used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
anew
From this reading Nothing would be alive again until April.
aliveadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/
possessing life
From this reading Nothing would be alive again until April.
(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 There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
the month following March and preceding May
From this reading Nothing would be alive again until April.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Nothing would be alive again until April.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
carpetnounUS /ˈkɑːrpət/
floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
cliffsnounUS /klɪfs/
plural of “cliff” — a steep high face of rock
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
countlessadjectiveUS /ˈkaʊntləs/
too numerous to be counted
From this reading Where had the countless millions of mosquitos gone?
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
diversadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪvərz/
many and different
From this reading Where the sable ravens, and the loons and divers?
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
glazeverbUS /ɡleɪz/
coat with a glaze
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
destroyed or killed
From this reading Where had the countless millions of mosquitos gone?
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading It was the time of the great silence.
greenerynounUS /ˈɡriːnəri/
green foliage
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Where had the countless millions of mosquitos gone?
Hanafin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
water frozen in the solid state
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
insectnounUS /ˈɪnsekt/
small air-breathing arthropod
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the time of the great silence.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
loonsnounUS /luːnz/
plural of “loon” — a worthless lazy fellow
From this reading Where the sable ravens, and the loons and divers?
strongly marked; easily noticeable
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
millionsnounUS /ˈmɪljənz/
plural of “million” — the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros
From this reading Where had the countless millions of mosquitos gone?
mosquitosnounUS /məˈskiːtoʊz/
plural of “mosquito” — two-winged insect whose female has a long proboscis to pierce the skin and suck the blood of humans and animals
From this reading Where had the countless millions of mosquitos gone?
not any; not one
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
OctobernounUS /ɑːkˈtoʊbər/
the month following September and preceding November
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
raggedadjectiveUS /ˈræɡəd/
being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
ravensnounUS /ˈreɪvənz/
plural of “raven” — large black bird with a straight bill and long wedge-shaped tail
From this reading Where the sable ravens, and the loons and divers?
sablenounUS /ˈseɪbəl/
an artist's brush made of sable hairs
From this reading Where the sable ravens, and the loons and divers?
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading It was the time of the great silence.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
sprucenounUS /spruːs/
light soft moderately strong wood of spruce trees; used especially for timbers and millwork
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It was the time of the great silence.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
trumpetedverbUS /ˈtrʌmpətɪd/
past form of “trumpet” — proclaim on, or as if on, a trumpet
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Nothing would be alive again until April.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
in or at the place that
From this reading Where had the countless millions of mosquitos gone?
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There were no October leaves to fall upon Hanafin City; the ragged spruce held its dark greenery, which looked black under the snow and glaze of ice, but all else was dead; not a bird flew, not an insect trumpeted, nothing marked the carpet of the covered cliffs.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Nothing would be alive again until April.
