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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
air
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From this reading Nothing else stirred; in the crisp still air the evening smoke of chimneys rose threadlike and vanished.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Nothing else stirred; in the crisp still air the evening smoke of chimneys rose threadlike and vanished.
appeared
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From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
away
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From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
beautiful
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From this reading The site of the town itself was rarely beautiful, and its pioneers and founders had carried out the suggestions they had found there with loving taste and intelligence.
bitterlyadverbUS /ˈbɪtərli/
in a way that shows deep pain or grief
From this reading It was bitterly cold.
blue
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From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
boreal
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From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
carried
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From this reading The site of the town itself was rarely beautiful, and its pioneers and founders had carried out the suggestions they had found there with loving taste and intelligence.
chimneys
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From this reading Nothing else stirred; in the crisp still air the evening smoke of chimneys rose threadlike and vanished.
cold
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From this reading It was bitterly cold.
crisp
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From this reading Nothing else stirred; in the crisp still air the evening smoke of chimneys rose threadlike and vanished.
dull
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From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
early
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
earth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
else
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From this reading Nothing else stirred; in the crisp still air the evening smoke of chimneys rose threadlike and vanished.
encompassed
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From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
evening
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From this reading Nothing else stirred; in the crisp still air the evening smoke of chimneys rose threadlike and vanished.
exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/
apart from; not including
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
fade
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
fell
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
film
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
flickered
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From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
foundnounUS /found/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The site of the town itself was rarely beautiful, and its pioneers and founders had carried out the suggestions they had found there with loving taste and intelligence.
founders
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From this reading The site of the town itself was rarely beautiful, and its pioneers and founders had carried out the suggestions they had found there with loving taste and intelligence.
frozen
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From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
glowed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
intelligence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The site of the town itself was rarely beautiful, and its pioneers and founders had carried out the suggestions they had found there with loving taste and intelligence.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was bitterly cold.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The site of the town itself was rarely beautiful, and its pioneers and founders had carried out the suggestions they had found there with loving taste and intelligence.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
lakes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
Lakeville
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From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
lastnounUS /last/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
later
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
loving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The site of the town itself was rarely beautiful, and its pioneers and founders had carried out the suggestions they had found there with loving taste and intelligence.
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
moonlight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
NothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Nothing else stirred; in the crisp still air the evening smoke of chimneys rose threadlike and vanished.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Nothing else stirred; in the crisp still air the evening smoke of chimneys rose threadlike and vanished.
only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The site of the town itself was rarely beautiful, and its pioneers and founders had carried out the suggestions they had found there with loving taste and intelligence.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
pale
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
pewter-like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
pioneers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The site of the town itself was rarely beautiful, and its pioneers and founders had carried out the suggestions they had found there with loving taste and intelligence.
pitiless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
rarely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The site of the town itself was rarely beautiful, and its pioneers and founders had carried out the suggestions they had found there with loving taste and intelligence.
rather
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
rose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nothing else stirred; in the crisp still air the evening smoke of chimneys rose threadlike and vanished.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
shivers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
site
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The site of the town itself was rarely beautiful, and its pioneers and founders had carried out the suggestions they had found there with loving taste and intelligence.
sky
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
smoke
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nothing else stirred; in the crisp still air the evening smoke of chimneys rose threadlike and vanished.
snow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
stars
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
stiffened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
stirred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nothing else stirred; in the crisp still air the evening smoke of chimneys rose threadlike and vanished.
suggestions
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The site of the town itself was rarely beautiful, and its pioneers and founders had carried out the suggestions they had found there with loving taste and intelligence.
sunset
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
tasteverbUS /teɪst/
To perceive flavor through the mouth.
From this reading The site of the town itself was rarely beautiful, and its pioneers and founders had carried out the suggestions they had found there with loving taste and intelligence.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The site of the town itself was rarely beautiful, and its pioneers and founders had carried out the suggestions they had found there with loving taste and intelligence.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The site of the town itself was rarely beautiful, and its pioneers and founders had carried out the suggestions they had found there with loving taste and intelligence.
threadlike
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nothing else stirred; in the crisp still air the evening smoke of chimneys rose threadlike and vanished.
three
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
tooknounUS /took/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
town
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
tremulousness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
vanished
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nothing else stirred; in the crisp still air the evening smoke of chimneys rose threadlike and vanished.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was bitterly cold.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
western
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
whiten
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stars were early, pale, and pitiless; when the later moonlight fell, it appeared only to whiten the stiffened earth like snow, except where it made a dull, pewter-like film over the three frozen lakes which encompassed the town.
Wisconsin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The site of the town itself was rarely beautiful, and its pioneers and founders had carried out the suggestions they had found there with loving taste and intelligence.
zenith
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When night fell over Lakeville, Wisconsin, the sunset, which had flickered rather than glowed in the western sky, took upon itself a still more boreal tremulousness, until at last it seemed to fade away in cold blue shivers to the zenith.
