used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
(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 As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading But even in Naples it cannot always be spring in December--though it generally is in January.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading For she had unconsciously been looking forward to another day like yesterday, calm and clear and peaceful with much sunshine.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But even in Naples it cannot always be spring in December--though it generally is in January.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For she had unconsciously been looking forward to another day like yesterday, calm and clear and peaceful with much sunshine.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But even in Naples it cannot always be spring in December--though it generally is in January.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
make calm or still
From this reading For she had unconsciously been looking forward to another day like yesterday, calm and clear and peaceful with much sunshine.
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But even in Naples it cannot always be spring in December--though it generally is in January.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
rid of obstructions
From this reading For she had unconsciously been looking forward to another day like yesterday, calm and clear and peaceful with much sunshine.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading For she had unconsciously been looking forward to another day like yesterday, calm and clear and peaceful with much sunshine.
DecembernounUS /dɪˈsembər/
the last (12th) month of the year
From this reading But even in Naples it cannot always be spring in December--though it generally is in January.
a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
having the power of driving or impelling
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
divisible by two
From this reading But even in Naples it cannot always be spring in December--though it generally is in January.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For she had unconsciously been looking forward to another day like yesterday, calm and clear and peaceful with much sunshine.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading For she had unconsciously been looking forward to another day like yesterday, calm and clear and peaceful with much sunshine.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
usually; as a rule
From this reading But even in Naples it cannot always be spring in December--though it generally is in January.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
gustyadjectiveUS /ˈɡʌsti/
blowing in puffs or short intermittent blasts
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For she had unconsciously been looking forward to another day like yesterday, calm and clear and peaceful with much sunshine.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
past form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading She had hoped for just such another day as the preceding one.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
be the source of pain
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But even in Naples it cannot always be spring in December--though it generally is in January.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But even in Naples it cannot always be spring in December--though it generally is in January.
JanuarynounUS /ˈdʒænjuːeri/
the first month of the year; begins 10 days after the winter solstice
From this reading But even in Naples it cannot always be spring in December--though it generally is in January.
and nothing more
From this reading She had hoped for just such another day as the preceding one.
laceverbUS /leɪs/
spin, wind, or twist together
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
lashesnounUS /ˈlæʃɪz/
plural of “lash” — any of the short curved hairs that grow from the edges of the eyelids
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading For she had unconsciously been looking forward to another day like yesterday, calm and clear and peaceful with much sunshine.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading For she had unconsciously been looking forward to another day like yesterday, calm and clear and peaceful with much sunshine.
a female domestic
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading For she had unconsciously been looking forward to another day like yesterday, calm and clear and peaceful with much sunshine.
NaplesnounUS /ˈneɪpəlz/
a port and tourist center in southwestern Italy; capital of the Campania region
From this reading But even in Naples it cannot always be spring in December--though it generally is in January.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
old-fashionedadjectiveUS /ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd/
out of fashion
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
panesnounUS /peɪnz/
plural of “pane” — sheet glass cut in shapes for windows or doors
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
peacefuladjectiveUS /ˈpiːsfəl/
not disturbed by strife or turmoil or war
From this reading For she had unconsciously been looking forward to another day like yesterday, calm and clear and peaceful with much sunshine.
precedingadjectiveUS /priˈsiːdɪŋ/
existing or coming before
From this reading She had hoped for just such another day as the preceding one.
progressivelyadverbUS /prɑːˈɡresɪvli/
advancing in amount or intensity
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
scourgenounUS /skɜːrdʒ/
a whip used to inflict punishment (often used for pedantic humor)
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
sheeradjectiveUS /ʃɪr/
complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
shuttersnounUS /ˈʃʌtərz/
plural of “shutter” — a mechanical device on a camera that opens and closes to control the time of a photographic exposure
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
southwestnounUS /ˌsaʊˈθwest/
the compass point midway between south and west; at 225 degrees
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
spraynounUS /spreɪ/
a pesticide in suspension or solution; intended for spraying
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
the season of growth
From this reading But even in Naples it cannot always be spring in December--though it generally is in January.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading She had hoped for just such another day as the preceding one.
the rays of the sun
From this reading For she had unconsciously been looking forward to another day like yesterday, calm and clear and peaceful with much sunshine.
in a swift manner
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading But even in Naples it cannot always be spring in December--though it generally is in January.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
unconsciouslyadverbUS /ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəsli/
without awareness
From this reading For she had unconsciously been looking forward to another day like yesterday, calm and clear and peaceful with much sunshine.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
VeronicanounUS /vərˈɑːnɪkə/
any plant of the genus Veronica
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
capable of being seen; or open to easy view
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
wateryadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːtəri/
filled with water
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
at the time that
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
whirlverbUS /wɜːrl/
turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading As Veronica watched her maid opening the heavy old-fashioned shutters, one by one, the sight of each wet window hurt her a little more, progressively, until, when all were visible, she could have cried out of sheer disappointment.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The weather changed during the night, and when Veronica awoke in the morning the gusty southwest was driving the rain from the roof of the opposite house into a grey whirl of spray that struck across swiftly, to scourge the thick panes with a thousand lashes of watery lace.
the day immediately before today
From this reading For she had unconsciously been looking forward to another day like yesterday, calm and clear and peaceful with much sunshine.
