Chapter XXXIX · Chapter 39

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading It was a Sunday afternoon, not bright, but dull.

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading It was a Sunday afternoon, not bright, but dull.

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading On the lawn you could almost “have seen the grass grow.”

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Through the open window came the faint odour which the earth gives forth during rain--an odour of bursting leaves and dew-covered flowers.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading It was a Sunday afternoon, not bright, but dull.

-ing form of “burst” — come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure

From this reading Through the open window came the faint odour which the earth gives forth during rain--an odour of bursting leaves and dew-covered flowers.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It was a Sunday afternoon, not bright, but dull.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Through the open window came the faint odour which the earth gives forth during rain--an odour of bursting leaves and dew-covered flowers.

plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading On the lawn you could almost “have seen the grass grow.”

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Through the open window came the faint odour which the earth gives forth during rain--an odour of bursting leaves and dew-covered flowers.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

coming down freely under the influence of gravity

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

lacking in liveliness or animation

From this reading It was a Sunday afternoon, not bright, but dull.

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading Through the open window came the faint odour which the earth gives forth during rain--an odour of bursting leaves and dew-covered flowers.

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading Through the open window came the faint odour which the earth gives forth during rain--an odour of bursting leaves and dew-covered flowers.

deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc

From this reading Through the open window came the faint odour which the earth gives forth during rain--an odour of bursting leaves and dew-covered flowers.

the petals or sepals of a flower that bend downward (especially the outer perianth of an iris)

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading Through the open window came the faint odour which the earth gives forth during rain--an odour of bursting leaves and dew-covered flowers.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Through the open window came the faint odour which the earth gives forth during rain--an odour of bursting leaves and dew-covered flowers.

the property of being pure and fresh (as if newly made); not stale or deteriorated

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length

From this reading Through the open window came the faint odour which the earth gives forth during rain--an odour of bursting leaves and dew-covered flowers.

experiencing joy and pleasure

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

shoot down, of birds

From this reading On the lawn you could almost “have seen the grass grow.”

of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading On the lawn you could almost “have seen the grass grow.”

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading On the lawn you could almost “have seen the grass grow.”

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was a Sunday afternoon, not bright, but dull.

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

a field of cultivated and mowed grass

From this reading On the lawn you could almost “have seen the grass grow.”

plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading Through the open window came the faint odour which the earth gives forth during rain--an odour of bursting leaves and dew-covered flowers.

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 All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

be amazed at

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

in a joyous manner

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

immediately following in time or order

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It was a Sunday afternoon, not bright, but dull.

the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form

From this reading Through the open window came the faint odour which the earth gives forth during rain--an odour of bursting leaves and dew-covered flowers.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Through the open window came the faint odour which the earth gives forth during rain--an odour of bursting leaves and dew-covered flowers.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On the lawn you could almost “have seen the grass grow.”

To move from a closed position.

From this reading Through the open window came the faint odour which the earth gives forth during rain--an odour of bursting leaves and dew-covered flowers.

make a promise or commitment

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading Through the open window came the faint odour which the earth gives forth during rain--an odour of bursting leaves and dew-covered flowers.

possessing material wealth

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading On the lawn you could almost “have seen the grass grow.”

marked by absence of sound

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

the act of singing vocal music

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

the season of growth

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

not in physical motion

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians

From this reading It was a Sunday afternoon, not bright, but dull.

the rays of the sun

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Through the open window came the faint odour which the earth gives forth during rain--an odour of bursting leaves and dew-covered flowers.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

precisely as stated

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It was a Sunday afternoon, not bright, but dull.

showing sorrow

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading All the long day the low clouds had been dropping freshness down;--the soft May-rain, which falls warm and silent, as if the spring were weeping itself away for very gladness.

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

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 Through the open window came the faint odour which the earth gives forth during rain--an odour of bursting leaves and dew-covered flowers.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading And though the sky was dull and grey, still the whole air was so full of summer, so rich in the promise of what the next day would be, that you did not marvel to hear the birds singing as merrily as if it had been sunshine.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading On the lawn you could almost “have seen the grass grow.”