used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
the season when the leaves fall from the trees
From this reading The autumn flowers, nipped by early frosts, lay black and ragged on their erewhile brilliant beds.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
bedsnounUS /bedz/
plural of “bed” — a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading The autumn flowers, nipped by early frosts, lay black and ragged on their erewhile brilliant beds.
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 autumn flowers, nipped by early frosts, lay black and ragged on their erewhile brilliant beds.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
brightnessnounUS /ˈbraɪtnəs/
the location of a visual perception along a continuum from black to white
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
of surpassing excellence
From this reading The autumn flowers, nipped by early frosts, lay black and ragged on their erewhile brilliant beds.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The autumn flowers, nipped by early frosts, lay black and ragged on their erewhile brilliant beds.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
chrysanthemumsnounUS /krɪˈsænθəməmz/
plural of “chrysanthemum” — the flower of a chrysanthemum plant
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
crimsonadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪmzən/
of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
deepeningnounUS /ˈdiːpənɪŋ/
a process of becoming deeper and more profound
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
DESOLATEadjectiveUS /ˈdesələt/
providing no shelter or sustenance
From this reading THE DESOLATE MOTHER.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
endingnounUS /ˈendɪŋ/
the end of a word (a suffix or inflectional ending or final morpheme)
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
erewhile
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The autumn flowers, nipped by early frosts, lay black and ragged on their erewhile brilliant beds.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading The autumn flowers, nipped by early frosts, lay black and ragged on their erewhile brilliant beds.
fragrantadjectiveUS /ˈfreɪɡrənt/
pleasant-smelling
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
frostsnounUS /frɔːsts/
plural of “frost” — ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)
From this reading The autumn flowers, nipped by early frosts, lay black and ragged on their erewhile brilliant beds.
greensnounUS /ɡriːnz/
any of various leafy plants or their leaves and stems eaten as vegetables
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was three months later.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading It was three months later.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The autumn flowers, nipped by early frosts, lay black and ragged on their erewhile brilliant beds.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading It was three months later.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading THE DESOLATE MOTHER.
nippedverbUS /nɪpt/
inflected form of “nip” — squeeze tightly between the fingers
From this reading The autumn flowers, nipped by early frosts, lay black and ragged on their erewhile brilliant beds.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The autumn flowers, nipped by early frosts, lay black and ragged on their erewhile brilliant beds.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
orangenounUS /ˈɔːrəndʒ/
round yellow to orange fruit of any of several citrus trees
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
outshoneverbUS /aʊtˈʃoʊn/
inflected form of “outshine” — shine brighter than
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
palingnoun
a fence made of upright pickets
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
peacefuladjectiveUS /ˈpiːsfəl/
not disturbed by strife or turmoil or war
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
raggedadjectiveUS /ˈræɡəd/
being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn
From this reading The autumn flowers, nipped by early frosts, lay black and ragged on their erewhile brilliant beds.
russetnounUS /ˈrʌsɪt/
a reddish brown homespun fabric
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
Selbys
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
shrubberynounUS /ˈʃrʌbəri/
an area where a number of shrubs are planted
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
with low volume
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
sulphurverbUS /ˈsʌlfər/
treat with sulphur in order to preserve
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE DESOLATE MOTHER.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The autumn flowers, nipped by early frosts, lay black and ragged on their erewhile brilliant beds.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading It was three months later.
tintsnounUS /tɪnts/
plural of “tint” — a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
vigorousadjectiveUS /ˈvɪɡərəs/
characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
vividadjectiveUS /ˈvɪvəd/
evoking lifelike images within the mind
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was three months later.
well-spent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The sun was warm and the air sweet with the breath of leaves falling softly in their brightness, one by one, peaceful, beautiful, fragrant, like the ending of a well-spent life.
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading The Selbys' shrubbery had changed from the vigorous greens of summer to russet, paling here into sulphur yellow, there deepening to orange and crimson which outshone the less vivid tints of the early chrysanthemums.
