used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading |It was a sultry night.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Not a breath of air was stirring.
(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 glare fell on their faces, confusing their view, and making all dark objects around them invisible.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The glare fell on their faces, confusing their view, and making all dark objects around them invisible.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading Not a breath of air was stirring.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Their eyes caught nothing but a phantasmagoria of coloured lights.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading Their eyes caught nothing but a phantasmagoria of coloured lights.
ChinesenounUS /tʃaɪˈniːz/
any of the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in China; regarded as dialects of a single language (even though they are mutually unintelligible) because they share an ideographic writing system
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
colouredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌlərd/
having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination
From this reading Their eyes caught nothing but a phantasmagoria of coloured lights.
confusingadjectiveUS /kənˈfjuːzɪŋ/
causing confusion or disorientation
From this reading The glare fell on their faces, confusing their view, and making all dark objects around them invisible.
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The glare fell on their faces, confusing their view, and making all dark objects around them invisible.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Their eyes caught nothing but a phantasmagoria of coloured lights.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The glare fell on their faces, confusing their view, and making all dark objects around them invisible.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading The glare fell on their faces, confusing their view, and making all dark objects around them invisible.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
gailyadverbUS /ˈɡeɪli/
in a gay manner
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
glarenounUS /ɡler/
a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted
From this reading The glare fell on their faces, confusing their view, and making all dark objects around them invisible.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
invisibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈvɪzəbəl/
impossible or nearly impossible to see; imperceptible by the eye
From this reading The glare fell on their faces, confusing their view, and making all dark objects around them invisible.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading |It was a sultry night.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
lanternsnounUS /ˈlæntərnz/
plural of “lantern” — light in a transparent protective case
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading Their eyes caught nothing but a phantasmagoria of coloured lights.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading The glare fell on their faces, confusing their view, and making all dark objects around them invisible.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading |It was a sultry night.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not a breath of air was stirring.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Their eyes caught nothing but a phantasmagoria of coloured lights.
plural of “object” — a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading The glare fell on their faces, confusing their view, and making all dark objects around them invisible.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Not a breath of air was stirring.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
phantasmagorianounUS /fænˌtæzməˈɡɔːriə/
a constantly changing medley of real or imagined images (as in a dream)
From this reading Their eyes caught nothing but a phantasmagoria of coloured lights.
quaysnounUS /kiːz/
plural of “quay” — wharf usually built parallel to the shoreline
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
rowedverbUS /roʊd/
past form of “row” — propel with oars
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
stirringnounUS /ˈstɜːrɪŋ/
agitating a liquid with an implement
From this reading Not a breath of air was stirring.
sultryadjectiveUS /ˈsʌltri/
sexually exciting or gratifying
From this reading |It was a sultry night.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The glare fell on their faces, confusing their view, and making all dark objects around them invisible.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The glare fell on their faces, confusing their view, and making all dark objects around them invisible.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading The glare fell on their faces, confusing their view, and making all dark objects around them invisible.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading |It was a sultry night.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
in the company of; together with
From this reading They had escaped from the crowd on the quays and were being rowed about the lake in a little boat gaily hung with Chinese lanterns.
