used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a terrible time for any creature without a snug home.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Here he came across a mink, also snow bound and also half famished.
in addition
From this reading Here he came across a mink, also snow bound and also half famished.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There was an ominous glitter in the old mink’s eye.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Here he came across a mink, also snow bound and also half famished.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading It was a terrible time for any creature without a snug home.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
Ben'snounUS /benz/
possessive form of “ben” — a mountain or tall hill
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
blastsnounUS /blæsts/
plural of “blast” — a very long fly ball
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
confined by bonds
From this reading Here he came across a mink, also snow bound and also half famished.
brushverbUS /brʌʃ/
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
coveringnounUS /ˈkʌvərɪŋ/
a natural object that covers or envelops
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading It was a terrible time for any creature without a snug home.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
driftsnounUS /drɪfts/
plural of “drift” — a force that moves something along
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
the organ of sight
From this reading There was an ominous glitter in the old mink’s eye.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
famishedadjectiveUS /ˈfæmɪʃt/
extremely hungry
From this reading Here he came across a mink, also snow bound and also half famished.
flakesnounUS /fleɪks/
plural of “flake” — a crystal of snow
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
flounderedverbUS /ˈflaʊndərd/
past form of “flounder” — walk with great difficulty
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was a terrible time for any creature without a snug home.
alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
glitternounUS /ˈɡlɪtər/
the quality of shining with a bright reflected light
From this reading There was an ominous glitter in the old mink’s eye.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Here he came across a mink, also snow bound and also half famished.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here he came across a mink, also snow bound and also half famished.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading It was a terrible time for any creature without a snug home.
icyadjectiveUS /ˈaɪsi/
devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a terrible time for any creature without a snug home.
minknounUS /mɪŋk/
the expensive fur of a mink
From this reading Here he came across a mink, also snow bound and also half famished.
mink's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was an ominous glitter in the old mink’s eye.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
northwestnounUS /ˌnɔːrˈθwest/
the northwestern region of the United States
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
past form of “offer” — make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading There was an ominous glitter in the old mink’s eye.
ominousadjectiveUS /ˈɑːmənəs/
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading There was an ominous glitter in the old mink’s eye.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
shriekingnounUS /ˈʃriːkɪŋ/
sharp piercing cry
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
snugadjectiveUS /snʌɡ/
offering safety; well protected or concealed
From this reading It was a terrible time for any creature without a snug home.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
come to a halt, stop moving
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading It was a terrible time for any creature without a snug home.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was an ominous glitter in the old mink’s eye.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It was a terrible time for any creature without a snug home.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a terrible time for any creature without a snug home.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
whippedverbUS /wɪpt/
inflected form of “whip” — beat severely with a whip or rod
From this reading Red Ben’s snow covering was whipped away; in the height of the storm he floundered through the drifts until glad to stop behind a pile of brush which offered some shelter.
whirlingnounUS /ˈwɜːrlɪŋ/
the act of rotating in a circle or spiral
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading THE OTHER FOX On the second night the snow stopped falling, but the icy northwest wind came in shrieking blasts, whirling the flakes in every direction.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading It was a terrible time for any creature without a snug home.
