used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
for the reason that
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading New York lay below them.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
cakenounUS /keɪk/
a block of solid substance (such as soap or wax)
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
-ing form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
citiesnounUS /ˈsɪtiz/
plural of “city” — a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
DavisnounUS /ˈdeɪvəs/
English navigator who explored the Arctic while searching for the Northwest Passage (1550-1605)
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The Hudson was a faintly silvery ribbon flowing down placidly from a far-distant source.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
faintlyadverbUS /ˈfeɪntli/
to a faint degree or weakly perceived
From this reading The Hudson was a faintly silvery ribbon flowing down placidly from a far-distant source.
far-distant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Hudson was a faintly silvery ribbon flowing down placidly from a far-distant source.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
flowedverbUS /floʊd/
past form of “flow” — move or progress freely as if in a stream
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
flowingnounUS /ˈfloʊɪŋ/
the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)
From this reading The Hudson was a faintly silvery ribbon flowing down placidly from a far-distant source.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The Hudson was a faintly silvery ribbon flowing down placidly from a far-distant source.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
HudsonnounUS /ˈhʌdsən/
a New York river; flows southward into New York Bay; explored by Henry Hudson early in the 17th century
From this reading The Hudson was a faintly silvery ribbon flowing down placidly from a far-distant source.
water frozen in the solid state
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading New York lay below them.
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
meltingnounUS /ˈmeltɪŋ/
the process whereby heat changes something from a solid to a liquid
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
moonlitadjectiveUS /ˈmuːnlɪt/
lighted by moonlight
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
assembled for use; especially by being attached to a support
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
NarrowsnounUS /ˈneroʊz/
plural of “narrow” — a narrow strait connecting two bodies of water
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading New York lay below them.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
obstaclenounUS /ˈɑːbstəkəl/
something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
outlinedadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtlaɪnd/
showing clearly the outline or profile or boundary
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
pinverbUS /pɪn/
to hold fast or prevent from moving
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
placidlyadverbUS /ˈplæsɪdli/
in a quiet and tranquil manner
From this reading The Hudson was a faintly silvery ribbon flowing down placidly from a far-distant source.
plural of “point” — a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
ribbonnounUS /ˈrɪbən/
any long object resembling a thin line
From this reading The Hudson was a faintly silvery ribbon flowing down placidly from a far-distant source.
risenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪzən/
(of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
semidarknessnoun
partial darkness
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
silveryadjectiveUS /ˈsɪlvəri/
resembling or reminiscent of silver
From this reading The Hudson was a faintly silvery ribbon flowing down placidly from a far-distant source.
smoothlyadverbUS /ˈsmuːðli/
with no problems or difficulties
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
the place where something begins, where it springs into being
From this reading The Hudson was a faintly silvery ribbon flowing down placidly from a far-distant source.
successive (without a break)
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
moving very fast
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading New York lay below them.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading Because of the ice cake in the Narrows its level had risen two or three feet, but now it flowed smoothly over that great obstacle, melting and carrying it away toward the sea.
townsnounUS /taʊnz/
plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Davis had mounted to a great height, some ten thousand feet, and the pin points of light outlined more than a dozen cities and towns.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The long, straight lines of lights shining up through the semidarkness of the moonlit night made a strange appearance to the two in the swift machine.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Hudson was a faintly silvery ribbon flowing down placidly from a far-distant source.
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading New York lay below them.
