used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Just at that moment, some one in the crowd Saw wisps of black smoke curl around a board.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Just at that moment, some one in the crowd Saw wisps of black smoke curl around a board.
batonnounUS /bəˈtɑːn/
a thin tapered rod used by a conductor to lead an orchestra or choir
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Just at that moment, some one in the crowd Saw wisps of black smoke curl around a board.
blastverbUS /blæst/
make a strident sound
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
a committee having supervisory powers
From this reading Just at that moment, some one in the crowd Saw wisps of black smoke curl around a board.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It was as though a shroud Was flung around them by a righteous Lord.
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading Just at that moment, some one in the crowd Saw wisps of black smoke curl around a board.
curlverbUS /kɜːrl/
form a curl, curve, or kink
From this reading Just at that moment, some one in the crowd Saw wisps of black smoke curl around a board.
hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
filedverbUS /faɪld/
past form of “file” — record in a public office or in a court of law
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
start firing a weapon
From this reading He shouted "fire!"
flaredverbUS /flerd/
past form of “flare” — burn brightly
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading It was as though a shroud Was flung around them by a righteous Lord.
galanounUS /ˈɡælə/
a gay festivity
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He shouted "fire!"
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
jewelsnounUS /ˈdʒuːəlz/
plural of “jewel” — a precious or semiprecious stone incorporated into a piece of jewelry
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
and nothing more
From this reading Just at that moment, some one in the crowd Saw wisps of black smoke curl around a board.
a person who rules or guides or inspires others
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading It was as though a shroud Was flung around them by a righteous Lord.
a particular point in time
From this reading Just at that moment, some one in the crowd Saw wisps of black smoke curl around a board.
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
orchestranounUS /ˈɔːrkəstrə/
a musical organization consisting of a group of instrumentalists including string players
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
overcastnounUS /ˈoʊvərkæst/
the state of the sky when it is covered by clouds
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
possessing material wealth
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
righteousadjectiveUS /ˈraɪtʃəs/
characterized by or proceeding from accepted standards of morality or justice
From this reading It was as though a shroud Was flung around them by a righteous Lord.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
rowsnounUS /roʊz/
plural of “row” — an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
North American woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the Chinese ginseng
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
cut with a saw
From this reading Just at that moment, some one in the crowd Saw wisps of black smoke curl around a board.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading He shouted "fire!"
shroudverbUS /ʃraʊd/
cover as if with a shroud
From this reading It was as though a shroud Was flung around them by a righteous Lord.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
skiesnounUS /skaɪz/
plural of “sky” — the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading Just at that moment, some one in the crowd Saw wisps of black smoke curl around a board.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Just at that moment, some one in the crowd Saw wisps of black smoke curl around a board.
sopranonounUS /səˈprɑːnoʊ/
a female singer
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
sparkledverbUS /ˈspɑːrkəld/
past form of “sparkle” — reflect brightly
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It was as though a shroud Was flung around them by a righteous Lord.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading It was as though a shroud Was flung around them by a righteous Lord.
throbbingnounUS /ˈθrɑːbɪŋ/
an instance of rapid strong pulsation (of the heart)
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
triumphaladjectiveUS /traɪˈʌmfəl/
relating to or celebrating a triumph
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a great occasion--every seat Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright-- One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading The music flared in one triumphal blast, The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose: Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast, And silence fell upon the watching rows.
wisps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Just at that moment, some one in the crowd Saw wisps of black smoke curl around a board.
