used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
acquaintancesnounUS /əˈkweɪntənsɪz/
plural of “acquaintance” — personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
amusingadjectiveUS /əˈmjuːzɪŋ/
providing enjoyment; pleasantly entertaining
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
ArlingtonnounUS /ˈɑːrlɪŋtən/
a city in northern Texas between Dallas and Fort Worth
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
arraynounUS /ərˈeɪ/
an orderly arrangement
From this reading Then the festive array which greets the caller at every house within which he enters.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Then the festive array which greets the caller at every house within which he enters.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
bellsnounUS /belz/
plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
bowingnounUS /ˈboʊɪŋ/
bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame or greeting
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
of surpassing excellence
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
callernounUS /ˈkɔːlər/
a social or business visitor
From this reading Then the festive array which greets the caller at every house within which he enters.
celebrationnounUS /ˌseləˈbreɪʃən/
a joyful occasion for special festivities to mark some happy event
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
rid of obstructions
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
countriesnounUS /ˈkʌntriz/
plural of “country” — a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
dashingadjectiveUS /ˈdæʃɪŋ/
lively and spirited
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading We were within three days of the New Year.
a statement that represents something in words
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
entersverbUS /ˈentərz/
third-person singular of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading Then the festive array which greets the caller at every house within which he enters.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Then the festive array which greets the caller at every house within which he enters.
exhilaratedadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzɪləreɪtɪd/
made joyful
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
fantasticadjectiveUS /fænˈtæstɪk/
ludicrously odd
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
festiveadjectiveUS /ˈfestɪv/
offering fun and gaiety
From this reading Then the festive array which greets the caller at every house within which he enters.
frostyadjectiveUS /ˈfrɔːsti/
devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
greetsverbUS /ɡriːts/
third-person singular of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading Then the festive array which greets the caller at every house within which he enters.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
an old word meaning “to this place”
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Then the festive array which greets the caller at every house within which he enters.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
having or showing profound knowledge
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
engage in
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
modesnounUS /moʊdz/
plural of “mode” — how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading We were within three days of the New Year.
New-Year's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
New-York
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
occupantsnounUS /ˈɑːkjəpənts/
plural of “occupant” — someone who lives at a particular place for a prolonged period or who was born there
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We were within three days of the New Year.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
peals
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
with speed
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
rushingnounUS /ˈrʌʃɪŋ/
(American football) an attempt to advance the ball by running into the line
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
silveryadjectiveUS /ˈsɪlvəri/
resembling or reminiscent of silver
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
sleighing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
sleighs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
not in physical motion
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We were within three days of the New Year.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then the festive array which greets the caller at every house within which he enters.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
an old word meaning “to that place”
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading We were within three days of the New Year.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading He was perfectly brilliant in a description of New-York as seen under the sun of a clear, frosty New-Year's morning, with snow enough to make the sleighing good.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We were within three days of the New Year.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We were within three days of the New Year.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Then the festive array which greets the caller at every house within which he enters.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading The gay, fantastic sleighs, dashing hither and thither, and their exhilarated occupants bowing now on this side and now on that, to acquaintances rushing by almost too rapidly to be distinguished, while the silvery bells ring out their merry peals on the still air.
which person or people
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Mr. Arlington, who was quite learned on the subject, had been amusing us with an account of its various modes of celebration in various countries.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading We were within three days of the New Year.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading We were within three days of the New Year.
