The young man, stretched on the grass among the waving shadows, was gazing across the valley to the hills in their soft afternoon veiling.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading The young man, stretched on the grass among the waving shadows, was gazing across the valley to the hills in their soft afternoon veiling.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Polly leaned back against the great oak, her eyes bent on David’s face.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading She wondered--and wondered hard.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Polly leaned back against the great oak, her eyes bent on David’s face.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading The young man, stretched on the grass among the waving shadows, was gazing across the valley to the hills in their soft afternoon veiling.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading It was a June picture beautiful enough to hold the attention of any one, yet it was plain that David’s thoughts were not on the landscape.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If she could only fathom that inscrutable expression!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The young man, stretched on the grass among the waving shadows, was gazing across the valley to the hills in their soft afternoon veiling.
inscrutableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈskruːtəbəl/
of an obscure nature
From this reading If she could only fathom that inscrutable expression!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a June picture beautiful enough to hold the attention of any one, yet it was plain that David’s thoughts were not on the landscape.
the month following May and preceding July
From this reading It was a June picture beautiful enough to hold the attention of any one, yet it was plain that David’s thoughts were not on the landscape.
landscapenounUS /ˈlændskeɪp/
an expanse of scenery that can be seen in a single view
From this reading It was a June picture beautiful enough to hold the attention of any one, yet it was plain that David’s thoughts were not on the landscape.
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading Polly leaned back against the great oak, her eyes bent on David’s face.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The young man, stretched on the grass among the waving shadows, was gazing across the valley to the hills in their soft afternoon veiling.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was a June picture beautiful enough to hold the attention of any one, yet it was plain that David’s thoughts were not on the landscape.
the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring
From this reading Polly leaned back against the great oak, her eyes bent on David’s face.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was a June picture beautiful enough to hold the attention of any one, yet it was plain that David’s thoughts were not on the landscape.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Polly leaned back against the great oak, her eyes bent on David’s face.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It was a June picture beautiful enough to hold the attention of any one, yet it was plain that David’s thoughts were not on the landscape.
and nothing more
From this reading If she could only fathom that inscrutable expression!
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading It was a June picture beautiful enough to hold the attention of any one, yet it was plain that David’s thoughts were not on the landscape.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading It was a June picture beautiful enough to hold the attention of any one, yet it was plain that David’s thoughts were not on the landscape.
Polly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Polly leaned back against the great oak, her eyes bent on David’s face.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading The young man, stretched on the grass among the waving shadows, was gazing across the valley to the hills in their soft afternoon veiling.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She wondered--and wondered hard.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading The young man, stretched on the grass among the waving shadows, was gazing across the valley to the hills in their soft afternoon veiling.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading The young man, stretched on the grass among the waving shadows, was gazing across the valley to the hills in their soft afternoon veiling.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading If she could only fathom that inscrutable expression!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Polly leaned back against the great oak, her eyes bent on David’s face.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The young man, stretched on the grass among the waving shadows, was gazing across the valley to the hills in their soft afternoon veiling.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading It was a June picture beautiful enough to hold the attention of any one, yet it was plain that David’s thoughts were not on the landscape.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The young man, stretched on the grass among the waving shadows, was gazing across the valley to the hills in their soft afternoon veiling.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading The young man, stretched on the grass among the waving shadows, was gazing across the valley to the hills in their soft afternoon veiling.
veilingnounUS /ˈveɪlɪŋ/
a net of transparent fabric with a loose open weave
From this reading The young man, stretched on the grass among the waving shadows, was gazing across the valley to the hills in their soft afternoon veiling.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The young man, stretched on the grass among the waving shadows, was gazing across the valley to the hills in their soft afternoon veiling.
wavingnounUS /ˈweɪvɪŋ/
the act of signaling by a movement of the hand
From this reading The young man, stretched on the grass among the waving shadows, was gazing across the valley to the hills in their soft afternoon veiling.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It was a June picture beautiful enough to hold the attention of any one, yet it was plain that David’s thoughts were not on the landscape.
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading She wondered--and wondered hard.
but in spite of that
From this reading It was a June picture beautiful enough to hold the attention of any one, yet it was plain that David’s thoughts were not on the landscape.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The young man, stretched on the grass among the waving shadows, was gazing across the valley to the hills in their soft afternoon veiling.
