24th
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading STRANGE YEARNINGS August 24th.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
abandonedadjectiveUS /əˈbændənd/
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
AugustnounUS /ˈɑːɡəst/
the month following July and preceding September
From this reading STRANGE YEARNINGS August 24th.
badadjectiveUS /bæd/
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
bamboonounUS /bæmˈbuː/
the hard woody stems of bamboo plants; used in construction and crafts and fishing poles
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
beatverbUS /biːt/
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
bendverbUS /bend/
form a curve
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
branchesnounUS /ˈbræntʃəz/
plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
butterfliesnounUS /ˈbʌtərflaɪz/
plural of “butterfly” — diurnal insect typically having a slender body with knobbed antennae and broad colorful wings
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
Chrysantheme
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.
daysnounUS /deɪz/
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.
earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/
all things; all of a situation
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
fallverbUS /fɔːl/
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
fivenounUS /faɪv/
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.
grassesnounUS /ˈɡræsəz/
plural of “grass” — narrow-leaved green herbage: grown as lawns; used as pasture for grazing animals; cut and dried as hay
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
gustsnounUS /ɡʌsts/
plural of “gust” — a strong current of air
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.
hissingnounUS /ˈhɪsɪŋ/
a fricative sound (especially as an expression of disapproval)
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.
hoververbUS /ˈhʌvər/
be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
leavesnounUS /liːvz/
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
likeverbUS /laɪk/
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
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 butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/
for more time
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
lowerverbUS /ˈloʊər/
move something or somebody to a lower position
From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
mountainnounUS /ˈmaʊntən/
a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.
NearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.
nightnounUS /naɪt/
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
overheadadverbUS /ˈoʊvərˈhed/
above your head; in the sky
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
painnounUS /peɪn/
a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
passedverbUS /pæst/
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.
passingnounUS /ˈpæsɪŋ/
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
precautionnounUS /priˈkɔːʃən/
a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.
From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
quartersnounUS /ˈkwɔːrtərz/
housing available for people to live in
From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
rackverbUS /ræk/
go at a rack
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
rainnounUS /reɪn/
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
shiververbUS /ˈʃɪvər/
tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.
slopesnounUS /sloʊps/
plural of “slope” — an elevated geological formation
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
soundnounUS /saʊnd/
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
steepadjectiveUS /stiːp/
having a sharp inclination
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
stormverbUS /stɔːrm/
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
STRANGEadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading STRANGE YEARNINGS August 24th.
strikeverbUS /straɪk/
deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
takeverbUS /teɪk/
carry out
From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
terribleadjectiveUS /ˈterəbəl/
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
topmasts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
tossesnounUS /ˈtɔːsɪz/
plural of “toss” — the act of flipping a coin
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
treesnounUS /triːz/
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
tremendousadjectiveUS /trəˈmendəs/
extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree
From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
typhoonnounUS /ˌtaɪˈfuːn/
a tropical cyclone occurring in the western Pacific or Indian oceans
From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
weathernounUS /ˈweðər/
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
windnounUS /waɪnd/
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
writhes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
yardsnounUS /jɑːrdz/
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
YEARNINGSnounUS /ˈjɜːrnɪŋz/
plural of “yearning” — prolonged unfulfilled desire or need
From this reading STRANGE YEARNINGS August 24th.
yesterdaynounUS /ˈjestərdeɪ/
the day immediately before today
From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
