used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE WISHING CURL With February the cold that the Butterfly Man had wished for came with a vengeance.
(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 This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The sky lost its bright blue friendliness and changed into a menacing gray, the gray of stormy water.
ballsnounUS /bɔːlz/
plural of “ball” — round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
completely unclothed
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading The sky lost its bright blue friendliness and changed into a menacing gray, the gray of stormy water.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading The sky lost its bright blue friendliness and changed into a menacing gray, the gray of stormy water.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
ButterflyverbUS /ˈbʌtərflaɪ/
flutter like a butterfly
From this reading THE WISHING CURL With February the cold that the Butterfly Man had wished for came with a vengeance.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading THE WISHING CURL With February the cold that the Butterfly Man had wished for came with a vengeance.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading The sky lost its bright blue friendliness and changed into a menacing gray, the gray of stormy water.
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 THE WISHING CURL With February the cold that the Butterfly Man had wished for came with a vengeance.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
conflagrationnounUS /ˌkɑːnfləˈɡreɪʃən/
a very intense and uncontrolled fire
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
CURLverbUS /kɜːrl/
form a curl, curve, or kink
From this reading THE WISHING CURL With February the cold that the Butterfly Man had wished for came with a vengeance.
dampadjectiveUS /dæmp/
slightly wet
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm
From this reading When rain came the water froze in the wagon-ruts, and ice-covered puddles made street-corners dangerous.
feathersnounUS /ˈfeðərz/
plural of “feather” — the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
FebruarynounUS /ˈfebjəweri/
the month following January and preceding March
From this reading THE WISHING CURL With February the cold that the Butterfly Man had wished for came with a vengeance.
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE WISHING CURL With February the cold that the Butterfly Man had wished for came with a vengeance.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
friendlinessnounUS /ˈfrendlinɪs/
a feeling of liking for another person; enjoyment in their company
From this reading The sky lost its bright blue friendliness and changed into a menacing gray, the gray of stormy water.
frozeverbUS /froʊz/
inflected form of “freeze” — stop moving or become immobilized
From this reading When rain came the water froze in the wagon-ruts, and ice-covered puddles made street-corners dangerous.
plural of “garden” — a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading The sky lost its bright blue friendliness and changed into a menacing gray, the gray of stormy water.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE WISHING CURL With February the cold that the Butterfly Man had wished for came with a vengeance.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
ice-covered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When rain came the water froze in the wagon-ruts, and ice-covered puddles made street-corners dangerous.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The sky lost its bright blue friendliness and changed into a menacing gray, the gray of stormy water.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The sky lost its bright blue friendliness and changed into a menacing gray, the gray of stormy water.
latentadjectiveUS /ˈleɪtənt/
potentially existing but not presently evident or realized
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
the act of departing
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading The sky lost its bright blue friendliness and changed into a menacing gray, the gray of stormy water.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading When rain came the water froze in the wagon-ruts, and ice-covered puddles made street-corners dangerous.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading THE WISHING CURL With February the cold that the Butterfly Man had wished for came with a vengeance.
menacingadjectiveUS /ˈmenəsɪŋ/
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading The sky lost its bright blue friendliness and changed into a menacing gray, the gray of stormy water.
mill-parish
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
not any; not one
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The sky lost its bright blue friendliness and changed into a menacing gray, the gray of stormy water.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
OvernightadverbUS /ˈoʊvərˈnaɪt/
during or for the length of one night
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
penetratingadjectiveUS /ˈpenətreɪtɪŋ/
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
puddlesnounUS /ˈpʌdəlz/
plural of “puddle” — a mixture of wet clay and sand that can be used to line a pond and that is impervious to water when dry
From this reading When rain came the water froze in the wagon-ruts, and ice-covered puddles made street-corners dangerous.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading When rain came the water froze in the wagon-ruts, and ice-covered puddles made street-corners dangerous.
ruffledadjectiveUS /ˈrʌfəld/
shaken into waves or undulations as by wind
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
shiveringnounUS /ˈʃɪvərɪŋ/
a sensation of cold that often marks the start of an infection and the development of a fever
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
sicknessnounUS /ˈsɪknəs/
impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading The sky lost its bright blue friendliness and changed into a menacing gray, the gray of stormy water.
smolderingadjectiveUS /ˈsmoʊldərɪŋ/
showing scarcely suppressed anger
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
a short musical composition with words
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
stormyadjectiveUS /ˈstɔːrmi/
(especially of weather) affected or characterized by storms or commotion
From this reading The sky lost its bright blue friendliness and changed into a menacing gray, the gray of stormy water.
street-corners
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When rain came the water froze in the wagon-ruts, and ice-covered puddles made street-corners dangerous.
strippedadjectiveUS /strɪpt/
having only essential or minimal features
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE WISHING CURL With February the cold that the Butterfly Man had wished for came with a vengeance.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE WISHING CURL With February the cold that the Butterfly Man had wished for came with a vengeance.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
unseasonablyadverbUS /ənˈsiːzənəbli/
not in accordance with the season
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
having passed out of existence
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
the act of taking revenge (harming someone in retaliation for something harmful that they have done) especially in the next life
From this reading THE WISHING CURL With February the cold that the Butterfly Man had wished for came with a vengeance.
wagon-ruts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When rain came the water froze in the wagon-ruts, and ice-covered puddles made street-corners dangerous.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading The sky lost its bright blue friendliness and changed into a menacing gray, the gray of stormy water.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading This intense cold, damp, heavy, penetrating, coming upon the heels of the unseasonably warm weather, seemed to bring to a head all the latent sickness smoldering in the mill-parish, for it suddenly burst forth like a conflagration.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Overnight the flowers vanished, leaving our gardens stripped and bare, and our birds that had been so gay were now but sorry shivering balls of ruffled feathers, with no song left in them.
at the time that
From this reading When rain came the water froze in the wagon-ruts, and ice-covered puddles made street-corners dangerous.
past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish
From this reading THE WISHING CURL With February the cold that the Butterfly Man had wished for came with a vengeance.
WISHINGnounUS /ˈwɪʃɪŋ/
a specific feeling of desire
From this reading THE WISHING CURL With February the cold that the Butterfly Man had wished for came with a vengeance.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE WISHING CURL With February the cold that the Butterfly Man had wished for came with a vengeance.
