adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.
affairsnounUS /əˈferz/
matters of personal concern
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.
airnounUS /er/
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
attainableadjectiveUS /əˈteɪnəbəl/
capable of being attained or accomplished
From this reading In such weather the heights of Helicon seemed as attainable as the peak of Holdfast; and he had but to beckon a shining Pegasus from out a sun-shaft in the sky.
AustennounUS /ˈɔːstɪn/
English novelist noted for her insightful portrayals of middle-class families (1775-1817)
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
beckonverbUS /ˈbekən/
signal with the hands or nod
From this reading In such weather the heights of Helicon seemed as attainable as the peak of Holdfast; and he had but to beckon a shining Pegasus from out a sun-shaft in the sky.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading In such weather the heights of Helicon seemed as attainable as the peak of Holdfast; and he had but to beckon a shining Pegasus from out a sun-shaft in the sky.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
clearnessnounUS /ˈklɪrnəs/
free from obscurity and easy to understand; the comprehensibility of clear expression
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
cloudverbUS /klaʊd/
make overcast or cloudy
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.
conjecturenounUS /kənˈdʒektʃər/
a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence)
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
Crewe's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.
dawnedverbUS /dɔːnd/
past form of “dawn” — become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.
dazzlingadjectiveUS /ˈdæzəlɪŋ/
amazingly impressive; suggestive of the flashing of lightning
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
diamondnounUS /ˈdaɪmənd/
a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
directedadjectiveUS /dərˈektəd/
(often used in combination) having a specified direction
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
DuncannounUS /ˈdʌŋkən/
United States dancer and pioneer of modern dance (1878-1927)
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
dustverbUS /dʌst/
remove the dust from
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
engagingadjectiveUS /enˈɡeɪdʒɪŋ/
attracting or delighting
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
eventfuladjectiveUS /ɪˈventfəl/
full of events or incidents
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading In such weather the heights of Helicon seemed as attainable as the peak of Holdfast; and he had but to beckon a shining Pegasus from out a sun-shaft in the sky.
gamenounUS /ɡeɪm/
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
gazenounUS /ɡeɪz/
a long fixed look
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
glanceverbUS /ɡlæns/
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In such weather the heights of Helicon seemed as attainable as the peak of Holdfast; and he had but to beckon a shining Pegasus from out a sun-shaft in the sky.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
heightsnounUS /haɪts/
a high place
From this reading In such weather the heights of Helicon seemed as attainable as the peak of Holdfast; and he had but to beckon a shining Pegasus from out a sun-shaft in the sky.
HeliconnounUS /ˈhelɪkɑːn/
a tuba that coils over the shoulder of the musician
From this reading In such weather the heights of Helicon seemed as attainable as the peak of Holdfast; and he had but to beckon a shining Pegasus from out a sun-shaft in the sky.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
HoldfastnounUS /ˈhoʊlfæst/
restraint that attaches to something or holds something in place
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
Humphrey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.
leaningadjectiveUS /ˈliːnɪŋ/
departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
mereadjectiveUS /mɪr/
being nothing more than specified
From this reading Obstacles were mere specks on the snow.
milesnounUS /maɪlz/
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
MountainnounUS /ˈmaʊntən/
a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/
a form of address for a man
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.
nationaladjectiveUS /ˈnæʃənəl/
of or relating to or belonging to a nation or country
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.
ObstaclesnounUS /ˈɑːbstəkəlz/
plural of “obstacle” — something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted
From this reading Obstacles were mere specks on the snow.
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.
onceadverbUS /wʌns/
on one occasion
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
peaknounUS /piːk/
the most extreme possible amount or value
From this reading In such weather the heights of Helicon seemed as attainable as the peak of Holdfast; and he had but to beckon a shining Pegasus from out a sun-shaft in the sky.
Peasley's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
PEGASUSnounUS /ˈpeɡəsəs/
(Greek mythology) the immortal winged horse that sprang from the blood of the slain Medusa; was tamed by Bellerophon with the help of a bridle given him by Athena; as the flying horse of the Muses it is a symbol of highflying imagination
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.
pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
powderedadjectiveUS /ˈpaʊdərd/
consisting of fine particles
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
REALMnounUS /relm/
a domain in which something is dominant
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.
seeverbUS /siː/
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
seemedverbUS /siːmd/
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading In such weather the heights of Helicon seemed as attainable as the peak of Holdfast; and he had but to beckon a shining Pegasus from out a sun-shaft in the sky.
shiningadjectiveUS /ˈʃaɪnɪŋ/
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading In such weather the heights of Helicon seemed as attainable as the peak of Holdfast; and he had but to beckon a shining Pegasus from out a sun-shaft in the sky.
skynounUS /skaɪ/
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.
snownounUS /snoʊ/
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
specksnounUS /speks/
plural of “speck” — a very small spot
From this reading Obstacles were mere specks on the snow.
speechnounUS /spiːtʃ/
the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.
sprinkledverbUS /ˈsprɪŋkəld/
past form of “sprinkle” — distribute loosely
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
sufficedverbUS /səˈfaɪst/
past form of “suffice” — be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
sun-shaft
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In such weather the heights of Helicon seemed as attainable as the peak of Holdfast; and he had but to beckon a shining Pegasus from out a sun-shaft in the sky.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.
thirtynounUS /ˈθɜːrdiː/
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
throughprepositionUS /θruː/
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
topnounUS /tɑːp/
the upper part of anything
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
transcendentadjectiveUS /trænˈsendənt/
exceeding or surpassing usual limits especially in excellence
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
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 For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
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 In such weather the heights of Helicon seemed as attainable as the peak of Holdfast; and he had but to beckon a shining Pegasus from out a sun-shaft in the sky.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Obstacles were mere specks on the snow.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading For once, a glance at the mountain sufficed him; and he directed his gaze through the trees at the Duncan house, engaging in a pleasant game of conjecture as to which was her window.
whitenessnounUS /ˈwaɪtnəs/
the quality or state of the achromatic color of greatest lightness (bearing the least resemblance to black)
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
WidownounUS /ˈwɪdoʊ/
a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The snow was of a dazzling whiteness and sprinkled with diamond dust; and the air of such transcendent clearness that Austen could see--by leaning a little out of the Widow Peasley's window--the powdered top of Holdfast Mountain some thirty miles away.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading THE REALM OF PEGASUS The eventful day of Mr. Humphrey Crewe's speech on national affairs dawned without a cloud in the sky.