used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And then they settled down to a steady blow from the north, and soft snow began to fall heavily.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading They came as night descended, to howl about buildings and shriek through the streets, carrying the merest suggestion of snow.
anew
From this reading That evening there came the heavy winds again.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They came as night descended, to howl about buildings and shriek through the streets, carrying the merest suggestion of snow.
arcnounUS /ɑːrk/
electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field
From this reading They swayed the arc lights, rattled signs, and shook skeletons of trees.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They came as night descended, to howl about buildings and shriek through the streets, carrying the merest suggestion of snow.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading And through the steady sheet of snow gleamed thousands upon thousands of incandescent bulbs at the big hall where the Charity Ball was to be held.
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading And through the steady sheet of snow gleamed thousands upon thousands of incandescent bulbs at the big hall where the Charity Ball was to be held.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading And through the steady sheet of snow gleamed thousands upon thousands of incandescent bulbs at the big hall where the Charity Ball was to be held.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading And then they settled down to a steady blow from the north, and soft snow began to fall heavily.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading And through the steady sheet of snow gleamed thousands upon thousands of incandescent bulbs at the big hall where the Charity Ball was to be held.
exhale hard
From this reading And then they settled down to a steady blow from the north, and soft snow began to fall heavily.
plural of “building” — a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading They came as night descended, to howl about buildings and shriek through the streets, carrying the merest suggestion of snow.
bulbsnounUS /bʌlbz/
plural of “bulb” — a modified bud consisting of a thickened globular underground stem serving as a reproductive structure
From this reading And through the steady sheet of snow gleamed thousands upon thousands of incandescent bulbs at the big hall where the Charity Ball was to be held.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading That evening there came the heavy winds again.
-ing form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading They came as night descended, to howl about buildings and shriek through the streets, carrying the merest suggestion of snow.
CharitynounUS /ˈtʃerɪti/
a foundation created to promote the public good (not for assistance to any particular individuals)
From this reading And through the steady sheet of snow gleamed thousands upon thousands of incandescent bulbs at the big hall where the Charity Ball was to be held.
past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
From this reading They came as night descended, to howl about buildings and shriek through the streets, carrying the merest suggestion of snow.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading And then they settled down to a steady blow from the north, and soft snow began to fall heavily.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading That evening there came the heavy winds again.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading And then they settled down to a steady blow from the north, and soft snow began to fall heavily.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading And then they settled down to a steady blow from the north, and soft snow began to fall heavily.
gleamedverbUS /ɡliːmd/
past form of “gleam” — be shiny, as if wet
From this reading And through the steady sheet of snow gleamed thousands upon thousands of incandescent bulbs at the big hall where the Charity Ball was to be held.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading And through the steady sheet of snow gleamed thousands upon thousands of incandescent bulbs at the big hall where the Charity Ball was to be held.
to a considerable degree
From this reading And then they settled down to a steady blow from the north, and soft snow began to fall heavily.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading That evening there came the heavy winds again.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading And through the steady sheet of snow gleamed thousands upon thousands of incandescent bulbs at the big hall where the Charity Ball was to be held.
howlverbUS /haʊl/
emit long loud cries
From this reading They came as night descended, to howl about buildings and shriek through the streets, carrying the merest suggestion of snow.
incandescentadjectiveUS /ˌɪnkənˈdesənt/
emitting light as a result of being heated
From this reading And through the steady sheet of snow gleamed thousands upon thousands of incandescent bulbs at the big hall where the Charity Ball was to be held.
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading They swayed the arc lights, rattled signs, and shook skeletons of trees.
merestadjectiveUS /ˈmerəst/
superlative of “mere” — being nothing more than specified
From this reading They came as night descended, to howl about buildings and shriek through the streets, carrying the merest suggestion of snow.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading They came as night descended, to howl about buildings and shriek through the streets, carrying the merest suggestion of snow.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading And then they settled down to a steady blow from the north, and soft snow began to fall heavily.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They came as night descended, to howl about buildings and shriek through the streets, carrying the merest suggestion of snow.
rattledadjectiveUS /ˈrætəld/
thrown into a state of agitated confusion; (“rattled” is an informal term)
From this reading They swayed the arc lights, rattled signs, and shook skeletons of trees.
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading And then they settled down to a steady blow from the north, and soft snow began to fall heavily.
any broad thin expanse or surface
From this reading And through the steady sheet of snow gleamed thousands upon thousands of incandescent bulbs at the big hall where the Charity Ball was to be held.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading They swayed the arc lights, rattled signs, and shook skeletons of trees.
shrieknounUS /ʃriːk/
sharp piercing cry
From this reading They came as night descended, to howl about buildings and shriek through the streets, carrying the merest suggestion of snow.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading They swayed the arc lights, rattled signs, and shook skeletons of trees.
skeletonsnounUS /ˈskelətənz/
plural of “skeleton” — something reduced to its minimal form
From this reading They swayed the arc lights, rattled signs, and shook skeletons of trees.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading They came as night descended, to howl about buildings and shriek through the streets, carrying the merest suggestion of snow.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading And then they settled down to a steady blow from the north, and soft snow began to fall heavily.
make steady
From this reading And then they settled down to a steady blow from the north, and soft snow began to fall heavily.
plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading They came as night descended, to howl about buildings and shriek through the streets, carrying the merest suggestion of snow.
an idea that is suggested
From this reading They came as night descended, to howl about buildings and shriek through the streets, carrying the merest suggestion of snow.
swayedverbUS /sweɪd/
past form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading They swayed the arc lights, rattled signs, and shook skeletons of trees.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That evening there came the heavy winds again.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading That evening there came the heavy winds again.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading And then they settled down to a steady blow from the north, and soft snow began to fall heavily.
in or at that place or location
From this reading That evening there came the heavy winds again.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They came as night descended, to howl about buildings and shriek through the streets, carrying the merest suggestion of snow.
plural of “thousand” — the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading And through the steady sheet of snow gleamed thousands upon thousands of incandescent bulbs at the big hall where the Charity Ball was to be held.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading They came as night descended, to howl about buildings and shriek through the streets, carrying the merest suggestion of snow.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They came as night descended, to howl about buildings and shriek through the streets, carrying the merest suggestion of snow.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading They swayed the arc lights, rattled signs, and shook skeletons of trees.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading And through the steady sheet of snow gleamed thousands upon thousands of incandescent bulbs at the big hall where the Charity Ball was to be held.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And through the steady sheet of snow gleamed thousands upon thousands of incandescent bulbs at the big hall where the Charity Ball was to be held.
in or at the place that
From this reading And through the steady sheet of snow gleamed thousands upon thousands of incandescent bulbs at the big hall where the Charity Ball was to be held.
plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading That evening there came the heavy winds again.
