used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a raw, cold day in early April.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Since morning, the clouds had been gathering, and they now hung, dark and heavy, over both land and sea.
AprilnounUS /ˈeɪprəl/
the month following March and preceding May
From this reading It was a raw, cold day in early April.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It evidently was going to be a terrible night, and that night was nearly at hand.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It evidently was going to be a terrible night, and that night was nearly at hand.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Since morning, the clouds had been gathering, and they now hung, dark and heavy, over both land and sea.
inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard
From this reading The wind, too, which had been steadily increasing for hours in violence, now blew little short of a gale.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Since morning, the clouds had been gathering, and they now hung, dark and heavy, over both land and sea.
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading Since morning, the clouds had been gathering, and they now hung, dark and heavy, over both land and sea.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading It was a raw, cold day in early April.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Since morning, the clouds had been gathering, and they now hung, dark and heavy, over both land and sea.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading It was a raw, cold day in early April.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading It was a raw, cold day in early April.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading It evidently was going to be a terrible night, and that night was nearly at hand.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The wind, too, which had been steadily increasing for hours in violence, now blew little short of a gale.
galenounUS /ɡeɪl/
a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale
From this reading The wind, too, which had been steadily increasing for hours in violence, now blew little short of a gale.
a group of persons together in one place
From this reading Since morning, the clouds had been gathering, and they now hung, dark and heavy, over both land and sea.
the act of departing
From this reading It evidently was going to be a terrible night, and that night was nearly at hand.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Since morning, the clouds had been gathering, and they now hung, dark and heavy, over both land and sea.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading It evidently was going to be a terrible night, and that night was nearly at hand.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading Since morning, the clouds had been gathering, and they now hung, dark and heavy, over both land and sea.
HIRESnounUS /ˈhaɪərz/
plural of “hire” — a newly hired employee
From this reading MATT HIRES OUT.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading The wind, too, which had been steadily increasing for hours in violence, now blew little short of a gale.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading Since morning, the clouds had been gathering, and they now hung, dark and heavy, over both land and sea.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was a raw, cold day in early April.
increasingadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkriːsɪŋ/
becoming greater or larger
From this reading The wind, too, which had been steadily increasing for hours in violence, now blew little short of a gale.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a raw, cold day in early April.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading Since morning, the clouds had been gathering, and they now hung, dark and heavy, over both land and sea.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The wind, too, which had been steadily increasing for hours in violence, now blew little short of a gale.
MATTnounUS /mæt/
the property of having little or no contrast; lacking highlights or gloss
From this reading MATT HIRES OUT.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Since morning, the clouds had been gathering, and they now hung, dark and heavy, over both land and sea.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading It evidently was going to be a terrible night, and that night was nearly at hand.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It evidently was going to be a terrible night, and that night was nearly at hand.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Since morning, the clouds had been gathering, and they now hung, dark and heavy, over both land and sea.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The wind, too, which had been steadily increasing for hours in violence, now blew little short of a gale.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading MATT HIRES OUT.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Since morning, the clouds had been gathering, and they now hung, dark and heavy, over both land and sea.
rawadjectiveUS /rɑː/
(used especially of commodities) being unprocessed or manufactured using only simple or minimal processes
From this reading It was a raw, cold day in early April.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading Since morning, the clouds had been gathering, and they now hung, dark and heavy, over both land and sea.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading The wind, too, which had been steadily increasing for hours in violence, now blew little short of a gale.
SinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Since morning, the clouds had been gathering, and they now hung, dark and heavy, over both land and sea.
at a steady rate or pace
From this reading The wind, too, which had been steadily increasing for hours in violence, now blew little short of a gale.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading It evidently was going to be a terrible night, and that night was nearly at hand.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It evidently was going to be a terrible night, and that night was nearly at hand.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Since morning, the clouds had been gathering, and they now hung, dark and heavy, over both land and sea.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Since morning, the clouds had been gathering, and they now hung, dark and heavy, over both land and sea.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It evidently was going to be a terrible night, and that night was nearly at hand.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading The wind, too, which had been steadily increasing for hours in violence, now blew little short of a gale.
an act of aggression (as one against a person who resists)
From this reading The wind, too, which had been steadily increasing for hours in violence, now blew little short of a gale.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a raw, cold day in early April.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The wind, too, which had been steadily increasing for hours in violence, now blew little short of a gale.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The wind, too, which had been steadily increasing for hours in violence, now blew little short of a gale.
