used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But he didn't know he was about to become a vital part of it!
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading But he didn't know he was about to become a vital part of it!
from one side of something to the other
From this reading An utter dark lay upon the hills outside the palace now, moonless and with clouds drawn heavy all across the Cretan sky.
how long something has existed
From this reading Burke knew of the ancient Bronze Age and its legend of the dread Minotaur.
(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 An utter dark lay upon the hills outside the palace now, moonless and with clouds drawn heavy all across the Cretan sky.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An utter dark lay upon the hills outside the palace now, moonless and with clouds drawn heavy all across the Cretan sky.
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading Burke knew of the ancient Bronze Age and its legend of the dread Minotaur.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Burke knew of the ancient Bronze Age and its legend of the dread Minotaur.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading But he didn't know he was about to become a vital part of it!
BronzenounUS /brɑːnz/
an alloy of copper and tin and sometimes other elements; also any copper-base alloy containing other elements in place of tin
From this reading Burke knew of the ancient Bronze Age and its legend of the dread Minotaur.
BurkenounUS /bɜːrk/
British statesman famous for his oratory; pleaded the cause of the American colonists in British Parliament and defended the parliamentary system (1729-1797)
From this reading Burke knew of the ancient Bronze Age and its legend of the dread Minotaur.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But he didn't know he was about to become a vital part of it!
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading An utter dark lay upon the hills outside the palace now, moonless and with clouds drawn heavy all across the Cretan sky.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Wind, too, had come with the night, rising till Burke found himself fearing for the shutters.
Cretannoun
a native or inhabitant of Crete
From this reading An utter dark lay upon the hills outside the palace now, moonless and with clouds drawn heavy all across the Cretan sky.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading An utter dark lay upon the hills outside the palace now, moonless and with clouds drawn heavy all across the Cretan sky.
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he didn't know he was about to become a vital part of it!
draftnounUS /dræft/
a document ordering the payment of money; drawn by one person or bank on another
From this reading The lamps flared on their stands with each new gust and draft.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading An utter dark lay upon the hills outside the palace now, moonless and with clouds drawn heavy all across the Cretan sky.
fearful expectation or anticipation
From this reading Burke knew of the ancient Bronze Age and its legend of the dread Minotaur.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading The lamps flared on their stands with each new gust and draft.
fearingverbUS /ˈfɪrɪŋ/
-ing form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading Wind, too, had come with the night, rising till Burke found himself fearing for the shutters.
flaredverbUS /flerd/
past form of “flare” — burn brightly
From this reading The lamps flared on their stands with each new gust and draft.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Wind, too, had come with the night, rising till Burke found himself fearing for the shutters.
set up or found
From this reading Wind, too, had come with the night, rising till Burke found himself fearing for the shutters.
gustnounUS /ɡʌst/
a strong current of air
From this reading The lamps flared on their stands with each new gust and draft.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Wind, too, had come with the night, rising till Burke found himself fearing for the shutters.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But he didn't know he was about to become a vital part of it!
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading An utter dark lay upon the hills outside the palace now, moonless and with clouds drawn heavy all across the Cretan sky.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading An utter dark lay upon the hills outside the palace now, moonless and with clouds drawn heavy all across the Cretan sky.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Wind, too, had come with the night, rising till Burke found himself fearing for the shutters.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But he didn't know he was about to become a vital part of it!
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Burke knew of the ancient Bronze Age and its legend of the dread Minotaur.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Burke knew of the ancient Bronze Age and its legend of the dread Minotaur.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading But he didn't know he was about to become a vital part of it!
lampsnounUS /læmps/
plural of “lamp” — an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading The lamps flared on their stands with each new gust and draft.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading An utter dark lay upon the hills outside the palace now, moonless and with clouds drawn heavy all across the Cretan sky.
legendnounUS /ˈledʒənd/
a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events
From this reading Burke knew of the ancient Bronze Age and its legend of the dread Minotaur.
Minotaurnoun
(Greek mythology) a mythical monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man; slain by Theseus
From this reading Burke knew of the ancient Bronze Age and its legend of the dread Minotaur.
moonlessadjective
without a moon or a visible moon
From this reading An utter dark lay upon the hills outside the palace now, moonless and with clouds drawn heavy all across the Cretan sky.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The lamps flared on their stands with each new gust and draft.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Wind, too, had come with the night, rising till Burke found himself fearing for the shutters.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading An utter dark lay upon the hills outside the palace now, moonless and with clouds drawn heavy all across the Cretan sky.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Burke knew of the ancient Bronze Age and its legend of the dread Minotaur.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The lamps flared on their stands with each new gust and draft.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading An utter dark lay upon the hills outside the palace now, moonless and with clouds drawn heavy all across the Cretan sky.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading An utter dark lay upon the hills outside the palace now, moonless and with clouds drawn heavy all across the Cretan sky.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading But he didn't know he was about to become a vital part of it!
advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status
From this reading Wind, too, had come with the night, rising till Burke found himself fearing for the shutters.
shuttersnounUS /ˈʃʌtərz/
plural of “shutter” — a mechanical device on a camera that opens and closes to control the time of a photographic exposure
From this reading Wind, too, had come with the night, rising till Burke found himself fearing for the shutters.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading An utter dark lay upon the hills outside the palace now, moonless and with clouds drawn heavy all across the Cretan sky.
plural of “stand” — a support or foundation
From this reading The lamps flared on their stands with each new gust and draft.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Burke knew of the ancient Bronze Age and its legend of the dread Minotaur.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The lamps flared on their stands with each new gust and draft.
up to a particular time
From this reading Wind, too, had come with the night, rising till Burke found himself fearing for the shutters.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But he didn't know he was about to become a vital part of it!
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Wind, too, had come with the night, rising till Burke found himself fearing for the shutters.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading An utter dark lay upon the hills outside the palace now, moonless and with clouds drawn heavy all across the Cretan sky.
articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
From this reading An utter dark lay upon the hills outside the palace now, moonless and with clouds drawn heavy all across the Cretan sky.
vitaladjectiveUS /ˈvaɪtəl/
urgently needed; absolutely necessary
From this reading But he didn't know he was about to become a vital part of it!
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But he didn't know he was about to become a vital part of it!
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Wind, too, had come with the night, rising till Burke found himself fearing for the shutters.
in the company of; together with
From this reading An utter dark lay upon the hills outside the palace now, moonless and with clouds drawn heavy all across the Cretan sky.
