used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER.
acornsnounUS /ˈeɪkɔːrnz/
plural of “acorn” — fruit of the oak tree: a smooth thin-walled nut in a woody cup-shaped base
From this reading He sat on a decaying log, listening to the chatter of a squirrel, and hearing the occasional soft _pat_ of the first-falling acorns.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading All that long, silent afternoon, he wandered through the woods, the fields and the meadows.
(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 All that long, silent afternoon, he wandered through the woods, the fields and the meadows.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading All that long, silent afternoon, he wandered through the woods, the fields and the meadows.
balsamicadjectiveUS /ˌbɑːlˈsɑːmɪk/
of or relating to or containing balsam
From this reading The cool shadows of the forest enfolded him, and the balsamic fragrance of spruce and pine and juniper soothed his troubled spirit.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading He noted the spots where Jack Frost had thus early begun his work of painting the leaves pink and crimson and gold.
chatterverbUS /ˈtʃætər/
click repeatedly or uncontrollably
From this reading He sat on a decaying log, listening to the chatter of a squirrel, and hearing the occasional soft _pat_ of the first-falling acorns.
neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat
From this reading The cool shadows of the forest enfolded him, and the balsamic fragrance of spruce and pine and juniper soothed his troubled spirit.
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 He noted the spots where Jack Frost had thus early begun his work of painting the leaves pink and crimson and gold.
decayingverbUS /dɪˈkeɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “decay” — lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current
From this reading He sat on a decaying log, listening to the chatter of a squirrel, and hearing the occasional soft _pat_ of the first-falling acorns.
arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope
From this reading A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER.
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 He noted the spots where Jack Frost had thus early begun his work of painting the leaves pink and crimson and gold.
ENCOUNTERverbUS /ɪnˈkaʊntər/
come together
From this reading A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER.
enfolded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The cool shadows of the forest enfolded him, and the balsamic fragrance of spruce and pine and juniper soothed his troubled spirit.
United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)
From this reading All that long, silent afternoon, he wandered through the woods, the fields and the meadows.
first-falling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He sat on a decaying log, listening to the chatter of a squirrel, and hearing the occasional soft _pat_ of the first-falling acorns.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading The cool shadows of the forest enfolded him, and the balsamic fragrance of spruce and pine and juniper soothed his troubled spirit.
fragrancenounUS /ˈfreɪɡrəns/
a distinctive odor that is pleasant
From this reading The cool shadows of the forest enfolded him, and the balsamic fragrance of spruce and pine and juniper soothed his troubled spirit.
FrostnounUS /frɔːst/
ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)
From this reading He noted the spots where Jack Frost had thus early begun his work of painting the leaves pink and crimson and gold.
coins made of gold
From this reading He noted the spots where Jack Frost had thus early begun his work of painting the leaves pink and crimson and gold.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He noted the spots where Jack Frost had thus early begun his work of painting the leaves pink and crimson and gold.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading All that long, silent afternoon, he wandered through the woods, the fields and the meadows.
(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence
From this reading He sat on a decaying log, listening to the chatter of a squirrel, and hearing the occasional soft _pat_ of the first-falling acorns.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The cool shadows of the forest enfolded him, and the balsamic fragrance of spruce and pine and juniper soothed his troubled spirit.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The cool shadows of the forest enfolded him, and the balsamic fragrance of spruce and pine and juniper soothed his troubled spirit.
a small worthless amount
From this reading He noted the spots where Jack Frost had thus early begun his work of painting the leaves pink and crimson and gold.
junipernounUS /ˈdʒuːnəpər/
desert shrub of Syria and Arabia having small white flowers; constitutes the juniper of the Old Testament; sometimes placed in genus Genista
From this reading The cool shadows of the forest enfolded him, and the balsamic fragrance of spruce and pine and juniper soothed his troubled spirit.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading He noted the spots where Jack Frost had thus early begun his work of painting the leaves pink and crimson and gold.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading He sat on a decaying log, listening to the chatter of a squirrel, and hearing the occasional soft _pat_ of the first-falling acorns.
logverbUS /lɔːɡ/
enter into a log, as on ships and planes
From this reading He sat on a decaying log, listening to the chatter of a squirrel, and hearing the occasional soft _pat_ of the first-falling acorns.
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 All that long, silent afternoon, he wandered through the woods, the fields and the meadows.
meadowsnounUS /ˈmedoʊz/
plural of “meadow” — a field where grass or alfalfa are grown to be made into hay
From this reading All that long, silent afternoon, he wandered through the woods, the fields and the meadows.
notedadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊtəd/
widely known and esteemed
From this reading He noted the spots where Jack Frost had thus early begun his work of painting the leaves pink and crimson and gold.
occasionaladjectiveUS /əˈkeɪʒənəl/
occurring from time to time
From this reading He sat on a decaying log, listening to the chatter of a squirrel, and hearing the occasional soft _pat_ of the first-falling acorns.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The cool shadows of the forest enfolded him, and the balsamic fragrance of spruce and pine and juniper soothed his troubled spirit.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He sat on a decaying log, listening to the chatter of a squirrel, and hearing the occasional soft _pat_ of the first-falling acorns.
paintingnounUS /ˈpeɪntɪŋ/
graphic art consisting of an artistic composition made by applying paints to a surface
From this reading He noted the spots where Jack Frost had thus early begun his work of painting the leaves pink and crimson and gold.
patverbUS /pæt/
pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin
From this reading He sat on a decaying log, listening to the chatter of a squirrel, and hearing the occasional soft _pat_ of the first-falling acorns.
pinenounUS /paɪn/
a coniferous tree
From this reading The cool shadows of the forest enfolded him, and the balsamic fragrance of spruce and pine and juniper soothed his troubled spirit.
a light shade of red
From this reading He noted the spots where Jack Frost had thus early begun his work of painting the leaves pink and crimson and gold.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading He sat on a decaying log, listening to the chatter of a squirrel, and hearing the occasional soft _pat_ of the first-falling acorns.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading The cool shadows of the forest enfolded him, and the balsamic fragrance of spruce and pine and juniper soothed his troubled spirit.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading All that long, silent afternoon, he wandered through the woods, the fields and the meadows.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading He sat on a decaying log, listening to the chatter of a squirrel, and hearing the occasional soft _pat_ of the first-falling acorns.
soothedverbUS /suːðd/
past form of “soothe” — give moral or emotional strength to
From this reading The cool shadows of the forest enfolded him, and the balsamic fragrance of spruce and pine and juniper soothed his troubled spirit.
the vital principle or animating force within living things
From this reading The cool shadows of the forest enfolded him, and the balsamic fragrance of spruce and pine and juniper soothed his troubled spirit.
spotsnounUS /spɑːts/
spots before the eyes caused by opaque cell fragments in the vitreous humor and lens
From this reading He noted the spots where Jack Frost had thus early begun his work of painting the leaves pink and crimson and gold.
sprucenounUS /spruːs/
light soft moderately strong wood of spruce trees; used especially for timbers and millwork
From this reading The cool shadows of the forest enfolded him, and the balsamic fragrance of spruce and pine and juniper soothed his troubled spirit.
squirrelnounUS /ˈskwɜːrəl/
a kind of arboreal rodent having a long bushy tail
From this reading He sat on a decaying log, listening to the chatter of a squirrel, and hearing the occasional soft _pat_ of the first-falling acorns.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading All that long, silent afternoon, he wandered through the woods, the fields and the meadows.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading All that long, silent afternoon, he wandered through the woods, the fields and the meadows.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading All that long, silent afternoon, he wandered through the woods, the fields and the meadows.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading He noted the spots where Jack Frost had thus early begun his work of painting the leaves pink and crimson and gold.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He sat on a decaying log, listening to the chatter of a squirrel, and hearing the occasional soft _pat_ of the first-falling acorns.
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
From this reading The cool shadows of the forest enfolded him, and the balsamic fragrance of spruce and pine and juniper soothed his troubled spirit.
past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading All that long, silent afternoon, he wandered through the woods, the fields and the meadows.
in or at the place that
From this reading He noted the spots where Jack Frost had thus early begun his work of painting the leaves pink and crimson and gold.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading All that long, silent afternoon, he wandered through the woods, the fields and the meadows.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading He noted the spots where Jack Frost had thus early begun his work of painting the leaves pink and crimson and gold.
