used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
AboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
separated or at a distance in place or position or time
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
armesverbUS /ɑːrmz/
third-person singular of “arm” — prepare oneself for a military confrontation
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
Aux
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
awakenverbUS /əˈweɪkən/
cause to become awake or conscious
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
babblingnounUS /ˈbæbəlɪŋ/
gibberish resembling the sounds of a baby
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading As fire leaping from brake to brake and dell to dell, that spirit of the battle moved.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
BLOOD-REDadjective
of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
brakenounUS /breɪk/
a restraint used to slow or stop a vehicle
From this reading As fire leaping from brake to brake and dell to dell, that spirit of the battle moved.
the act of breaking something
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
uttered without voice
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
brooksnounUS /brʊks/
United States literary critic and historian (1886-1963)
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
combatnounUS /ˈkɑːmbæt/
an engagement fought between two military forces
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
dellnounUS /del/
a small wooded hollow
From this reading As fire leaping from brake to brake and dell to dell, that spirit of the battle moved.
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
ferocitynounUS /fərˈɑːsəti/
the property of being wild or turbulent
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
start firing a weapon
From this reading As fire leaping from brake to brake and dell to dell, that spirit of the battle moved.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
heraldverbUS /ˈherəld/
foreshadow or presage
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
laggard's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
leapingnounUS /ˈliːpɪŋ/
a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
From this reading As fire leaping from brake to brake and dell to dell, that spirit of the battle moved.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
the force of workers available
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading As fire leaping from brake to brake and dell to dell, that spirit of the battle moved.
murmurnounUS /ˈmɜːrmər/
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
a brief written record
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
numberedverbUS /ˈnʌmbərd/
past form of “number” — add up in number or quantity
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
go across or through
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
passionsnounUS /ˈpæʃənz/
plural of “passion” — a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
perchanceadverbUS /pərˈtʃæns/
through chance
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
pulsesnounUS /ˈpʌlsɪz/
plural of “pulse” — (electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients)
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
quickenedverbUS /ˈkwɪkənd/
past form of “quicken” — move faster
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
shiveringnounUS /ˈʃɪvərɪŋ/
a sensation of cold that often marks the start of an infection and the development of a fever
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
the state of being asleep
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
the vital principle or animating force within living things
From this reading As fire leaping from brake to brake and dell to dell, that spirit of the battle moved.
splashverbUS /splæʃ/
cause (a liquid) to spatter about, especially with force
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
staggeringadjectiveUS /ˈstæɡərɪŋ/
so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
not in physical motion
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
streamsnounUS /striːmz/
plural of “stream” — a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
stupornounUS /ˈstuːpər/
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
terrifiedadjectiveUS /ˈterəfaɪd/
thrown into a state of intense fear or desperation
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
thicketsnounUS /ˈθɪkəts/
plural of “thicket” — a dense growth of bushes
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
victoriesnounUS /ˈvɪktəriz/
plural of “victory” — a successful ending of a struggle or contest
From this reading Above the murmur of leaves and the babbling of the brooks the cry “_Aux armes!_” brought men staggering to their feet from the stupor of dreams now broken, from victories, perchance, that sleep had numbered.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
which person or people
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
belonging to which person
From this reading The herald of the breaking day had breathed upon the passions of those who slept; the rising sun shone upon the faces of fifty thousand whose pulses quickened already with the ferocity of combat.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
woodlandnounUS /ˈwʊdlænd/
land that is covered with trees and shrubs
From this reading There was still the shivering woodland life, the dark places of the thickets, the merry splash of streams, the note of birds; but these were things apart.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
WÖRTH
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE BLOOD-RED DAY OF WÖRTH A figure as of the blood-red day seemed to pass through the sleeping woods and to awaken them with a voice that terrified and a command which quickened the laggard’s heart.
