used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a dull, dirty November day.
absorbingadjectiveUS /əbˈzɔːrbɪŋ/
capable of arousing and holding the attention
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
a particular environment or surrounding influence
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Four weeks had passed away.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Between the slippery ploughed land and the low strata of clouds, the mists lay thick and motionless.
inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading Between the slippery ploughed land and the low strata of clouds, the mists lay thick and motionless.
a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading It was a dull, dirty November day.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
dirtyadjectiveUS /ˈdɜːrti/
soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime
From this reading It was a dull, dirty November day.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading It was a dull, dirty November day.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
flakesnounUS /fleɪks/
plural of “flake” — a crystal of snow
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Four weeks had passed away.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Four weeks had passed away.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a dull, dirty November day.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading Between the slippery ploughed land and the low strata of clouds, the mists lay thick and motionless.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Between the slippery ploughed land and the low strata of clouds, the mists lay thick and motionless.
lazyadjectiveUS /ˈleɪzi/
moving slowly and gently
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Between the slippery ploughed land and the low strata of clouds, the mists lay thick and motionless.
loweringadjectiveUS /ˈloʊərɪŋ/
darkened by clouds
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
mildadjectiveUS /maɪld/
moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
mistsnounUS /mɪsts/
plural of “mist” — a thin fog with condensation near the ground
From this reading Between the slippery ploughed land and the low strata of clouds, the mists lay thick and motionless.
not in physical motion
From this reading Between the slippery ploughed land and the low strata of clouds, the mists lay thick and motionless.
water soaked soil; soft wet earth
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
NovembernounUS /noʊˈvembər/
the month following October and preceding December
From this reading It was a dull, dirty November day.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Between the slippery ploughed land and the low strata of clouds, the mists lay thick and motionless.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Four weeks had passed away.
ploughedadjectiveUS /plaʊd/
(of farmland) broken and turned over with a plow
From this reading Between the slippery ploughed land and the low strata of clouds, the mists lay thick and motionless.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
regionsnounUS /ˈriːdʒənz/
plural of “region” — the extended spatial location of something
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
slipperyadjectiveUS /ˈslɪpəri/
causing or tending to cause things to slip or slide
From this reading Between the slippery ploughed land and the low strata of clouds, the mists lay thick and motionless.
snow-clouds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
stratanounUS /ˈstrætə/
plural of “stratum” — one of several parallel layers of material arranged one on top of another (such as a layer of tissue or cells in an organism or a layer of sedimentary rock)
From this reading Between the slippery ploughed land and the low strata of clouds, the mists lay thick and motionless.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading Between the slippery ploughed land and the low strata of clouds, the mists lay thick and motionless.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
the topmost one of two
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
vapornounUS /ˈveɪpər/
a visible suspension in the air of particles of some substance
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a dull, dirty November day.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
wedgedadjectiveUS /wedʒd/
wedged or packed in together
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading Four weeks had passed away.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The gray snow-clouds were lowering, and now and then the lazy flakes fell, turning to water in the air and to mud on the ground.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The mild west wind that blew at times in the upper regions of the atmosphere did not reach them, and there they lay, as if wedged in, the gray ocean of vapor absorbing every tone and color.
