used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
anew
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Then for a second, or part of it, the figures of moving men and beasts became visible, etched hard and black against an overwhelming brightness, as a blaze of lightning smote the prairie.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
from appearances alone
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Then for a second, or part of it, the figures of moving men and beasts became visible, etched hard and black against an overwhelming brightness, as a blaze of lightning smote the prairie.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
balustradenoun
a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
plural of “beast” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading Then for a second, or part of it, the figures of moving men and beasts became visible, etched hard and black against an overwhelming brightness, as a blaze of lightning smote the prairie.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Presently the sharp cries of one of the hired men broke in, and Florence, who felt her nerves tingling, became conscious of an unpleasant tension.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Then for a second, or part of it, the figures of moving men and beasts became visible, etched hard and black against an overwhelming brightness, as a blaze of lightning smote the prairie.
blazenounUS /bleɪz/
a strong flame that burns brightly
From this reading Then for a second, or part of it, the figures of moving men and beasts became visible, etched hard and black against an overwhelming brightness, as a blaze of lightning smote the prairie.
of short duration or distance
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
brightnessnounUS /ˈbraɪtnəs/
the location of a visual perception along a continuum from black to white
From this reading Then for a second, or part of it, the figures of moving men and beasts became visible, etched hard and black against an overwhelming brightness, as a blaze of lightning smote the prairie.
lacking funds
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
chargedadjectiveUS /tʃɑːrdʒd/
of a particle or body or system; having a net amount of positive or negative electric charge
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
intentionally conceived
From this reading Presently the sharp cries of one of the hired men broke in, and Florence, who felt her nerves tingling, became conscious of an unpleasant tension.
contrastnounUS /ˈkɑːntræst/
the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
plural of “cry” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading Presently the sharp cries of one of the hired men broke in, and Florence, who felt her nerves tingling, became conscious of an unpleasant tension.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
put on clothes
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
etchedadjectiveUS /etʃt/
cut or impressed into a surface
From this reading Then for a second, or part of it, the figures of moving men and beasts became visible, etched hard and black against an overwhelming brightness, as a blaze of lightning smote the prairie.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Presently the sharp cries of one of the hired men broke in, and Florence, who felt her nerves tingling, became conscious of an unpleasant tension.
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading Then for a second, or part of it, the figures of moving men and beasts became visible, etched hard and black against an overwhelming brightness, as a blaze of lightning smote the prairie.
FlorencenounUS /ˈflɔːrəns/
a city in central Italy on the Arno; provincial capital of Tuscany; center of the Italian Renaissance from 14th to 16th centuries
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
flownounUS /floʊ/
the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
gauzyadjective
so thin as to transmit light
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
(of animals) fully developed
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
HAILverbUS /heɪl/
praise vociferously
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading Then for a second, or part of it, the figures of moving men and beasts became visible, etched hard and black against an overwhelming brightness, as a blaze of lightning smote the prairie.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
hiredadjectiveUS /ˈhaɪərd/
having services engaged for a fee
From this reading Presently the sharp cries of one of the hired men broke in, and Florence, who felt her nerves tingling, became conscious of an unpleasant tension.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
hothousenounUS /ˈhɑːthaʊs/
a greenhouse in which plants are arranged in a pleasing manner
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
someone who hunts game
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
the act of departing
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light
From this reading Then for a second, or part of it, the figures of moving men and beasts became visible, etched hard and black against an overwhelming brightness, as a blaze of lightning smote the prairie.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
the force of workers available
From this reading Presently the sharp cries of one of the hired men broke in, and Florence, who felt her nerves tingling, became conscious of an unpleasant tension.
moisturenounUS /ˈmɔɪstʃər/
wetness caused by water
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
in motion
From this reading Then for a second, or part of it, the figures of moving men and beasts became visible, etched hard and black against an overwhelming brightness, as a blaze of lightning smote the prairie.
an uneasy psychological state
From this reading Presently the sharp cries of one of the hired men broke in, and Florence, who felt her nerves tingling, became conscious of an unpleasant tension.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
odornounUS /ˈoʊdər/
any property detected by the olfactory system
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Presently the sharp cries of one of the hired men broke in, and Florence, who felt her nerves tingling, became conscious of an unpleasant tension.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
overwhelmingadjectiveUS /ˌoʊvərˈwelmɪŋ/
so strong as to be irresistible
From this reading Then for a second, or part of it, the figures of moving men and beasts became visible, etched hard and black against an overwhelming brightness, as a blaze of lightning smote the prairie.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading Then for a second, or part of it, the figures of moving men and beasts became visible, etched hard and black against an overwhelming brightness, as a blaze of lightning smote the prairie.
prairienounUS /ˈpreri/
a treeless grassy plain
From this reading Then for a second, or part of it, the figures of moving men and beasts became visible, etched hard and black against an overwhelming brightness, as a blaze of lightning smote the prairie.
in the near future
From this reading Presently the sharp cries of one of the hired men broke in, and Florence, who felt her nerves tingling, became conscious of an unpleasant tension.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
recedeverbUS /rɪˈsiːd/
pull back or move away or backward
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
rushesnounUS /ˈrʌʃəz/
plural of “rush” — the act of moving hurriedly and in a careless manner
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Then for a second, or part of it, the figures of moving men and beasts became visible, etched hard and black against an overwhelming brightness, as a blaze of lightning smote the prairie.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading Presently the sharp cries of one of the hired men broke in, and Florence, who felt her nerves tingling, became conscious of an unpleasant tension.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
shiveringnounUS /ˈʃɪvərɪŋ/
a sensation of cold that often marks the start of an infection and the development of a fever
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
showernounUS /ˈʃaʊər/
a plumbing fixture that sprays water over you
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
smote
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then for a second, or part of it, the figures of moving men and beasts became visible, etched hard and black against an overwhelming brightness, as a blaze of lightning smote the prairie.
not in physical motion
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
in a strange manner
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
tensionnounUS /ˈtenʃən/
(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense
From this reading Presently the sharp cries of one of the hired men broke in, and Florence, who felt her nerves tingling, became conscious of an unpleasant tension.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading She could hear Hunter calling to the horses, which apparently broke away from him now and then in short, savage rushes, but she could see nothing of him or them.
tinglingadjectiveUS /ˈtɪŋɡəlɪŋ/
exciting by touching lightly so as to cause laughter or twitching movements
From this reading Presently the sharp cries of one of the hired men broke in, and Florence, who felt her nerves tingling, became conscious of an unpleasant tension.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
offensive or disagreeable; causing discomfort or unhappiness
From this reading Presently the sharp cries of one of the hired men broke in, and Florence, who felt her nerves tingling, became conscious of an unpleasant tension.
verandanounUS /vərˈændə/
a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
precisely as stated
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
capable of being seen; or open to easy view
From this reading Then for a second, or part of it, the figures of moving men and beasts became visible, etched hard and black against an overwhelming brightness, as a blaze of lightning smote the prairie.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
at the time that
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading HAIL The air had grown very still again when Florence leaned on the veranda balustrade, gazing into the darkness, which was now intense.
whilesnounUS /waɪlz/
plural of “while” — a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
which person or people
From this reading Presently the sharp cries of one of the hired men broke in, and Florence, who felt her nerves tingling, became conscious of an unpleasant tension.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The brief shower of heavy rain had wet the grass, and waves of warm moisture charged with an odor like that of a hothouse seemed to flow about her and recede again, leaving her almost shivering in her gauzy dress, for between whiles it was by contrast strangely cold.
