used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
(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 ALL ALONE ON THE PAMPAS--THE CAMP IN THE CANON.
ALONEadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading ALL ALONE ON THE PAMPAS--THE CAMP IN THE CANON.
amidstprepositionUS /əˈmɪdst/
in the middle of; surrounded by
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
at or in or to any place
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
completely unclothed
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading ALL ALONE ON THE PAMPAS--THE CAMP IN THE CANON.
CANONnounUS /ˈkænən/
a rule or especially body of rules or principles generally established as valid and fundamental in a field of art or philosophy
From this reading ALL ALONE ON THE PAMPAS--THE CAMP IN THE CANON.
cosynounUS /ˈkoʊzi/
a padded cloth covering to keep a teapot warm
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
desolateadjectiveUS /ˈdesələt/
providing no shelter or sustenance
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
firesidenounUS /ˈfaɪərsaɪd/
an area near a fireplace (usually paved and extending out into a room)
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
a long fixed look
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
horsemannounUS /ˈhɔːrsmən/
a man skilled in equitation
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading ALL ALONE ON THE PAMPAS--THE CAMP IN THE CANON.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
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 Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
a particular point in time
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
the light of the Moon
From this reading Alone in the moonlight.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
noughtnoun
a mathematical element that when added to another number yields the same number
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading ALL ALONE ON THE PAMPAS--THE CAMP IN THE CANON.
PAMPASnounUS /ˈpæmpəz/
the vast grassy plains of northern Argentina
From this reading ALL ALONE ON THE PAMPAS--THE CAMP IN THE CANON.
ridgenounUS /rɪdʒ/
a long narrow natural elevation or striation
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
except for; apart from
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
scenerynounUS /ˈsiːnəri/
the painted structures of a stage set that are intended to suggest a particular locale
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
shudderverbUS /ˈʃʌdər/
shake, as from cold
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
be seated
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
steednounUS /stiːd/
(literary) a spirited horse for state of war
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ALL ALONE ON THE PAMPAS--THE CAMP IN THE CANON.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
trustynounUS /ˈtrʌsti/
a convict who is considered trustworthy and granted special privileges
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
uplandadjectiveUS /ˈʌplənd/
used of high or hilly country
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
vistanounUS /ˈvɪstə/
the visual percept of a region
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
which person or people
From this reading There was nought of life to be seen anywhere, save that single horseman on his trusty steed who stopped for a moment on an upland ridge to gaze around him.
a late time of life
From this reading Alone amidst scenery so black, so bare, so desolate, that looking back now through a long vista of years, as I sit by my cosy English fireside, I shudder to think of it.
