used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Her window looked to the north along the bases of the low range of hills which shut in the valley and the village.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading One of the first days of the New year rose clear and frosty.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
completely unclothed
From this reading A strewing of snow lay on the ground, and the bare black trees rose, vividly separate, on the white stretches of grass.
basesnounUS /ˈbeɪsəz/
plural of “base” — installation from which a military force initiates operations
From this reading Her window looked to the north along the bases of the low range of hills which shut in the valley and the village.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading A strewing of snow lay on the ground, and the bare black trees rose, vividly separate, on the white stretches of grass.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
rid of obstructions
From this reading One of the first days of the New year rose clear and frosty.
having or capable of producing colors
From this reading A patch of paler colour on the purple slope of the hills marked the long front of Monk Lawrence.
curtainsnounUS /ˈkɜːrtənz/
plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading One of the first days of the New year rose clear and frosty.
Delia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
Delia's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
fadingnounUS /ˈfeɪdɪŋ/
weakening in force or intensity
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading One of the first days of the New year rose clear and frosty.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading A patch of paler colour on the purple slope of the hills marked the long front of Monk Lawrence.
frostyadjectiveUS /ˈfrɔːsti/
devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
From this reading One of the first days of the New year rose clear and frosty.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading A strewing of snow lay on the ground, and the bare black trees rose, vividly separate, on the white stretches of grass.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading A strewing of snow lay on the ground, and the bare black trees rose, vividly separate, on the white stretches of grass.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
half-past
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading Her window looked to the north along the bases of the low range of hills which shut in the valley and the village.
housemaidnoun
a female domestic
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Her window looked to the north along the bases of the low range of hills which shut in the valley and the village.
LawrencenounUS /ˈlɔːrəns/
Roman martyr; supposedly Lawrence was ordered by the police to give up the church's treasure and when he responded by presenting the poor people of Rome he was roasted to death on a gridiron (died in 258)
From this reading A patch of paler colour on the purple slope of the hills marked the long front of Monk Lawrence.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading A strewing of snow lay on the ground, and the bare black trees rose, vividly separate, on the white stretches of grass.
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 A patch of paler colour on the purple slope of the hills marked the long front of Monk Lawrence.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Her window looked to the north along the bases of the low range of hills which shut in the valley and the village.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Her window looked to the north along the bases of the low range of hills which shut in the valley and the village.
a female domestic
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
strongly marked; easily noticeable
From this reading A patch of paler colour on the purple slope of the hills marked the long front of Monk Lawrence.
MonknounUS /mʌŋk/
a male religious living in a cloister and devoting himself to contemplation and prayer and work
From this reading A patch of paler colour on the purple slope of the hills marked the long front of Monk Lawrence.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading One of the first days of the New year rose clear and frosty.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading Her window looked to the north along the bases of the low range of hills which shut in the valley and the village.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading One of the first days of the New year rose clear and frosty.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A strewing of snow lay on the ground, and the bare black trees rose, vividly separate, on the white stretches of grass.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One of the first days of the New year rose clear and frosty.
opalineadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpəliːn/
having a play of lustrous rainbow colors
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
paler
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A patch of paler colour on the purple slope of the hills marked the long front of Monk Lawrence.
patchnounUS /pætʃ/
a small contrasting part of something
From this reading A patch of paler colour on the purple slope of the hills marked the long front of Monk Lawrence.
a purple color or pigment
From this reading A patch of paler colour on the purple slope of the hills marked the long front of Monk Lawrence.
an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"
From this reading Her window looked to the north along the bases of the low range of hills which shut in the valley and the village.
replacedverbUS /ˌriːˈpleɪst/
past form of “replace” — substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected)
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading One of the first days of the New year rose clear and frosty.
act as a barrier between; stand between
From this reading A strewing of snow lay on the ground, and the bare black trees rose, vividly separate, on the white stretches of grass.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading Her window looked to the north along the bases of the low range of hills which shut in the valley and the village.
sinkingnounUS /ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/
a descent as through liquid (especially through water)
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
an elevated geological formation
From this reading A patch of paler colour on the purple slope of the hills marked the long front of Monk Lawrence.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading A strewing of snow lay on the ground, and the bare black trees rose, vividly separate, on the white stretches of grass.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
stretchesnounUS /ˈstretʃəz/
plural of “stretch” — a large and unbroken expanse or distance
From this reading A strewing of snow lay on the ground, and the bare black trees rose, vividly separate, on the white stretches of grass.
strewingnoun
the act of scattering
From this reading A strewing of snow lay on the ground, and the bare black trees rose, vividly separate, on the white stretches of grass.
temporarilyadverbUS /ˌtempərˈerəli/
for a limited time only; not permanently
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading One of the first days of the New year rose clear and frosty.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Her window looked to the north along the bases of the low range of hills which shut in the valley and the village.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading A strewing of snow lay on the ground, and the bare black trees rose, vividly separate, on the white stretches of grass.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading Her window looked to the north along the bases of the low range of hills which shut in the valley and the village.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading Her window looked to the north along the bases of the low range of hills which shut in the valley and the village.
a vivid mental image
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
vividlyadverbUS /ˈvɪvədli/
in a vivid manner
From this reading A strewing of snow lay on the ground, and the bare black trees rose, vividly separate, on the white stretches of grass.
WestonnounUS /ˈwestən/
United States photographer(1886-1958)
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
at the time that
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Her window looked to the north along the bases of the low range of hills which shut in the valley and the village.
a Caucasian
From this reading A strewing of snow lay on the ground, and the bare black trees rose, vividly separate, on the white stretches of grass.
which person or people
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading Her window looked to the north along the bases of the low range of hills which shut in the valley and the village.
in the company of; together with
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading One of the first days of the New year rose clear and frosty.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading When the young housemaid who had temporarily replaced Weston as Delia's maid drew back her curtains at half-past seven, Delia caught a vision of an opaline sky with a sinking moon and fading stars.
