used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape
From this reading Directly, bright scintillations of frost arose upon the white waste of snow, and the whole earth seemed crusted with diamond dust.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
on or to one side
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
a particular environment or surrounding influence
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading Directly, bright scintillations of frost arose upon the white waste of snow, and the whole earth seemed crusted with diamond dust.
lacking funds
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
with self-possession (especially in times of stress)
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading A woman coming up from the shore heard the cry, and stopped to listen.
crustedadjectiveUS /ˈkrʌstɪd/
having a hardened crust as a covering
From this reading Directly, bright scintillations of frost arose upon the white waste of snow, and the whole earth seemed crusted with diamond dust.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading A woman coming up from the shore heard the cry, and stopped to listen.
DARK-HOUSE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE DARK-HOUSE.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
diamondnounUS /ˈdaɪmənd/
a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
From this reading Directly, bright scintillations of frost arose upon the white waste of snow, and the whole earth seemed crusted with diamond dust.
without deviation
From this reading Directly, bright scintillations of frost arose upon the white waste of snow, and the whole earth seemed crusted with diamond dust.
driftedverbUS /ˈdrɪftəd/
past form of “drift” — be in motion due to some air or water current
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
remove the dust from
From this reading Directly, bright scintillations of frost arose upon the white waste of snow, and the whole earth seemed crusted with diamond dust.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading Directly, bright scintillations of frost arose upon the white waste of snow, and the whole earth seemed crusted with diamond dust.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
forcingverbUS /ˈfɔːrsɪŋ/
-ing form of “force” — to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A woman coming up from the shore heard the cry, and stopped to listen.
frostnounUS /frɔːst/
ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)
From this reading Directly, bright scintillations of frost arose upon the white waste of snow, and the whole earth seemed crusted with diamond dust.
frostyadjectiveUS /ˈfrɔːsti/
devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
glitteringadjectiveUS /ˈɡlɪtərɪŋ/
having brief brilliant points or flashes of light
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading A woman coming up from the shore heard the cry, and stopped to listen.
helplesslyadverbUS /ˈhelpləsli/
in a helpless manner
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
a sacred place of pilgrimage
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
howlverbUS /haʊl/
emit long loud cries
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
leadenadjectiveUS /ˈledən/
darkened with overcast
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
Lina
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
hear with intention
From this reading A woman coming up from the shore heard the cry, and stopped to listen.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Directly, bright scintillations of frost arose upon the white waste of snow, and the whole earth seemed crusted with diamond dust.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
by chance
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
free of extraneous elements of any kind
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
scintillations
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Directly, bright scintillations of frost arose upon the white waste of snow, and the whole earth seemed crusted with diamond dust.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Directly, bright scintillations of frost arose upon the white waste of snow, and the whole earth seemed crusted with diamond dust.
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading A woman coming up from the shore heard the cry, and stopped to listen.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
stillnessnounUS /ˈstɪlnəs/
(poetic) tranquil silence
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading A woman coming up from the shore heard the cry, and stopped to listen.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
supremelyadverbUS /suːˈpriːməli/
to the maximum degree
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
possessing sweep
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE DARK-HOUSE.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A woman coming up from the shore heard the cry, and stopped to listen.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading A woman coming up from the shore heard the cry, and stopped to listen.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading In less than an hour after Lina French fell so helplessly upon the snow drifted around that old house, the storm swept by, and forcing the leaden clouds aside, came the moon, followed by ten thousand stars, that shone calmly and pure in the frosty atmosphere.
a message informing of danger
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted
From this reading Directly, bright scintillations of frost arose upon the white waste of snow, and the whole earth seemed crusted with diamond dust.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The midnight was supremely beautiful, and the stillness around that old house had something that seemed holy in it, but now and then a faint howl broke over the glittering hills, which gave warning that sorrow, pain, and, perhaps, death were near.
a Caucasian
From this reading Directly, bright scintillations of frost arose upon the white waste of snow, and the whole earth seemed crusted with diamond dust.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading Directly, bright scintillations of frost arose upon the white waste of snow, and the whole earth seemed crusted with diamond dust.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Directly, bright scintillations of frost arose upon the white waste of snow, and the whole earth seemed crusted with diamond dust.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading A woman coming up from the shore heard the cry, and stopped to listen.
