used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading There was no sound from the hollow behind him but the faint gurgle of the creek, and the almost imperceptible vibration of countless minute wings.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading There was no sound from the hollow behind him but the faint gurgle of the creek, and the almost imperceptible vibration of countless minute wings.
birches
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of 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 The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
brinknounUS /brɪŋk/
a region marking a boundary
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
bushnounUS /bʊʃ/
a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There was no sound from the hollow behind him but the faint gurgle of the creek, and the almost imperceptible vibration of countless minute wings.
past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
countlessadjectiveUS /ˈkaʊntləs/
too numerous to be counted
From this reading There was no sound from the hollow behind him but the faint gurgle of the creek, and the almost imperceptible vibration of countless minute wings.
creeknounUS /kriːk/
a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)
From this reading There was no sound from the hollow behind him but the faint gurgle of the creek, and the almost imperceptible vibration of countless minute wings.
creepingnounUS /ˈkriːpɪŋ/
a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
dullyadverb
without liveliness
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
dusknounUS /dʌsk/
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
one or the other of two
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading There was no sound from the hollow behind him but the faint gurgle of the creek, and the almost imperceptible vibration of countless minute wings.
farmersnounUS /ˈfɑːrmərz/
plural of “farmer” — a person who operates a farm
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading There was no sound from the hollow behind him but the faint gurgle of the creek, and the almost imperceptible vibration of countless minute wings.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
brought together in one place
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
plural of “gentleman” — a man of refinement
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
gurgleverbUS /ˈɡɜːrɡəl/
flow in an irregular current with a bubbling noise
From this reading There was no sound from the hollow behind him but the faint gurgle of the creek, and the almost imperceptible vibration of countless minute wings.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
harvestnounUS /ˈhɑːrvəst/
the yield from plants in a single growing season
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
haynounUS /heɪ/
grass mowed and cured for use as fodder
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading There was no sound from the hollow behind him but the faint gurgle of the creek, and the almost imperceptible vibration of countless minute wings.
hiredadjectiveUS /ˈhaɪərd/
having services engaged for a fee
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
not solid; having a space or gap or cavity
From this reading There was no sound from the hollow behind him but the faint gurgle of the creek, and the almost imperceptible vibration of countless minute wings.
imperceptibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪmpərˈseptɪbəl/
impossible or difficult to perceive by the mind or senses
From this reading There was no sound from the hollow behind him but the faint gurgle of the creek, and the almost imperceptible vibration of countless minute wings.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
immediately past
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
set afire or burning
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
the force of workers available
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading There was no sound from the hollow behind him but the faint gurgle of the creek, and the almost imperceptible vibration of countless minute wings.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
not any; not one
From this reading There was no sound from the hollow behind him but the faint gurgle of the creek, and the almost imperceptible vibration of countless minute wings.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
OntarionounUS /ɑːnˈterioʊ/
the smallest of the Great Lakes
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
partly-finished
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
persistencynoun
persistent determination
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
prairienounUS /ˈpreri/
a treeless grassy plain
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
ravinenounUS /rəˈviːn/
a deep narrow steep-sided valley (especially one formed by running water)
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
redwoodnounUS /ˈredwʊd/
the soft reddish wood of either of two species of sequoia trees
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
shadowyadjectiveUS /ˈʃædoʊi/
filled with shade
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
Silverdale
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
sinuouslyadverb
in a sinuous manner
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
an elevated geological formation
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
slumbernounUS /ˈslʌmbər/
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
smolderingadjectiveUS /ˈsmoʊldərɪŋ/
showing scarcely suppressed anger
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading There was no sound from the hollow behind him but the faint gurgle of the creek, and the almost imperceptible vibration of countless minute wings.
not in physical motion
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
stringernounUS /ˈstrɪŋər/
a member of a squad on a team
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
TESTnounUS /test/
trying something to find out about it
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was no sound from the hollow behind him but the faint gurgle of the creek, and the almost imperceptible vibration of countless minute wings.
tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
tirelessadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərləs/
showing sustained enthusiastic action with unflagging vitality
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
toiledverbUS /tɔɪld/
past form of “toil” — work hard
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
UNDERprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
vibrationnounUS /vaɪˈbreɪʃən/
the act of vibrating
From this reading There was no sound from the hollow behind him but the faint gurgle of the creek, and the almost imperceptible vibration of countless minute wings.
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 The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was no sound from the hollow behind him but the faint gurgle of the creek, and the almost imperceptible vibration of countless minute wings.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
at the time that
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
which person or people
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
a means of flight or ascent
From this reading There was no sound from the hollow behind him but the faint gurgle of the creek, and the almost imperceptible vibration of countless minute wings.
Winston
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading UNDER TEST The prairie lay dim and shadowy in the creeping dusk when Winston sat on a redwood stringer near the head of his partly-finished bridge.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The prairie hay was gathered, harvest had not come, and for the last few weeks Winston, with his hired men from the bush of Ontario, had toiled at the bridge with a tireless persistency which had somewhat astonished the gentlemen farmers of Silverdale.
an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)
From this reading The birches which climbed the slope to it wound away sinuously, a black wall on either hand, and the prairie lying gray and still stretched back into the silence in front of him.
covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak
From this reading Here and there a smoldering fire showed dully red on the brink of the ravine, but the tired men who had lighted them were already wrapped in heavy slumber.
