used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading During that eclipse obscurity fell on the air, and a yet vaster quietude enveloped the earth.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
bidsnounUS /bɪdz/
plural of “bid” — an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
broodingnounUS /ˈbruːdɪŋ/
sitting on eggs so as to hatch them by the warmth of the body
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
make overcast or cloudy
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
comprehendedadjectiveUS /ˌkɑːmprɪˈhendɪd/
fully understood or grasped
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Then the sickle reappeared, and with it more than the darkness lifted.
Deirdre
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During that eclipse obscurity fell on the air, and a yet vaster quietude enveloped the earth.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading During that eclipse obscurity fell on the air, and a yet vaster quietude enveloped the earth.
eclipseverbUS /ɪˈklɪps/
be greater in significance than
From this reading During that eclipse obscurity fell on the air, and a yet vaster quietude enveloped the earth.
envelopedverbUS /enˈveləpt/
past form of “envelop” — enclose or enfold completely with or as if with a covering
From this reading During that eclipse obscurity fell on the air, and a yet vaster quietude enveloped the earth.
divisible by two
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading During that eclipse obscurity fell on the air, and a yet vaster quietude enveloped the earth.
inflected form of “flee” — run away quickly
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
glooms
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
hard-won
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
harenounUS /her/
swift timid long-eared mammal larger than a rabbit having a divided upper lip and long hind legs; young born furred and with open eyes
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
infiniteadjectiveUS /ˈɪnfənət/
having no limits or boundaries in time or space or extent or magnitude
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
intermittentlyadverbUS /ˌɪntərˈmɪtəntli/
in an intermittent manner
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then the sickle reappeared, and with it more than the darkness lifted.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
immediately past
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
held up in the air
From this reading Then the sickle reappeared, and with it more than the darkness lifted.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Then the sickle reappeared, and with it more than the darkness lifted.
of an obscure nature
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
normaladjectiveUS /ˈnɔːrməl/
conforming with or constituting a norm or standard or level or type or social norm; not abnormal
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
obscuritynounUS /əbsˈkjʊrəti/
the quality of being unclear or abstruse and hard to understand
From this reading During that eclipse obscurity fell on the air, and a yet vaster quietude enveloped the earth.
observingadjectiveUS /əbˈzɜːrvɪŋ/
quick to notice; showing quick and keen perception
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading During that eclipse obscurity fell on the air, and a yet vaster quietude enveloped the earth.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
the activity of protecting someone or something
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
one of four equal parts
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
quietudenoun
a state of peace and quiet
From this reading During that eclipse obscurity fell on the air, and a yet vaster quietude enveloped the earth.
reappearedverbUS /ˌriːəˈpɪrd/
past form of “reappear” — appear again
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
recedeverbUS /rɪˈsiːd/
pull back or move away or backward
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
scuddingnoun
the act of moving along swiftly (as before a gale)
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
sicklenounUS /ˈsɪkəl/
an edge tool for cutting grass or crops; has a curved blade and a short handle
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
silverly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
staysnounUS /steɪz/
a woman's close-fitting foundation garment
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Then the sickle reappeared, and with it more than the darkness lifted.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then the sickle reappeared, and with it more than the darkness lifted.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
having passed out of existence
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
vaster
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading During that eclipse obscurity fell on the air, and a yet vaster quietude enveloped the earth.
venturesnounUS /ˈventʃərz/
plural of “venture” — any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
visionsnounUS /ˈvɪʒənz/
plural of “vision” — a vivid mental image
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The moon was at her last quarter, a pale thin sickle that shone and disappeared and reappeared in a mass of hastily scudding cloud.
which person or people
From this reading Through these glooms and visions Deirdre fled, observing every shadow as a hare does, who, knowing that this shade is a danger and that one a protection, ventures a pace or stays as his hard-won knowledge bids him.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Then the sickle reappeared, and with it more than the darkness lifted.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Something even more mysterious than darkness vanished intermittently; that brooding as of an infinite presence seemed to recede, and the normal world, beautiful and comprehended, came silverly to the view.
but in spite of that
From this reading During that eclipse obscurity fell on the air, and a yet vaster quietude enveloped the earth.
