used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN UNPOPULAR WEDDING.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
a particular environment or surrounding influence
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
bridaladjectiveUS /ˈbraɪdəl/
of or relating to a wedding
From this reading Innocent herself, in her white bridal dress and veil, was like the snowdrops.
plural of “cheek” — either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading Her head drooped a little, her cheeks were not much less pale than her dress.
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
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 The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
costlyadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːstli/
entailing great loss or sacrifice
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
downpoursnounUS /ˈdaʊnpɔːrz/
plural of “downpour” — a heavy rain
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
put on clothes
From this reading Innocent herself, in her white bridal dress and veil, was like the snowdrops.
droopedverbUS /druːpt/
past form of “droop” — droop, sink, or settle from or as if from pressure or loss of tautness
From this reading Her head drooped a little, her cheeks were not much less pale than her dress.
divisible by two
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
FebruarynounUS /ˈfebjəweri/
the month following January and preceding March
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Her head drooped a little, her cheeks were not much less pale than her dress.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Innocent herself, in her white bridal dress and veil, was like the snowdrops.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Innocent herself, in her white bridal dress and veil, was like the snowdrops.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Innocent herself, in her white bridal dress and veil, was like the snowdrops.
free from evil or guilt
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Her head drooped a little, her cheeks were not much less pale than her dress.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Innocent herself, in her white bridal dress and veil, was like the snowdrops.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Her head drooped a little, her cheeks were not much less pale than her dress.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
engage in
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Her head drooped a little, her cheeks were not much less pale than her dress.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Her head drooped a little, her cheeks were not much less pale than her dress.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
occasionaladjectiveUS /əˈkeɪʒənəl/
occurring from time to time
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
one's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading Her head drooped a little, her cheeks were not much less pale than her dress.
penetratedverbUS /ˈpenətreɪtɪd/
past form of “penetrate” — pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
procuredverbUS /proʊˈkjʊrd/
past form of “procure” — get by special effort
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
rawadjectiveUS /rɑː/
(used especially of commodities) being unprocessed or manufactured using only simple or minimal processes
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
seasonableadjectiveUS /ˈsiːzənəbəl/
in keeping with the season
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
skiesnounUS /skaɪz/
plural of “sky” — the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
snowdrops
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Innocent herself, in her white bridal dress and veil, was like the snowdrops.
make steady
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Her head drooped a little, her cheeks were not much less pale than her dress.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
UNPOPULARadjectiveUS /ˌʌnˈpɑːpjələr/
regarded with disfavor or lacking general approval
From this reading AN UNPOPULAR WEDDING.
a garment that covers the head and face
From this reading Innocent herself, in her white bridal dress and veil, was like the snowdrops.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Innocent herself, in her white bridal dress and veil, was like the snowdrops.
the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed
From this reading AN UNPOPULAR WEDDING.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Her head drooped a little, her cheeks were not much less pale than her dress.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The raw cold penetrated to one’s bones and one’s heart, and even the show of costly flowers which had been procured for the occasion failed to make the rooms look cheerful.
a Caucasian
From this reading Innocent herself, in her white bridal dress and veil, was like the snowdrops.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The marriage of Innocent took place on one of the first days of February, a day of the “seasonable” kind, with black skies, a dark gray atmosphere, and occasional downpours of steady rain.
