used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It had been almost brilliant during a part of the afternoon because the bareness of the branches let in the wintry sun.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading It had been almost brilliant during a part of the afternoon because the bareness of the branches let in the wintry sun.
(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 seemed cold blue sky where it was not brown or sodden yellow fern and moss.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading It had been almost brilliant during a part of the afternoon because the bareness of the branches let in the wintry sun.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading The trunks of the trees looked stark and the tall, slender white stems of the birches stood out here and there among the darker growth like ghosts who were sentinels.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There were no leaves to keep it out and there had been a rare, chill blue sky.
barenessnoun
a bleak and desolate atmosphere
From this reading It had been almost brilliant during a part of the afternoon because the bareness of the branches let in the wintry sun.
for the reason that
From this reading It had been almost brilliant during a part of the afternoon because the bareness of the branches let in the wintry sun.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It had been almost brilliant during a part of the afternoon because the bareness of the branches let in the wintry sun.
birches
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The trunks of the trees looked stark and the tall, slender white stems of the birches stood out here and there among the darker growth like ghosts who were sentinels.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading There were no leaves to keep it out and there had been a rare, chill blue sky.
plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading It had been almost brilliant during a part of the afternoon because the bareness of the branches let in the wintry sun.
of surpassing excellence
From this reading It had been almost brilliant during a part of the afternoon because the bareness of the branches let in the wintry sun.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading All seemed cold blue sky where it was not brown or sodden yellow fern and moss.
chillnounUS /tʃɪl/
coldness due to a cold environment
From this reading There were no leaves to keep it out and there had been a rare, chill blue sky.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading All seemed cold blue sky where it was not brown or sodden yellow fern and moss.
darkeradjectiveUS /ˈdɑːrkər/
comparative of “dark” — devoid of or deficient in light or brightness; shadowed or black
From this reading The Wood was gradually growing darker.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading It had been almost brilliant during a part of the afternoon because the bareness of the branches let in the wintry sun.
fernnounUS /fɜːrn/
any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores
From this reading All seemed cold blue sky where it was not brown or sodden yellow fern and moss.
ghostsnounUS /ɡoʊsts/
plural of “ghost” — a mental representation of some haunting experience
From this reading The trunks of the trees looked stark and the tall, slender white stems of the birches stood out here and there among the darker growth like ghosts who were sentinels.
in a gradual manner
From this reading The Wood was gradually growing darker.
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading The Wood was gradually growing darker.
growthnounUS /ɡroʊθ/
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading The trunks of the trees looked stark and the tall, slender white stems of the birches stood out here and there among the darker growth like ghosts who were sentinels.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It had been almost brilliant during a part of the afternoon because the bareness of the branches let in the wintry sun.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading The trunks of the trees looked stark and the tall, slender white stems of the birches stood out here and there among the darker growth like ghosts who were sentinels.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It had been almost brilliant during a part of the afternoon because the bareness of the branches let in the wintry sun.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It had been almost brilliant during a part of the afternoon because the bareness of the branches let in the wintry sun.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading There were no leaves to keep it out and there had been a rare, chill blue sky.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading There were no leaves to keep it out and there had been a rare, chill blue sky.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading It had been almost brilliant during a part of the afternoon because the bareness of the branches let in the wintry sun.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The trunks of the trees looked stark and the tall, slender white stems of the birches stood out here and there among the darker growth like ghosts who were sentinels.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The trunks of the trees looked stark and the tall, slender white stems of the birches stood out here and there among the darker growth like ghosts who were sentinels.
mossnounUS /mɔːs/
tiny leafy-stemmed flowerless plants
From this reading All seemed cold blue sky where it was not brown or sodden yellow fern and moss.
not any; not one
From this reading There were no leaves to keep it out and there had been a rare, chill blue sky.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading All seemed cold blue sky where it was not brown or sodden yellow fern and moss.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It had been almost brilliant during a part of the afternoon because the bareness of the branches let in the wintry sun.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading All seemed cold blue sky where it was not brown or sodden yellow fern and moss.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading There were no leaves to keep it out and there had been a rare, chill blue sky.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading It had been almost brilliant during a part of the afternoon because the bareness of the branches let in the wintry sun.
not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness
From this reading There were no leaves to keep it out and there had been a rare, chill blue sky.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading All seemed cold blue sky where it was not brown or sodden yellow fern and moss.
sentinelsnounUS /ˈsentənəlz/
plural of “sentinel” — a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading The trunks of the trees looked stark and the tall, slender white stems of the birches stood out here and there among the darker growth like ghosts who were sentinels.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading There were no leaves to keep it out and there had been a rare, chill blue sky.
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading The trunks of the trees looked stark and the tall, slender white stems of the birches stood out here and there among the darker growth like ghosts who were sentinels.
soddenadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːdən/
wet through and through; thoroughly wet
From this reading All seemed cold blue sky where it was not brown or sodden yellow fern and moss.
starkadjectiveUS /stɑːrk/
devoid of any qualifications or disguise or adornment
From this reading The trunks of the trees looked stark and the tall, slender white stems of the birches stood out here and there among the darker growth like ghosts who were sentinels.
stemsnounUS /stemz/
plural of “stem” — (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed
From this reading The trunks of the trees looked stark and the tall, slender white stems of the birches stood out here and there among the darker growth like ghosts who were sentinels.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The trunks of the trees looked stark and the tall, slender white stems of the birches stood out here and there among the darker growth like ghosts who were sentinels.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading It had been almost brilliant during a part of the afternoon because the bareness of the branches let in the wintry sun.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading The trunks of the trees looked stark and the tall, slender white stems of the birches stood out here and there among the darker growth like ghosts who were sentinels.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Wood was gradually growing darker.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were no leaves to keep it out and there had been a rare, chill blue sky.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There were no leaves to keep it out and there had been a rare, chill blue sky.
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 trunks of the trees looked stark and the tall, slender white stems of the birches stood out here and there among the darker growth like ghosts who were sentinels.
trunksnounUS /trʌŋks/
(used in the plural) trousers that end at or above the knee
From this reading The trunks of the trees looked stark and the tall, slender white stems of the birches stood out here and there among the darker growth like ghosts who were sentinels.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Wood was gradually growing darker.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were no leaves to keep it out and there had been a rare, chill blue sky.
in or at the place that
From this reading All seemed cold blue sky where it was not brown or sodden yellow fern and moss.
a Caucasian
From this reading The trunks of the trees looked stark and the tall, slender white stems of the birches stood out here and there among the darker growth like ghosts who were sentinels.
which person or people
From this reading The trunks of the trees looked stark and the tall, slender white stems of the birches stood out here and there among the darker growth like ghosts who were sentinels.
wintryadjectiveUS /ˈwɪntri/
characteristic of or occurring in winter
From this reading It had been almost brilliant during a part of the afternoon because the bareness of the branches let in the wintry sun.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading The Wood was gradually growing darker.
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading All seemed cold blue sky where it was not brown or sodden yellow fern and moss.
