used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A NARROW ESCAPE.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The snow had been tossed and whirled by the wild winds till it was fitfully heaped, now in the meadows, and now banked up against the very hill-sides.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Not that it had been clothed by an ever-smooth, fair mantle.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The snow had been tossed and whirled by the wild winds till it was fitfully heaped, now in the meadows, and now banked up against the very hill-sides.
bankedverbUS /bæŋkt/
past form of “bank” — tip laterally
From this reading The snow had been tossed and whirled by the wild winds till it was fitfully heaped, now in the meadows, and now banked up against the very hill-sides.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The winter had been unusually long.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Not that it had been clothed by an ever-smooth, fair mantle.
clothedadjectiveUS /kloʊðd/
wearing or provided with clothing; sometimes used in combination
From this reading Not that it had been clothed by an ever-smooth, fair mantle.
seemingly without interruption
From this reading For nearly six months the ground had been continually white.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading A NARROW ESCAPE.
ever-smooth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Not that it had been clothed by an ever-smooth, fair mantle.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading Not that it had been clothed by an ever-smooth, fair mantle.
fitfullyadverbUS /ˈfɪtfəli/
in a fitful manner
From this reading The snow had been tossed and whirled by the wild winds till it was fitfully heaped, now in the meadows, and now banked up against the very hill-sides.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For nearly six months the ground had been continually white.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading For nearly six months the ground had been continually white.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The winter had been unusually long.
heapedverbUS /hiːpt/
past form of “heap” — bestow in large quantities
From this reading The snow had been tossed and whirled by the wild winds till it was fitfully heaped, now in the meadows, and now banked up against the very hill-sides.
hill-sides
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The snow had been tossed and whirled by the wild winds till it was fitfully heaped, now in the meadows, and now banked up against the very hill-sides.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The snow had been tossed and whirled by the wild winds till it was fitfully heaped, now in the meadows, and now banked up against the very hill-sides.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Not that it had been clothed by an ever-smooth, fair mantle.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The winter had been unusually long.
mantlenounUS /ˈmæntəl/
the cloak as a symbol of authority
From this reading Not that it had been clothed by an ever-smooth, fair mantle.
meadowsnounUS /ˈmedoʊz/
plural of “meadow” — a field where grass or alfalfa are grown to be made into hay
From this reading The snow had been tossed and whirled by the wild winds till it was fitfully heaped, now in the meadows, and now banked up against the very hill-sides.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading For nearly six months the ground had been continually white.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading A NARROW ESCAPE.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading For nearly six months the ground had been continually white.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not that it had been clothed by an ever-smooth, fair mantle.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The snow had been tossed and whirled by the wild winds till it was fitfully heaped, now in the meadows, and now banked up against the very hill-sides.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading For nearly six months the ground had been continually white.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading The snow had been tossed and whirled by the wild winds till it was fitfully heaped, now in the meadows, and now banked up against the very hill-sides.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Not that it had been clothed by an ever-smooth, fair mantle.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The winter had been unusually long.
up to a particular time
From this reading The snow had been tossed and whirled by the wild winds till it was fitfully heaped, now in the meadows, and now banked up against the very hill-sides.
tossedverbUS /tɔːst/
past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading The snow had been tossed and whirled by the wild winds till it was fitfully heaped, now in the meadows, and now banked up against the very hill-sides.
unusuallyadverbUS /əˈnjuːʒuːəli/
to a remarkable degree or extent
From this reading The winter had been unusually long.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The snow had been tossed and whirled by the wild winds till it was fitfully heaped, now in the meadows, and now banked up against the very hill-sides.
precisely as stated
From this reading The snow had been tossed and whirled by the wild winds till it was fitfully heaped, now in the meadows, and now banked up against the very hill-sides.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The snow had been tossed and whirled by the wild winds till it was fitfully heaped, now in the meadows, and now banked up against the very hill-sides.
whirledverbUS /wɜːrld/
past form of “whirl” — turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading The snow had been tossed and whirled by the wild winds till it was fitfully heaped, now in the meadows, and now banked up against the very hill-sides.
a Caucasian
From this reading For nearly six months the ground had been continually white.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading The snow had been tossed and whirled by the wild winds till it was fitfully heaped, now in the meadows, and now banked up against the very hill-sides.
plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The snow had been tossed and whirled by the wild winds till it was fitfully heaped, now in the meadows, and now banked up against the very hill-sides.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading The winter had been unusually long.
