used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The wind was high and as it dashed among the trees it made a roaring as of many chariots.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
affirmationnounUS /ˌæfərˈmeɪʃən/
a statement asserting the existence or the truth of something
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
anew
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
(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 The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading The wind was high and as it dashed among the trees it made a roaring as of many chariots.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The wind was high and as it dashed among the trees it made a roaring as of many chariots.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The wind was high and as it dashed among the trees it made a roaring as of many chariots.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
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 grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
blotnounUS /blɑːt/
a blemish made by dirt
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat by the drawing-room fire, listening for the sound of wheels.
chariotsnounUS /ˈtʃeriəts/
plural of “chariot” — a light four-wheel horse-drawn ceremonial carriage
From this reading The wind was high and as it dashed among the trees it made a roaring as of many chariots.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
clusteredadjectiveUS /ˈklʌstərd/
growing close together but not in dense mats
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
contriteadjectiveUS /kənˈtraɪt/
feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
crotchetnoun
a sharp curve or crook; a shape resembling a hook
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
curvedadjectiveUS /kɜːrvd/
having or marked by a curve or smoothly rounded bend
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
having gaps or spaces
From this reading The wind was high and as it dashed among the trees it made a roaring as of many chariots.
defiancenounUS /dɪˈfaɪəns/
intentionally contemptuous behavior or attitude
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
denialnounUS /dɪˈnaɪəl/
the act of refusing to comply (as with a request)
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
dippingverbUS /ˈdɪpɪŋ/
inflected form of “dip” — immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
drawing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat by the drawing-room fire, listening for the sound of wheels.
operate or control a vehicle
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
edgedadjectiveUS /edʒd/
having a specified kind of border or edge
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
elmsnounUS /elmz/
plural of “elm” — any of various trees of the genus Ulmus: important timber or shade trees
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
fadingnounUS /ˈfeɪdɪŋ/
weakening in force or intensity
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat by the drawing-room fire, listening for the sound of wheels.
flingingverbUS /ˈflɪŋɪŋ/
-ing form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat by the drawing-room fire, listening for the sound of wheels.
glimmernounUS /ˈɡlɪmər/
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The wind was high and as it dashed among the trees it made a roaring as of many chariots.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
humilitynounUS /hjuːˈmɪlɪti/
a disposition to be humble; a lack of false pride
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The wind was high and as it dashed among the trees it made a roaring as of many chariots.
set down according to a plan
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
lawnnounUS /lɔːn/
a field of cultivated and mowed grass
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat by the drawing-room fire, listening for the sound of wheels.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
loweringadjectiveUS /ˈloʊərɪŋ/
darkened by clouds
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The wind was high and as it dashed among the trees it made a roaring as of many chariots.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading The wind was high and as it dashed among the trees it made a roaring as of many chariots.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
MortonnounUS /ˈmɔːrtən/
United States jazz musician who moved from ragtime to New Orleans jazz (1885-1941)
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat by the drawing-room fire, listening for the sound of wheels.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat by the drawing-room fire, listening for the sound of wheels.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat by the drawing-room fire, listening for the sound of wheels.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
roaringnounUS /ˈrɔːrɪŋ/
a deep prolonged loud noise
From this reading The wind was high and as it dashed among the trees it made a roaring as of many chariots.
rooksnounUS /rʊks/
plural of “rook” — (chess) the piece that can move any number of unoccupied squares in a direction parallel to the sides of the chessboard
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat by the drawing-room fire, listening for the sound of wheels.
the act of causing something to move up and down (or back and forth) with quick movements
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
shawlnounUS /ʃɔːl/
cloak consisting of an oblong piece of cloth used to cover the head and shoulders
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
slopedadjective
having an oblique or slanted direction
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat by the drawing-room fire, listening for the sound of wheels.
springingverbUS /ˈsprɪŋɪŋ/
-ing form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
swayingverbUS /ˈsweɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat by the drawing-room fire, listening for the sound of wheels.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
in the direction of
From this reading The branches of all the trees were swaying, flinging themselves this way and that, dipping towards the earth and springing up again in defiance of their humility, shaking their heads in denial, lowering them in contrite affirmation.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading The wind was high and as it dashed among the trees it made a roaring as of many chariots.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The wind was high and as it dashed among the trees it made a roaring as of many chariots.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
wheelsnounUS /wiːlz/
plural of “wheel” — a simple machine consisting of a circular frame with spokes (or a solid disc) that can rotate on a shaft or axle (as in vehicles or other machines)
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat by the drawing-room fire, listening for the sound of wheels.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The grass before the house sloped to a glimmer of water, and was edged by clustered trees; on the other side of the lake more trees stood black against the fading light, and close to the house there was a group of elms in which the rooks were busy.
whitenessnounUS /ˈwaɪtnəs/
the quality or state of the achromatic color of greatest lightness (bearing the least resemblance to black)
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The wind was high and as it dashed among the trees it made a roaring as of many chariots.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
wrappingnounUS /ˈræpɪŋ/
the covering (usually paper or cellophane) in which something is wrapped
From this reading Three times already she had laid down her crotchet and picked it up again, and now, wrapping a little shawl about her shoulders, she went to the window and watched for a blot on the whiteness of the drive that followed the side of the lawn for a little way before it curved out of sight.
