used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Looking over the cliff-brink we saw but the hurrying snow, and only heard a confused tumult of wind.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Looking over the cliff-brink we saw but the hurrying snow, and only heard a confused tumult of wind.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
brinknounUS /brɪŋk/
a region marking a boundary
From this reading We were on the brink of the Yosemite, and but for snow might have looked down three thousand feet.
brutes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Looking over the cliff-brink we saw but the hurrying snow, and only heard a confused tumult of wind.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
cautiouslyadverbUS /ˈkɔːʃəsli/
as if with kid gloves; with caution or prudence or tact
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
a steep high face of rock
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
cliff-brink
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Looking over the cliff-brink we saw but the hurrying snow, and only heard a confused tumult of wind.
cliffsnounUS /klɪfs/
plural of “cliff” — a steep high face of rock
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading Looking over the cliff-brink we saw but the hurrying snow, and only heard a confused tumult of wind.
motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
crashverbUS /kræʃ/
fall or come down violently
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
discloseverbUS /dɪˈskloʊz/
make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
eddied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
ensconcedverbUS /ɪnˈskɑːnst/
past form of “ensconce” — fix firmly
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading We were on the brink of the Yosemite, and but for snow might have looked down three thousand feet.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading We were on the brink of the Yosemite, and but for snow might have looked down three thousand feet.
frozenadjectiveUS /ˈfroʊzən/
turned into ice; affected by freezing or by long and severe cold
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
galenounUS /ɡeɪl/
a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
brought together in one place
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading We were on the brink of the Yosemite, and but for snow might have looked down three thousand feet.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Looking over the cliff-brink we saw but the hurrying snow, and only heard a confused tumult of wind.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
ten 10s
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
hurryingadjectiveUS /ˈhɜːriɪŋ/
moving with great haste
From this reading Looking over the cliff-brink we saw but the hurrying snow, and only heard a confused tumult of wind.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
increasenounUS /ˌɪnˈkriːs/
a quantity that is added
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading We were on the brink of the Yosemite, and but for snow might have looked down three thousand feet.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Looking over the cliff-brink we saw but the hurrying snow, and only heard a confused tumult of wind.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
mulesnounUS /mjuːlz/
plural of “mule” — hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse; usually sterile
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
nooknounUS /nʊk/
a sheltered and secluded place
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Looking over the cliff-brink we saw but the hurrying snow, and only heard a confused tumult of wind.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading We were on the brink of the Yosemite, and but for snow might have looked down three thousand feet.
and nothing more
From this reading Looking over the cliff-brink we saw but the hurrying snow, and only heard a confused tumult of wind.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Looking over the cliff-brink we saw but the hurrying snow, and only heard a confused tumult of wind.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
protectedadjectiveUS /prəˈtektɪd/
kept safe or defended from danger or injury or loss
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
riftsnounUS /rɪfts/
plural of “rift” — a gap between cloud masses
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
cut with a saw
From this reading Looking over the cliff-brink we saw but the hurrying snow, and only heard a confused tumult of wind.
severitynounUS /sɪˈverɪti/
used of the degree of something undesirable e.g. pain or weather
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
shelteredadjectiveUS /ˈʃeltərd/
protected from danger or bad weather
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading Looking over the cliff-brink we saw but the hurrying snow, and only heard a confused tumult of wind.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
soakedadjectiveUS /soʊkt/
very drunk
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
make steady
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
suckingnounUS /ˈsʌkɪŋ/
the act of sucking
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
carry out
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Looking over the cliff-brink we saw but the hurrying snow, and only heard a confused tumult of wind.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading We were on the brink of the Yosemite, and but for snow might have looked down three thousand feet.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading We were on the brink of the Yosemite, and but for snow might have looked down three thousand feet.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
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 A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
tumultnounUS /ˈtuːməlt/
a state of commotion and noise and confusion
From this reading Looking over the cliff-brink we saw but the hurrying snow, and only heard a confused tumult of wind.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Looking over the cliff-brink we saw but the hurrying snow, and only heard a confused tumult of wind.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We were on the brink of the Yosemite, and but for snow might have looked down three thousand feet.
at the time that
From this reading We had been in this position about an hour, half frozen and soaked through, when I at length gathered conscience enough to climb back and take a look at our brutes.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading A steady increase in the severity of the gale made us fear that the trees might crash down over us; so we left the mules and crept cautiously over the edge of the cliff, and ensconced ourselves in a sheltered nook, protected by walls of rock which rose at our back.
whirlwinds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The storm eddied below us, sucking down whirlwinds of snow, and sometimes opening deep rifts,--never enough, however, to disclose more than a few hundred feet of cliffs.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Looking over the cliff-brink we saw but the hurrying snow, and only heard a confused tumult of wind.
YosemitenounUS /joʊˈsemɪti/
a series of waterfalls in Yosemite National Park in California; is reduced to a trickle for part of each year
From this reading We were on the brink of the Yosemite, and but for snow might have looked down three thousand feet.
