used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading They could not help but feel the something melancholy in the air.
(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 The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
separated or at a distance in place or position or time
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
barrenadjectiveUS /ˈbærən/
providing no shelter or sustenance
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They could not help but feel the something melancholy in the air.
small room on a ship or boat where people sleep
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading Christmas was upon them.
civilizationnounUS /ˌsɪvəlɪˈzeɪʃən/
a society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations)
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading They could not help but feel the something melancholy in the air.
dismallyadverbUS /ˈdɪzməli/
in a cheerless manner
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
endlessadjectiveUS /ˈendləs/
tiresomely long; seemingly without end
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading They could not help but feel the something melancholy in the air.
fireplacenounUS /ˈfaɪərpleɪs/
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
brought together in one place
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading They could not help but feel the something melancholy in the air.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
journeyingnounUS /ˈdʒɜːrniɪŋ/
the act of traveling from one place to another
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
go away from a place
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
meditationnounUS /ˌmedəˈteɪʃən/
continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
a feeling of thoughtful sadness
From this reading They could not help but feel the something melancholy in the air.
NETnounUS /net/
a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange
From this reading THE TIGHTENING NET.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They could not help but feel the something melancholy in the air.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
sheeted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
in some unspecified way or manner; or by some unspecified means
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading They could not help but feel the something melancholy in the air.
having a supporting base
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
strandedadjectiveUS /ˈstrændɪd/
cut off or left behind
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
stretchverbUS /stretʃ/
occupy a large, elongated area
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE TIGHTENING NET.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Christmas was upon them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
TIGHTENINGnounUS /ˈtaɪtənɪŋ/
the act of making something tighter
From this reading THE TIGHTENING NET.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Christmas was upon them.
wailedverbUS /weɪld/
past form of “wail” — emit long loud cries
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Christmas was upon them.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
whippedverbUS /wɪpt/
inflected form of “whip” — beat severely with a whip or rod
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading They gathered before the big fireplace in silent meditation, while outside the wind whipped sheeted snow against the walls and wailed dismally its endless journeying.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading The little cabin, standing so far away from civilization and all the things they were accustomed to know seemed somehow to set them apart from the rest of the world and leave them stranded as it were, upon a barren stretch of thought.
