used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The days passed on, and now all the world lay under a pall of white snow.
abundancenounUS /əˈbʌndəns/
the property of a more than adequate quantity or supply
From this reading Under their dazzling mantle gleamed the dark prickly leaves of the holly-trees with abundance of scarlet berries.
(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 The days passed on, and now all the world lay under a pall of white snow.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The days passed on, and now all the world lay under a pall of white snow.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Sportsmen cursed the hard weather, the idle horses restlessly moved in their stalls, and the hounds dreamed dreams to pass away the long hours.
berriesnounUS /ˈberiz/
plural of “berry” — any of numerous small and pulpy edible fruits; used as desserts or in making jams and jellies and preserves
From this reading Under their dazzling mantle gleamed the dark prickly leaves of the holly-trees with abundance of scarlet berries.
Betty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
for the most part
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
cursedadjectiveUS /kɜːrst/
deserving a curse; sometimes used as an intensifier
From this reading Sportsmen cursed the hard weather, the idle horses restlessly moved in their stalls, and the hounds dreamed dreams to pass away the long hours.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Under their dazzling mantle gleamed the dark prickly leaves of the holly-trees with abundance of scarlet berries.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading The days passed on, and now all the world lay under a pall of white snow.
dazzlingadjectiveUS /ˈdæzəlɪŋ/
amazingly impressive; suggestive of the flashing of lightning
From this reading Under their dazzling mantle gleamed the dark prickly leaves of the holly-trees with abundance of scarlet berries.
conceived of or imagined or hoped for
From this reading Sportsmen cursed the hard weather, the idle horses restlessly moved in their stalls, and the hounds dreamed dreams to pass away the long hours.
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading Sportsmen cursed the hard weather, the idle horses restlessly moved in their stalls, and the hounds dreamed dreams to pass away the long hours.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
featheredadjectiveUS /ˈfeðərd/
adorned with feathers or plumes
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
fednounUS /fed/
any federal law-enforcement officer
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
fro
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
a group of persons together in one place
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
gleamedverbUS /ɡliːmd/
past form of “gleam” — be shiny, as if wet
From this reading Under their dazzling mantle gleamed the dark prickly leaves of the holly-trees with abundance of scarlet berries.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading Sportsmen cursed the hard weather, the idle horses restlessly moved in their stalls, and the hounds dreamed dreams to pass away the long hours.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
holly-trees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Under their dazzling mantle gleamed the dark prickly leaves of the holly-trees with abundance of scarlet berries.
hoppedverbUS /hɑːpt/
inflected form of “hop” — jump lightly
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading Sportsmen cursed the hard weather, the idle horses restlessly moved in their stalls, and the hounds dreamed dreams to pass away the long hours.
houndsnounUS /haʊndz/
plural of “hound” — any of several breeds of dog used for hunting typically having large drooping ears
From this reading Sportsmen cursed the hard weather, the idle horses restlessly moved in their stalls, and the hounds dreamed dreams to pass away the long hours.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading Sportsmen cursed the hard weather, the idle horses restlessly moved in their stalls, and the hounds dreamed dreams to pass away the long hours.
plural of “hundred” — ten 10s
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
not in action or at work
From this reading Sportsmen cursed the hard weather, the idle horses restlessly moved in their stalls, and the hounds dreamed dreams to pass away the long hours.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Sportsmen cursed the hard weather, the idle horses restlessly moved in their stalls, and the hounds dreamed dreams to pass away the long hours.
latticedadjective
having a pattern of fretwork or latticework
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The days passed on, and now all the world lay under a pall of white snow.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading Under their dazzling mantle gleamed the dark prickly leaves of the holly-trees with abundance of scarlet berries.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Sportsmen cursed the hard weather, the idle horses restlessly moved in their stalls, and the hounds dreamed dreams to pass away the long hours.
mantlenounUS /ˈmæntəl/
the cloak as a symbol of authority
From this reading Under their dazzling mantle gleamed the dark prickly leaves of the holly-trees with abundance of scarlet berries.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading Sportsmen cursed the hard weather, the idle horses restlessly moved in their stalls, and the hounds dreamed dreams to pass away the long hours.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Betty was never idle.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The days passed on, and now all the world lay under a pall of white snow.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The days passed on, and now all the world lay under a pall of white snow.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The days passed on, and now all the world lay under a pall of white snow.
pallverbUS /pɑːl/
become less interesting or attractive
From this reading The days passed on, and now all the world lay under a pall of white snow.
parsonagenounUS /ˈpɑːrsənɪdʒ/
an official residence provided by a church for its parson or vicar or rector
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
go across or through
From this reading Sportsmen cursed the hard weather, the idle horses restlessly moved in their stalls, and the hounds dreamed dreams to pass away the long hours.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading The days passed on, and now all the world lay under a pall of white snow.
pensionersnounUS /ˈpenʃənərz/
plural of “pensioner” — the beneficiary of a pension fund
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
pricklyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪkli/
very irritable
From this reading Under their dazzling mantle gleamed the dark prickly leaves of the holly-trees with abundance of scarlet berries.
restlesslyadverbUS /ˈrestləsli/
in a restless manner
From this reading Sportsmen cursed the hard weather, the idle horses restlessly moved in their stalls, and the hounds dreamed dreams to pass away the long hours.
robin-redbreast
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
scarletnounUS /ˈskɑːrlət/
a variable color that is vivid red but sometimes with an orange tinge
From this reading Under their dazzling mantle gleamed the dark prickly leaves of the holly-trees with abundance of scarlet berries.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading The days passed on, and now all the world lay under a pall of white snow.
SportsmennounUS /ˈspɔːrtsmɪn/
plural of “sportsman” — someone who engages in sports
From this reading Sportsmen cursed the hard weather, the idle horses restlessly moved in their stalls, and the hounds dreamed dreams to pass away the long hours.
stallsnounUS /stɔːlz/
a farm building for housing horses or other livestock
From this reading Sportsmen cursed the hard weather, the idle horses restlessly moved in their stalls, and the hounds dreamed dreams to pass away the long hours.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The days passed on, and now all the world lay under a pall of white snow.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Under their dazzling mantle gleamed the dark prickly leaves of the holly-trees with abundance of scarlet berries.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading The days passed on, and now all the world lay under a pall of white snow.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Betty was never idle.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading Sportsmen cursed the hard weather, the idle horses restlessly moved in their stalls, and the hounds dreamed dreams to pass away the long hours.
in or at the place that
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
a Caucasian
From this reading The days passed on, and now all the world lay under a pall of white snow.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading Here and there a little robin-redbreast hopped to and fro, chiefly gathering round the latticed windows of the parsonage, where morning and evening Betty fed hundreds of feathered pensioners.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Under their dazzling mantle gleamed the dark prickly leaves of the holly-trees with abundance of scarlet berries.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading The days passed on, and now all the world lay under a pall of white snow.
