used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Across the red drifts and mail-clad forms, two figures approached one another.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Across the red drifts and mail-clad forms, two figures approached one another.
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading Across the red drifts and mail-clad forms, two figures approached one another.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
back-drawn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
beardsnounUS /bɪrdz/
plural of “beard” — the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
biggeradjectiveUS /ˈbɪɡər/
large or big relative to something else
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
bladenounUS /bleɪd/
especially a leaf of grass or the broad portion of a leaf as distinct from the petiole
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
bleakadjectiveUS /bliːk/
offering little or no hope
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
blindingly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
a young person of either sex
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
clangornoun
a loud resonant repeating noise
From this reading The clangor of the swords had died away, the shouting of the slaughter was hushed; silence lay on the red-stained snow.
corseletnoun
a piece of body armor for the trunk; usually consists of a breastplate and back piece
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading The clangor of the swords had died away, the shouting of the slaughter was hushed; silence lay on the red-stained snow.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
driftsnounUS /drɪfts/
plural of “drift” — a force that moves something along
From this reading Across the red drifts and mail-clad forms, two figures approached one another.
dwindlingadjectiveUS /ˈdwɪndəlɪŋ/
gradually decreasing until little remains
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading Across the red drifts and mail-clad forms, two figures approached one another.
plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading Across the red drifts and mail-clad forms, two figures approached one another.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
frost-giant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
glitteredverbUS /ˈɡlɪtərd/
past form of “glitter” — be shiny, as if wet
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
grimlyadverbUS /ˈɡrɪmli/
in a grim implacable manner
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
grippedverbUS /ɡrɪpt/
inflected form of “grip” — hold fast or firmly
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The clangor of the swords had died away, the shouting of the slaughter was hushed; silence lay on the red-stained snow.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
heapsnounUS /hiːps/
a large number or amount
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
helmetedadjectiveUS /ˈhelmətɪd/
equipped with or wearing a helmet
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
hiltnounUS /hɪlt/
the handle of a sword or dagger
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
hushedadjectiveUS /hʌʃt/
in a softened tone
From this reading The clangor of the swords had died away, the shouting of the slaughter was hushed; silence lay on the red-stained snow.
ice-fields
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
invocationnounUS /ˌɪnvəˈkeɪʃən/
a prayer asking God's help as part of a religious service
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
immediately past
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The clangor of the swords had died away, the shouting of the slaughter was hushed; silence lay on the red-stained snow.
mail-cladadjective
wearing protective mail
From this reading Across the red drifts and mail-clad forms, two figures approached one another.
nervelessadjective
marked by calm self-control (especially in trying circumstances); unemotional
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
not any; not one
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The clangor of the swords had died away, the shouting of the slaughter was hushed; silence lay on the red-stained snow.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Across the red drifts and mail-clad forms, two figures approached one another.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
plainsnounUS /pleɪnz/
plural of “plain” — extensive tract of level open land
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
red-stained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The clangor of the swords had died away, the shouting of the slaughter was hushed; silence lay on the red-stained snow.
rentverbUS /rent/
let for money
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
sheensnounUS /ʃiːnz/
plural of “sheen” — the visual property of something that shines with reflected light
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators
From this reading The clangor of the swords had died away, the shouting of the slaughter was hushed; silence lay on the red-stained snow.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading The clangor of the swords had died away, the shouting of the slaughter was hushed; silence lay on the red-stained snow.
a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
skiesnounUS /skaɪz/
plural of “sky” — the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
slaughternounUS /ˈslɔːtər/
the killing of animals (as for food)
From this reading The clangor of the swords had died away, the shouting of the slaughter was hushed; silence lay on the red-stained snow.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading The clangor of the swords had died away, the shouting of the slaughter was hushed; silence lay on the red-stained snow.
snow-coveredadjective
covered with snow
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
swordsnounUS /sɔːrdz/
plural of “sword” — a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard
From this reading The clangor of the swords had died away, the shouting of the slaughter was hushed; silence lay on the red-stained snow.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
throesnounUS /θroʊz/
violent pangs of suffering
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
tiltedadjectiveUS /ˈtɪltɪd/
departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Across the red drifts and mail-clad forms, two figures approached one another.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
directed up
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
in or at the place that
From this reading The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay in heaps.
witch-fire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She drew away from him, dwindling in the witch-fire of the skies, until she was a figure no bigger than a child.
but in spite of that
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
Ymirnoun
(Norse mythology) the primeval giant slain by Odin and his brothers and from whose body they created the world: the sea from his blood; the earth from his flesh; the mountains from his bones; the sky from his skull
From this reading The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt: helmeted heads, back-drawn in the death throes, tilted red beards and golden beards grimly upward, as if in last invocation to Ymir the frost-giant.
