used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
BALDWIN'SnounUS /ˈbɔːldwənz/
possessive form of “baldwin” — United States author who was an outspoken critic of racism (1924-1987)
From this reading BALDWIN’S MONTHLY.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
bridaladjectiveUS /ˈbraɪdəl/
of or relating to a wedding
From this reading “Well, the first time I ever saw your portrait—that one hanging there in the bridal dress and veil—I loved it.
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
darkestadjectiveUS /ˈdɑːrkəst/
superlative of “dark” — devoid of or deficient in light or brightness; shadowed or black
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
dawningnounUS /ˈdɔːnɪŋ/
the first light of day
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
put on clothes
From this reading “Well, the first time I ever saw your portrait—that one hanging there in the bridal dress and veil—I loved it.
driftedverbUS /ˈdrɪftəd/
past form of “drift” — be in motion due to some air or water current
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
at any time
From this reading “Well, the first time I ever saw your portrait—that one hanging there in the bridal dress and veil—I loved it.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading “Well, the first time I ever saw your portrait—that one hanging there in the bridal dress and veil—I loved it.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
be suspended or hanging
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading “Well, the first time I ever saw your portrait—that one hanging there in the bridal dress and veil—I loved it.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Well, the first time I ever saw your portrait—that one hanging there in the bridal dress and veil—I loved it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Well, the first time I ever saw your portrait—that one hanging there in the bridal dress and veil—I loved it.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Well, the first time I ever saw your portrait—that one hanging there in the bridal dress and veil—I loved it.
and nothing more
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
held up in the air
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
held dear
From this reading “Well, the first time I ever saw your portrait—that one hanging there in the bridal dress and veil—I loved it.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
MONTHLYnounUS /ˈmʌnθli/
a periodical that is published every month (or 12 issues per year)
From this reading BALDWIN’S MONTHLY.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Oh!
ominousadjectiveUS /ˈɑːmənəs/
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “Well, the first time I ever saw your portrait—that one hanging there in the bridal dress and veil—I loved it.
peepverbUS /piːp/
look furtively
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
a word picture of a person's appearance and character
From this reading “Well, the first time I ever saw your portrait—that one hanging there in the bridal dress and veil—I loved it.
proverbsnounUS /ˈprɑːvərbz/
an Old Testament book consisting of proverbs from various Israeli sages (including Solomon)
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
cut with a saw
From this reading “Well, the first time I ever saw your portrait—that one hanging there in the bridal dress and veil—I loved it.
express in words
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
in the near future
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
not in physical motion
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Well, the first time I ever saw your portrait—that one hanging there in the bridal dress and veil—I loved it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading “Well, the first time I ever saw your portrait—that one hanging there in the bridal dress and veil—I loved it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
a garment that covers the head and face
From this reading “Well, the first time I ever saw your portrait—that one hanging there in the bridal dress and veil—I loved it.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading “Well, the first time I ever saw your portrait—that one hanging there in the bridal dress and veil—I loved it.
at the time that
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Better to hope, though the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes still lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon peep through, When the ominous clouds are drifted.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading There never was a night without a day, Nor an evening without a morning; And the darkest hour, the proverbs say, Is just before the dawning.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Well, the first time I ever saw your portrait—that one hanging there in the bridal dress and veil—I loved it.
