used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was nearing the close of a short winter’s day,--the day before Christmas.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
to or in a foreign country
From this reading The fir-trees were all behung with wreaths of sheeted white, that the next blast flung abroad in scattered showers.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading The fir-trees were all behung with wreaths of sheeted white, that the next blast flung abroad in scattered showers.
amidprepositionUS /əˈmɪd/
in the middle of; surrounded by
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He might have been a denizen of the place, for the coarseness and even squalor of his clothing.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It was nearing the close of a short winter’s day,--the day before Christmas.
behung
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fir-trees were all behung with wreaths of sheeted white, that the next blast flung abroad in scattered showers.
bespokeadjectiveUS /bʊˈspoʊk/
(of clothing) custom-made
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
blastverbUS /blæst/
make a strident sound
From this reading The fir-trees were all behung with wreaths of sheeted white, that the next blast flung abroad in scattered showers.
inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
put or send forth
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
cheerlessadjective
causing sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading It was nearing the close of a short winter’s day,--the day before Christmas.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading It was nearing the close of a short winter’s day,--the day before Christmas.
clothingnounUS /ˈkloʊðɪŋ/
a covering designed to be worn on a person's body
From this reading He might have been a denizen of the place, for the coarseness and even squalor of his clothing.
coarsenessnoun
language or humor that is down-to-earth
From this reading He might have been a denizen of the place, for the coarseness and even squalor of his clothing.
cranniesnounUS /ˈkræniz/
plural of “cranny” — a long narrow depression in a surface
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading It was nearing the close of a short winter’s day,--the day before Christmas.
denizennounUS /ˈdenəzən/
a person who inhabits a particular place
From this reading He might have been a denizen of the place, for the coarseness and even squalor of his clothing.
driftsnounUS /drɪfts/
plural of “drift” — a force that moves something along
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
divisible by two
From this reading He might have been a denizen of the place, for the coarseness and even squalor of his clothing.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
facingnounUS /ˈfeɪsɪŋ/
a lining applied to the edge of a garment for ornamentation or strengthening
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
fiercelyadverbUS /ˈfɪrsli/
in a physically fierce manner
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
fir-trees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fir-trees were all behung with wreaths of sheeted white, that the next blast flung abroad in scattered showers.
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading The fir-trees were all behung with wreaths of sheeted white, that the next blast flung abroad in scattered showers.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He might have been a denizen of the place, for the coarseness and even squalor of his clothing.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
gulliesnounUS /ˈɡʌliz/
plural of “gully” — deep ditch cut by running water (especially after a prolonged downpour)
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He might have been a denizen of the place, for the coarseness and even squalor of his clothing.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
heapingverbUS /ˈhiːpɪŋ/
-ing form of “heap” — bestow in large quantities
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
hopelessadjectiveUS /ˈhoʊpləs/
without hope because there seems to be no possibility of comfort or success
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The fir-trees were all behung with wreaths of sheeted white, that the next blast flung abroad in scattered showers.
inclemencynoun
weather unsuitable for outdoor activities
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was nearing the close of a short winter’s day,--the day before Christmas.
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
loweredadjectiveUS /ˈloʊərd/
below the surround or below the normal position
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
nearingverbUS /ˈnɪrɪŋ/
-ing form of “near” — move towards
From this reading It was nearing the close of a short winter’s day,--the day before Christmas.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading The fir-trees were all behung with wreaths of sheeted white, that the next blast flung abroad in scattered showers.
in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was nearing the close of a short winter’s day,--the day before Christmas.
pinenounUS /paɪn/
a coniferous tree
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading He might have been a denizen of the place, for the coarseness and even squalor of his clothing.
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading The fir-trees were all behung with wreaths of sheeted white, that the next blast flung abroad in scattered showers.
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
sheeted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fir-trees were all behung with wreaths of sheeted white, that the next blast flung abroad in scattered showers.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading It was nearing the close of a short winter’s day,--the day before Christmas.
showersnounUS /ˈʃaʊərz/
plural of “shower” — a plumbing fixture that sprays water over you
From this reading The fir-trees were all behung with wreaths of sheeted white, that the next blast flung abroad in scattered showers.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
solitudes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
squalornounUS /ˈskwɑːlər/
sordid dirtiness
From this reading He might have been a denizen of the place, for the coarseness and even squalor of his clothing.
the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The fir-trees were all behung with wreaths of sheeted white, that the next blast flung abroad in scattered showers.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was nearing the close of a short winter’s day,--the day before Christmas.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
ThicklyadverbUS /ˈθɪkli/
spoken with poor articulation as if with a thick tongue
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was nearing the close of a short winter’s day,--the day before Christmas.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The sky lowered above all, gray, cheerless, and hopeless, as a man--setting his teeth hard, and facing the inclemency as he best might--cast his eyes up toward the heavens, and then looked around him, with an air that bespoke his having lost his way amid the solitudes of the pine forest.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The fir-trees were all behung with wreaths of sheeted white, that the next blast flung abroad in scattered showers.
whirlingnounUS /ˈwɜːrlɪŋ/
the act of rotating in a circle or spiral
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
a Caucasian
From this reading The fir-trees were all behung with wreaths of sheeted white, that the next blast flung abroad in scattered showers.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Thickly fell the snow, fiercely keen blew the northern wind, heaping the drifts into crannies and gullies, and then whirling them far and wide.
winter'snounUS /ˈwɪntərz/
possessive form of “winter” — the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading It was nearing the close of a short winter’s day,--the day before Christmas.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The fir-trees were all behung with wreaths of sheeted white, that the next blast flung abroad in scattered showers.
wreathsnounUS /riːθs/
plural of “wreath” — flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes
From this reading The fir-trees were all behung with wreaths of sheeted white, that the next blast flung abroad in scattered showers.
