used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A starless night, crushing, implacable, a night of thick fog, weighed stilly and heavily on the invisible lake and the indistinct cliffs.
absorbedadjectiveUS /əbˈzɔːrbd/
giving or marked by complete attention to
From this reading The noise of the waterfalls was no longer heard: the fog absorbed them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A starless night, crushing, implacable, a night of thick fog, weighed stilly and heavily on the invisible lake and the indistinct cliffs.
people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group
From this reading His eyes were of no more use to him than the eyes of the blind.
cliffsnounUS /klɪfs/
plural of “cliff” — a steep high face of rock
From this reading A starless night, crushing, implacable, a night of thick fog, weighed stilly and heavily on the invisible lake and the indistinct cliffs.
crushingadjectiveUS /ˈkrʌʃɪŋ/
physically or spiritually devastating; often used in combination
From this reading A starless night, crushing, implacable, a night of thick fog, weighed stilly and heavily on the invisible lake and the indistinct cliffs.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading IN THE DARKNESS Ralph’s first impression was terrible.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading His ears heard only silence.
opinion or judgment
From this reading His eyes were of no more use to him than the eyes of the blind.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading IN THE DARKNESS Ralph’s first impression was terrible.
fognounUS /fɑːɡ/
droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground
From this reading A starless night, crushing, implacable, a night of thick fog, weighed stilly and heavily on the invisible lake and the indistinct cliffs.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading His ears heard only silence.
to a considerable degree
From this reading A starless night, crushing, implacable, a night of thick fog, weighed stilly and heavily on the invisible lake and the indistinct cliffs.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading His eyes were of no more use to him than the eyes of the blind.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His eyes were of no more use to him than the eyes of the blind.
implacableadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈplækəbəl/
incapable of being placated
From this reading A starless night, crushing, implacable, a night of thick fog, weighed stilly and heavily on the invisible lake and the indistinct cliffs.
a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading IN THE DARKNESS Ralph’s first impression was terrible.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN THE DARKNESS Ralph’s first impression was terrible.
indistinctadjectiveUS /ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋkt/
not clearly defined or easy to perceive or understand
From this reading A starless night, crushing, implacable, a night of thick fog, weighed stilly and heavily on the invisible lake and the indistinct cliffs.
invisibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈvɪzəbəl/
impossible or nearly impossible to see; imperceptible by the eye
From this reading A starless night, crushing, implacable, a night of thick fog, weighed stilly and heavily on the invisible lake and the indistinct cliffs.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading A starless night, crushing, implacable, a night of thick fog, weighed stilly and heavily on the invisible lake and the indistinct cliffs.
for more time
From this reading The noise of the waterfalls was no longer heard: the fog absorbed them.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading His eyes were of no more use to him than the eyes of the blind.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading A starless night, crushing, implacable, a night of thick fog, weighed stilly and heavily on the invisible lake and the indistinct cliffs.
not any; not one
From this reading His eyes were of no more use to him than the eyes of the blind.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading The noise of the waterfalls was no longer heard: the fog absorbed them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A starless night, crushing, implacable, a night of thick fog, weighed stilly and heavily on the invisible lake and the indistinct cliffs.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A starless night, crushing, implacable, a night of thick fog, weighed stilly and heavily on the invisible lake and the indistinct cliffs.
and nothing more
From this reading His ears heard only silence.
Ralph's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN THE DARKNESS Ralph’s first impression was terrible.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading His ears heard only silence.
starlessadjective
not starry; having no stars or starlike objects
From this reading A starless night, crushing, implacable, a night of thick fog, weighed stilly and heavily on the invisible lake and the indistinct cliffs.
stillyadjective
(poetic) still or calm
From this reading A starless night, crushing, implacable, a night of thick fog, weighed stilly and heavily on the invisible lake and the indistinct cliffs.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading IN THE DARKNESS Ralph’s first impression was terrible.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading His eyes were of no more use to him than the eyes of the blind.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading IN THE DARKNESS Ralph’s first impression was terrible.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The noise of the waterfalls was no longer heard: the fog absorbed them.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading A starless night, crushing, implacable, a night of thick fog, weighed stilly and heavily on the invisible lake and the indistinct cliffs.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading His eyes were of no more use to him than the eyes of the blind.
the act of using
From this reading His eyes were of no more use to him than the eyes of the blind.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading IN THE DARKNESS Ralph’s first impression was terrible.
waterfallsnounUS /ˈwɔːtərfɔːlz/
plural of “waterfall” — a steep descent of the water of a river
From this reading The noise of the waterfalls was no longer heard: the fog absorbed them.
weighedverbUS /weɪd/
past form of “weigh” — have a certain weight
From this reading A starless night, crushing, implacable, a night of thick fog, weighed stilly and heavily on the invisible lake and the indistinct cliffs.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His eyes were of no more use to him than the eyes of the blind.
