used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Above him, growing in a rift, were the remains of some stunted balsams, the seeds of which had probably blown thither from the woods whence the wolves had issued.
AboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Above him, growing in a rift, were the remains of some stunted balsams, the seeds of which had probably blown thither from the woods whence the wolves had issued.
tending to become more severe or wider in scope
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the shades of night began to close in upon him, Sandy found himself still in the same position.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
balsams
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Above him, growing in a rift, were the remains of some stunted balsams, the seeds of which had probably blown thither from the woods whence the wolves had issued.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading As the shades of night began to close in upon him, Sandy found himself still in the same position.
blownadjectiveUS /bloʊn/
being moved or acted upon by moving air or vapor
From this reading Above him, growing in a rift, were the remains of some stunted balsams, the seeds of which had probably blown thither from the woods whence the wolves had issued.
possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading As the shades of night began to close in upon him, Sandy found himself still in the same position.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
plural of “creature” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
devisingnounUS /dɪˈvaɪzɪŋ/
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
zealous in devotion or affection
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
energiesnounUS /ˈenərdʒiz/
plural of “energy” — (physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
set up or found
From this reading As the shades of night began to close in upon him, Sandy found himself still in the same position.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading Above him, growing in a rift, were the remains of some stunted balsams, the seeds of which had probably blown thither from the woods whence the wolves had issued.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
harvestnounUS /ˈhɑːrvəst/
the yield from plants in a single growing season
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading As the shades of night began to close in upon him, Sandy found himself still in the same position.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading As the shades of night began to close in upon him, Sandy found himself still in the same position.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
hurlverbUS /hɜːrl/
throw forcefully
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
impactnounUS /ˌɪmˈpækt/
the striking of one body against another
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading As the shades of night began to close in upon him, Sandy found himself still in the same position.
isletnounUS /ˈaɪlɪt/
a small island
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
issuedverbUS /ˈɪʃuːd/
past form of “issue” — prepare and issue for public distribution or sale
From this reading Above him, growing in a rift, were the remains of some stunted balsams, the seeds of which had probably blown thither from the woods whence the wolves had issued.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
used to form the superlative
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
not in physical motion
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading As the shades of night began to close in upon him, Sandy found himself still in the same position.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As the shades of night began to close in upon him, Sandy found himself still in the same position.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
on one occasion
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
and nothing more
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
arrange in a container
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading As the shades of night began to close in upon him, Sandy found himself still in the same position.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading Above him, growing in a rift, were the remains of some stunted balsams, the seeds of which had probably blown thither from the woods whence the wolves had issued.
ralliedverbUS /ˈrælid/
inflected form of “rally” — gather
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
any object that is left unused or still extant
From this reading Above him, growing in a rift, were the remains of some stunted balsams, the seeds of which had probably blown thither from the woods whence the wolves had issued.
remorselesslyadverb
without pity; in a merciless manner
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
riftnounUS /rɪft/
a gap between cloud masses
From this reading Above him, growing in a rift, were the remains of some stunted balsams, the seeds of which had probably blown thither from the woods whence the wolves had issued.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
rockyadjectiveUS /ˈrɑːki/
abounding in rocks or stones
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
Identical; not different.
From this reading As the shades of night began to close in upon him, Sandy found himself still in the same position.
SandyadjectiveUS /ˈsændi/
of hair color; pale yellowish to yellowish brown
From this reading As the shades of night began to close in upon him, Sandy found himself still in the same position.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
seedsnounUS /siːdz/
plural of “seed” — a small hard fruit
From this reading Above him, growing in a rift, were the remains of some stunted balsams, the seeds of which had probably blown thither from the woods whence the wolves had issued.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
shadesnounUS /ʃeɪdz/
(plural) something that reminds you of someone or something
From this reading As the shades of night began to close in upon him, Sandy found himself still in the same position.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
use up a period of time in a specific way
From this reading After his fit of despair Sandy had once more rallied his energies and devoted his really active and brave mind to devising some means of passing the night, that it now appeared certain he must spend on the great rock pile.
not in physical motion
From this reading As the shades of night began to close in upon him, Sandy found himself still in the same position.
stuntedadjectiveUS /ˈstʌntɪd/
inferior in size or quality
From this reading Above him, growing in a rift, were the remains of some stunted balsams, the seeds of which had probably blown thither from the woods whence the wolves had issued.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As the shades of night began to close in upon him, Sandy found himself still in the same position.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
thitheradverbUS /ˈðɪθɜːr/
an old word meaning “to that place”
From this reading Above him, growing in a rift, were the remains of some stunted balsams, the seeds of which had probably blown thither from the woods whence the wolves had issued.
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As the shades of night began to close in upon him, Sandy found himself still in the same position.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading As the shades of night began to close in upon him, Sandy found himself still in the same position.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
look attentively
From this reading But for the most part the creatures sat silent and motionless, content to watch and wait for the harvest that they seemed sure would come to them in time.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Above him, growing in a rift, were the remains of some stunted balsams, the seeds of which had probably blown thither from the woods whence the wolves had issued.
an old word meaning “from where”
From this reading Above him, growing in a rift, were the remains of some stunted balsams, the seeds of which had probably blown thither from the woods whence the wolves had issued.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Above him, growing in a rift, were the remains of some stunted balsams, the seeds of which had probably blown thither from the woods whence the wolves had issued.
wolvesnounUS /wʊlvz/
plural of “wolf” — any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs
From this reading Above him, growing in a rift, were the remains of some stunted balsams, the seeds of which had probably blown thither from the woods whence the wolves had issued.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading Above him, growing in a rift, were the remains of some stunted balsams, the seeds of which had probably blown thither from the woods whence the wolves had issued.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading From time to time one or another of the pack would hurl itself against the rocky islet in the snow waste, only to be remorselessly thrown back by the impact.
