used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For miles the road climbed sharply upward, or crawled along the face of a mountain at the edge of a yawning pit.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading For miles the road climbed sharply upward, or crawled along the face of a mountain at the edge of a yawning pit.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
separated or at a distance in place or position or time
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading For miles the road climbed sharply upward, or crawled along the face of a mountain at the edge of a yawning pit.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading At first sight these flat roofs seemed to be of heavy blocks of stone.
blocksnounUS /blɑːks/
plural of “block” — a solid piece of something (usually having flat rectangular sides)
From this reading At first sight these flat roofs seemed to be of heavy blocks of stone.
plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading But they were really made of branches and bushes, plastered over with mud.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading But they were really made of branches and bushes, plastered over with mud.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But they were really made of branches and bushes, plastered over with mud.
chantingnounUS /ˈtʃæntɪŋ/
the act of singing in a monotonous tone
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
give encouragement to
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading For miles the road climbed sharply upward, or crawled along the face of a mountain at the edge of a yawning pit.
crawledverbUS /krɔːld/
past form of “crawl” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading For miles the road climbed sharply upward, or crawled along the face of a mountain at the edge of a yawning pit.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
draggingadjectiveUS /ˈdræɡɪŋ/
marked by a painfully slow and effortful manner
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
dwellingnounUS /ˈdwelɪŋ/
housing that someone is living in
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading For miles the road climbed sharply upward, or crawled along the face of a mountain at the edge of a yawning pit.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading For miles the road climbed sharply upward, or crawled along the face of a mountain at the edge of a yawning pit.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading At first sight these flat roofs seemed to be of heavy blocks of stone.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For miles the road climbed sharply upward, or crawled along the face of a mountain at the edge of a yawning pit.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading At first sight these flat roofs seemed to be of heavy blocks of stone.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
householdersnounUS /ˈhaʊshoʊldərz/
plural of “householder” — someone who owns a home
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading But they were really made of branches and bushes, plastered over with mud.
past form of “march” — march in a procession
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading For miles the road climbed sharply upward, or crawled along the face of a mountain at the edge of a yawning pit.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading For miles the road climbed sharply upward, or crawled along the face of a mountain at the edge of a yawning pit.
plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
mournfuladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrnfəl/
expressing sorrow
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
water soaked soil; soft wet earth
From this reading But they were really made of branches and bushes, plastered over with mud.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
an announcement containing information about an event
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For miles the road climbed sharply upward, or crawled along the face of a mountain at the edge of a yawning pit.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading For miles the road climbed sharply upward, or crawled along the face of a mountain at the edge of a yawning pit.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading But they were really made of branches and bushes, plastered over with mud.
pitnounUS /pɪt/
A large hole in the ground, or an abyss of darkness and peril.
From this reading For miles the road climbed sharply upward, or crawled along the face of a mountain at the edge of a yawning pit.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
plasteredadjectiveUS /ˈplæstərd/
(of hair) made smooth by applying a sticky or glossy substance
From this reading But they were really made of branches and bushes, plastered over with mud.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading But they were really made of branches and bushes, plastered over with mud.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading For miles the road climbed sharply upward, or crawled along the face of a mountain at the edge of a yawning pit.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
rollernounUS /ˈroʊlər/
a grounder that rolls along the infield
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
roofsnounUS /ruːfs/
plural of “roof” — a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading At first sight these flat roofs seemed to be of heavy blocks of stone.
Identical; not different.
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
in an aggressive manner
From this reading For miles the road climbed sharply upward, or crawled along the face of a mountain at the edge of a yawning pit.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading At first sight these flat roofs seemed to be of heavy blocks of stone.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For miles the road climbed sharply upward, or crawled along the face of a mountain at the edge of a yawning pit.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading At first sight these flat roofs seemed to be of heavy blocks of stone.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
the upper part of anything
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
tunenounUS /tuːn/
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading In every such place one or more of the householders marched back and forth on the top of his dwelling, dragging after him a great stone roller and chanting a mournful tune that seemed to cheer him on in his labor.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
directed up
From this reading For miles the road climbed sharply upward, or crawled along the face of a mountain at the edge of a yawning pit.
villagesnounUS /ˈvɪlədʒəz/
plural of “village” — a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The villages were far apart, and as they were low and flat, and built of the same rock as the mountains, I did not notice them until I was almost upon them.
in the company of; together with
From this reading But they were really made of branches and bushes, plastered over with mud.
yawningadjectiveUS /ˈjɔːnɪŋ/
gaping open as if threatening to engulf someone or something
From this reading For miles the road climbed sharply upward, or crawled along the face of a mountain at the edge of a yawning pit.
