used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A SUMMONS OF THE NIGHT There was a voice of moaning abroad in the night.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Now and then the sound of hoofs and wheels rose above the wail of the storm, sharp for a moment as it passed, quickly dimmed, quickly lost.
to or in a foreign country
From this reading A SUMMONS OF THE NIGHT There was a voice of moaning abroad in the night.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
ashesnounUS /ˈæʃ.ɪz/
The powdery residue left after the burning of a substance.
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was an unkind night for one to be abroad, for the rain seemed as penetrating as sorrow.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading Few passed upon the street beneath the judge's windows where his dim light glowed.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
chimneynounUS /ˈtʃɪmni/
a vertical flue that provides a path through which smoke from a fire is carried away through the wall or roof of a building
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading Few passed upon the street beneath the judge's windows where his dim light glowed.
dimmedadjectiveUS /dɪmd/
made dim or less bright
From this reading Now and then the sound of hoofs and wheels rose above the wail of the storm, sharp for a moment as it passed, quickly dimmed, quickly lost.
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Few passed upon the street beneath the judge's windows where his dim light glowed.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was an unkind night for one to be abroad, for the rain seemed as penetrating as sorrow.
glowedverbUS /ɡloʊd/
past form of “glow” — emit a steady even light without flames
From this reading Few passed upon the street beneath the judge's windows where his dim light glowed.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
hoofsnounUS /hʊfs/
plural of “hoof” — the foot of an ungulate mammal
From this reading Now and then the sound of hoofs and wheels rose above the wail of the storm, sharp for a moment as it passed, quickly dimmed, quickly lost.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A SUMMONS OF THE NIGHT There was a voice of moaning abroad in the night.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
determine the result of (a competition)
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
judge'snounUS /ˈdʒʌdʒɪz/
possessive form of “judge” — a public official authorized to decide questions brought before a court of justice
From this reading Few passed upon the street beneath the judge's windows where his dim light glowed.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Few passed upon the street beneath the judge's windows where his dim light glowed.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading Now and then the sound of hoofs and wheels rose above the wail of the storm, sharp for a moment as it passed, quickly dimmed, quickly lost.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
Maxwell'snounUS /ˈmækswelz/
possessive form of “maxwell” — a cgs unit of magnetic flux equal to the flux perpendicular to an area of 1 square centimeter in a magnetic field of 1 gauss
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
moaningverbUS /ˈmoʊnɪŋ/
-ing form of “moan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading A SUMMONS OF THE NIGHT There was a voice of moaning abroad in the night.
a particular point in time
From this reading Now and then the sound of hoofs and wheels rose above the wail of the storm, sharp for a moment as it passed, quickly dimmed, quickly lost.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading A SUMMONS OF THE NIGHT There was a voice of moaning abroad in the night.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now and then the sound of hoofs and wheels rose above the wail of the storm, sharp for a moment as it passed, quickly dimmed, quickly lost.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A SUMMONS OF THE NIGHT There was a voice of moaning abroad in the night.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It was an unkind night for one to be abroad, for the rain seemed as penetrating as sorrow.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Few passed upon the street beneath the judge's windows where his dim light glowed.
penetratingadjectiveUS /ˈpenətreɪtɪŋ/
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading It was an unkind night for one to be abroad, for the rain seemed as penetrating as sorrow.
with speed
From this reading Now and then the sound of hoofs and wheels rose above the wail of the storm, sharp for a moment as it passed, quickly dimmed, quickly lost.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
rockingverbUS /ˈrɑːkɪŋ/
-ing form of “rock” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Now and then the sound of hoofs and wheels rose above the wail of the storm, sharp for a moment as it passed, quickly dimmed, quickly lost.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It was an unkind night for one to be abroad, for the rain seemed as penetrating as sorrow.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading Now and then the sound of hoofs and wheels rose above the wail of the storm, sharp for a moment as it passed, quickly dimmed, quickly lost.
past form of “sigh” — heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement
From this reading It was an unkind night for one to be abroad, for the rain seemed as penetrating as sorrow.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Now and then the sound of hoofs and wheels rose above the wail of the storm, sharp for a moment as it passed, quickly dimmed, quickly lost.
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
spearsnounUS /spɪrz/
plural of “spear” — a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
depleted of energy, force, or strength
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading Now and then the sound of hoofs and wheels rose above the wail of the storm, sharp for a moment as it passed, quickly dimmed, quickly lost.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading Few passed upon the street beneath the judge's windows where his dim light glowed.
a detailed critical inspection
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
SUMMONSnounUS /ˈsʌmənz/
a request to be present
From this reading A SUMMONS OF THE NIGHT There was a voice of moaning abroad in the night.
possessing sweep
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A SUMMONS OF THE NIGHT There was a voice of moaning abroad in the night.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Now and then the sound of hoofs and wheels rose above the wail of the storm, sharp for a moment as it passed, quickly dimmed, quickly lost.
in or at that place or location
From this reading A SUMMONS OF THE NIGHT There was a voice of moaning abroad in the night.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was an unkind night for one to be abroad, for the rain seemed as penetrating as sorrow.
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 It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
unkindadjectiveUS /ənˈkaɪnd/
lacking kindness
From this reading It was an unkind night for one to be abroad, for the rain seemed as penetrating as sorrow.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Few passed upon the street beneath the judge's windows where his dim light glowed.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading A SUMMONS OF THE NIGHT There was a voice of moaning abroad in the night.
wailverbUS /weɪl/
emit long loud cries
From this reading Now and then the sound of hoofs and wheels rose above the wail of the storm, sharp for a moment as it passed, quickly dimmed, quickly lost.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A SUMMONS OF THE NIGHT There was a voice of moaning abroad in the night.
wheelsnounUS /wiːlz/
plural of “wheel” — a simple machine consisting of a circular frame with spokes (or a solid disc) that can rotate on a shaft or axle (as in vehicles or other machines)
From this reading Now and then the sound of hoofs and wheels rose above the wail of the storm, sharp for a moment as it passed, quickly dimmed, quickly lost.
in or at the place that
From this reading Few passed upon the street beneath the judge's windows where his dim light glowed.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading It sounded as the rain swept through the rocking trees and bent its spears against Judge Maxwell's study windows; it sighed in his chimney like an old man turning the ashes of spent dreams.
