used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The descent was a slope of smooth snow, which went down at an angle of forty-five degrees for at least a thousand feet.
quickly and without warning
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
abyssnounUS /əˈbɪs/
a bottomless gulf or pit; any unfathomable (or apparently unfathomable) cavity or chasm or void extending below (often used figuratively)
From this reading The whole party stood paralyzed, gazing stupidly downward where the avalanche was hurrying on to the abyss, bearing with it the ill-fated Minnie.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The descent was a slope of smooth snow, which went down at an angle of forty-five degrees for at least a thousand feet.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
anglenounUS /ˈæŋɡəl/
the space between two lines or planes that intersect; the inclination of one line to another; measured in degrees or radians
From this reading The descent was a slope of smooth snow, which went down at an angle of forty-five degrees for at least a thousand feet.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The descent was a slope of smooth snow, which went down at an angle of forty-five degrees for at least a thousand feet.
avalanchenounUS /ˈævəlæntʃ/
a slide of large masses of snow and ice and mud down a mountain
From this reading The whole party stood paralyzed, gazing stupidly downward where the avalanche was hurrying on to the abyss, bearing with it the ill-fated Minnie.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading At that point there seemed to be a precipice.
relevant relation or interconnection
From this reading The whole party stood paralyzed, gazing stupidly downward where the avalanche was hurrying on to the abyss, bearing with it the ill-fated Minnie.
the two together, not just one
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
placed in a grave
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
plural of “degree” — a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading The descent was a slope of smooth snow, which went down at an angle of forty-five degrees for at least a thousand feet.
DESCENTnounUS /dɪˈsent/
An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.
From this reading THE PERILOUS DESCENT.
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The descent was a slope of smooth snow, which went down at an angle of forty-five degrees for at least a thousand feet.
downwardadjectiveUS /ˈdaʊnwərd/
extending or moving from a higher to a lower place
From this reading The whole party stood paralyzed, gazing stupidly downward where the avalanche was hurrying on to the abyss, bearing with it the ill-fated Minnie.
driver'snounUS /ˈdraɪvərz/
possessive form of “driver” — the operator of a motor vehicle
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading The descent was a slope of smooth snow, which went down at an angle of forty-five degrees for at least a thousand feet.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The descent was a slope of smooth snow, which went down at an angle of forty-five degrees for at least a thousand feet.
forty-fivenounUS /ˈfɔːrtifaɪv/
a .45-caliber pistol
From this reading The descent was a slope of smooth snow, which went down at an angle of forty-five degrees for at least a thousand feet.
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading The whole party stood paralyzed, gazing stupidly downward where the avalanche was hurrying on to the abyss, bearing with it the ill-fated Minnie.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
hurryingadjectiveUS /ˈhɜːriɪŋ/
moving with great haste
From this reading The whole party stood paralyzed, gazing stupidly downward where the avalanche was hurrying on to the abyss, bearing with it the ill-fated Minnie.
ill-fatedadjective
marked by or promising bad fortune
From this reading The whole party stood paralyzed, gazing stupidly downward where the avalanche was hurrying on to the abyss, bearing with it the ill-fated Minnie.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The whole party stood paralyzed, gazing stupidly downward where the avalanche was hurrying on to the abyss, bearing with it the ill-fated Minnie.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading The descent was a slope of smooth snow, which went down at an angle of forty-five degrees for at least a thousand feet.
Minnie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The whole party stood paralyzed, gazing stupidly downward where the avalanche was hurrying on to the abyss, bearing with it the ill-fated Minnie.
paralyzedadjectiveUS /ˈperəlaɪzd/
affected with paralysis
From this reading The whole party stood paralyzed, gazing stupidly downward where the avalanche was hurrying on to the abyss, bearing with it the ill-fated Minnie.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading The whole party stood paralyzed, gazing stupidly downward where the avalanche was hurrying on to the abyss, bearing with it the ill-fated Minnie.
PERILOUSadjectiveUS /ˈperələs/
fraught with danger
From this reading THE PERILOUS DESCENT.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading At that point there seemed to be a precipice.
precipicenounUS /ˈpresəpəs/
a very steep cliff
From this reading At that point there seemed to be a precipice.
move hurridly
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading At that point there seemed to be a precipice.
shrieknounUS /ʃriːk/
sharp piercing cry
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
an elevated geological formation
From this reading The descent was a slope of smooth snow, which went down at an angle of forty-five degrees for at least a thousand feet.
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading The descent was a slope of smooth snow, which went down at an angle of forty-five degrees for at least a thousand feet.
smotheredadjectiveUS /ˈsmʌðərd/
held in check with difficulty
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The whole party stood paralyzed, gazing stupidly downward where the avalanche was hurrying on to the abyss, bearing with it the ill-fated Minnie.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
stupidlyadverbUS /ˈstuːpədli/
in a stupid manner
From this reading The whole party stood paralyzed, gazing stupidly downward where the avalanche was hurrying on to the abyss, bearing with it the ill-fated Minnie.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading At that point there seemed to be a precipice.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PERILOUS DESCENT.
in or at that place or location
From this reading At that point there seemed to be a precipice.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading The descent was a slope of smooth snow, which went down at an angle of forty-five degrees for at least a thousand feet.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The whole party stood paralyzed, gazing stupidly downward where the avalanche was hurrying on to the abyss, bearing with it the ill-fated Minnie.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The whole party stood paralyzed, gazing stupidly downward where the avalanche was hurrying on to the abyss, bearing with it the ill-fated Minnie.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The descent was a slope of smooth snow, which went down at an angle of forty-five degrees for at least a thousand feet.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
in or at the place that
From this reading The whole party stood paralyzed, gazing stupidly downward where the avalanche was hurrying on to the abyss, bearing with it the ill-fated Minnie.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The shriek of Minnie and the driver's cry of despair were both stopped abruptly by the rush of snow, and were smothered in the heap under which they were buried.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading The whole party stood paralyzed, gazing stupidly downward where the avalanche was hurrying on to the abyss, bearing with it the ill-fated Minnie.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The whole party stood paralyzed, gazing stupidly downward where the avalanche was hurrying on to the abyss, bearing with it the ill-fated Minnie.
