used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The girls sank about two inches into the fleecy mass and there the shoes made a complete bed for themselves and the weight of their wearers.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The girls sank about two inches into the fleecy mass and there the shoes made a complete bed for themselves and the weight of their wearers.
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
From this reading AN ODD ADVENTURE Six inches or more of snow had fallen.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN ODD ADVENTURE Six inches or more of snow had fallen.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was feathery and packed well under the snowshoes.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "You know what I'd love to do this winter?" said Helen, as they trudged on.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "What, my dear?" asked Ruth, who seemed much distraught.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading The girls sank about two inches into the fleecy mass and there the shoes made a complete bed for themselves and the weight of their wearers.
come or bring to a finish or an end
From this reading The girls sank about two inches into the fleecy mass and there the shoes made a complete bed for themselves and the weight of their wearers.
dearly loved
From this reading "What, my dear?" asked Ruth, who seemed much distraught.
distraughtadjectiveUS /dɪˈstrɔːt/
deeply agitated especially from emotion
From this reading "What, my dear?" asked Ruth, who seemed much distraught.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "You know what I'd love to do this winter?" said Helen, as they trudged on.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading AN ODD ADVENTURE Six inches or more of snow had fallen.
featheryadjectiveUS /ˈfeðəri/
resembling or suggesting a feather or feathers
From this reading It was feathery and packed well under the snowshoes.
fleecyadjectiveUS /ˈfliːsi/
(of fabrics) having soft nap produced by brushing
From this reading The girls sank about two inches into the fleecy mass and there the shoes made a complete bed for themselves and the weight of their wearers.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The girls sank about two inches into the fleecy mass and there the shoes made a complete bed for themselves and the weight of their wearers.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading The girls sank about two inches into the fleecy mass and there the shoes made a complete bed for themselves and the weight of their wearers.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading AN ODD ADVENTURE Six inches or more of snow had fallen.
(Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War
From this reading "You know what I'd love to do this winter?" said Helen, as they trudged on.
I'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You know what I'd love to do this winter?" said Helen, as they trudged on.
plural of “inch” — a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading AN ODD ADVENTURE Six inches or more of snow had fallen.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The girls sank about two inches into the fleecy mass and there the shoes made a complete bed for themselves and the weight of their wearers.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was feathery and packed well under the snowshoes.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "You know what I'd love to do this winter?" said Helen, as they trudged on.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading "You know what I'd love to do this winter?" said Helen, as they trudged on.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The girls sank about two inches into the fleecy mass and there the shoes made a complete bed for themselves and the weight of their wearers.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading The girls sank about two inches into the fleecy mass and there the shoes made a complete bed for themselves and the weight of their wearers.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading AN ODD ADVENTURE Six inches or more of snow had fallen.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "What, my dear?" asked Ruth, who seemed much distraught.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "What, my dear?" asked Ruth, who seemed much distraught.
not divisible by two
From this reading AN ODD ADVENTURE Six inches or more of snow had fallen.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AN ODD ADVENTURE Six inches or more of snow had fallen.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "You know what I'd love to do this winter?" said Helen, as they trudged on.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading AN ODD ADVENTURE Six inches or more of snow had fallen.
packedadjectiveUS /pækt/
extremely crowed or filled to capacity
From this reading It was feathery and packed well under the snowshoes.
United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
From this reading "What, my dear?" asked Ruth, who seemed much distraught.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "You know what I'd love to do this winter?" said Helen, as they trudged on.
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading The girls sank about two inches into the fleecy mass and there the shoes made a complete bed for themselves and the weight of their wearers.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading "What, my dear?" asked Ruth, who seemed much distraught.
a particular situation
From this reading The girls sank about two inches into the fleecy mass and there the shoes made a complete bed for themselves and the weight of their wearers.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading AN ODD ADVENTURE Six inches or more of snow had fallen.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading AN ODD ADVENTURE Six inches or more of snow had fallen.
snowshoesnounUS /ˈsnoʊʃuːz/
plural of “snowshoe” — a device to help you walk on deep snow; a lightweight frame shaped like a racquet is strengthened with cross pieces and contains a network of thongs; one is worn on each foot
From this reading It was feathery and packed well under the snowshoes.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was feathery and packed well under the snowshoes.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The girls sank about two inches into the fleecy mass and there the shoes made a complete bed for themselves and the weight of their wearers.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading The girls sank about two inches into the fleecy mass and there the shoes made a complete bed for themselves and the weight of their wearers.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The girls sank about two inches into the fleecy mass and there the shoes made a complete bed for themselves and the weight of their wearers.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "You know what I'd love to do this winter?" said Helen, as they trudged on.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "You know what I'd love to do this winter?" said Helen, as they trudged on.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "You know what I'd love to do this winter?" said Helen, as they trudged on.
trudgedverbUS /trʌdʒd/
past form of “trudge” — walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
From this reading "You know what I'd love to do this winter?" said Helen, as they trudged on.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The girls sank about two inches into the fleecy mass and there the shoes made a complete bed for themselves and the weight of their wearers.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading It was feathery and packed well under the snowshoes.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was feathery and packed well under the snowshoes.
wearersnounUS /ˈwerərz/
plural of “wearer” — a person who wears or carries or displays something as a body covering or accessory
From this reading The girls sank about two inches into the fleecy mass and there the shoes made a complete bed for themselves and the weight of their wearers.
the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
From this reading The girls sank about two inches into the fleecy mass and there the shoes made a complete bed for themselves and the weight of their wearers.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading It was feathery and packed well under the snowshoes.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "You know what I'd love to do this winter?" said Helen, as they trudged on.
which person or people
From this reading "What, my dear?" asked Ruth, who seemed much distraught.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading "You know what I'd love to do this winter?" said Helen, as they trudged on.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You know what I'd love to do this winter?" said Helen, as they trudged on.
