used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN ANNOUNCEMENT An occasional early spring day was making its appearance in the Connecticut valley.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
ANNOUNCEMENTnounUS /əˈnaʊnsmənt/
a formal public statement
From this reading AN ANNOUNCEMENT An occasional early spring day was making its appearance in the Connecticut valley.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading AN ANNOUNCEMENT An occasional early spring day was making its appearance in the Connecticut valley.
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
a particular environment or surrounding influence
From this reading The skies were gray, with rare streaks of blue, the atmosphere had the clear sharpness of recent frost, the wind blew with a definite chillness.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading In out-of-the-way places there were thin layers of ice with the melted water showing beneath.
inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard
From this reading The skies were gray, with rare streaks of blue, the atmosphere had the clear sharpness of recent frost, the wind blew with a definite chillness.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading The skies were gray, with rare streaks of blue, the atmosphere had the clear sharpness of recent frost, the wind blew with a definite chillness.
budsnounUS /bʌdz/
plural of “bud” — a partially opened flower
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
burstingverbUS /ˈbɜːrstɪŋ/
-ing form of “burst” — come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
chieflyadverbUS /ˈtʃiːfli/
for the most part
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
chillness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The skies were gray, with rare streaks of blue, the atmosphere had the clear sharpness of recent frost, the wind blew with a definite chillness.
rid of obstructions
From this reading The skies were gray, with rare streaks of blue, the atmosphere had the clear sharpness of recent frost, the wind blew with a definite chillness.
ConnecticutnounUS /kəˈnetəkət/
a New England state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading AN ANNOUNCEMENT An occasional early spring day was making its appearance in the Connecticut valley.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading AN ANNOUNCEMENT An occasional early spring day was making its appearance in the Connecticut valley.
definiteadjectiveUS /ˈdefənət/
precise; explicit and clearly defined
From this reading The skies were gray, with rare streaks of blue, the atmosphere had the clear sharpness of recent frost, the wind blew with a definite chillness.
eageradjectiveUS /ˈiːɡər/
having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading AN ANNOUNCEMENT An occasional early spring day was making its appearance in the Connecticut valley.
enjoyingverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
apart from; not including
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
opinion or judgment
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
frostnounUS /frɔːst/
ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)
From this reading The skies were gray, with rare streaks of blue, the atmosphere had the clear sharpness of recent frost, the wind blew with a definite chillness.
a young female
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading The skies were gray, with rare streaks of blue, the atmosphere had the clear sharpness of recent frost, the wind blew with a definite chillness.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The skies were gray, with rare streaks of blue, the atmosphere had the clear sharpness of recent frost, the wind blew with a definite chillness.
harbingernounUS /ˈhɑːrbɪndʒər/
something that precedes and indicates the approach of something or someone
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
hardiestadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrdiəst/
superlative of “hardy” — having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
hikenounUS /haɪk/
a long walk usually for exercise or pleasure
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
water frozen in the solid state
From this reading In out-of-the-way places there were thin layers of ice with the melted water showing beneath.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading AN ANNOUNCEMENT An occasional early spring day was making its appearance in the Connecticut valley.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading AN ANNOUNCEMENT An occasional early spring day was making its appearance in the Connecticut valley.
layersnounUS /ˈleɪərz/
plural of “layer” — single thickness of usually some homogeneous substance
From this reading In out-of-the-way places there were thin layers of ice with the melted water showing beneath.
lilacnounUS /ˈlaɪlæk/
any of various plants of the genus Syringa having large panicles of usually fragrant flowers
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading AN ANNOUNCEMENT An occasional early spring day was making its appearance in the Connecticut valley.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
meltedadjectiveUS /ˈmeltəd/
changed from a solid to a liquid state
From this reading In out-of-the-way places there were thin layers of ice with the melted water showing beneath.
occasionaladjectiveUS /əˈkeɪʒənəl/
occurring from time to time
From this reading AN ANNOUNCEMENT An occasional early spring day was making its appearance in the Connecticut valley.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
and nothing more
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
out-of-the-wayadjective
exceptional, unusual, or remarkable
From this reading In out-of-the-way places there were thin layers of ice with the melted water showing beneath.
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading In out-of-the-way places there were thin layers of ice with the melted water showing beneath.
having a point
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
pussynounUS /ˈpʊsi/
obscene terms for female genitals
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness
From this reading The skies were gray, with rare streaks of blue, the atmosphere had the clear sharpness of recent frost, the wind blew with a definite chillness.
recentadjectiveUS /ˈriːsənt/
new
From this reading The skies were gray, with rare streaks of blue, the atmosphere had the clear sharpness of recent frost, the wind blew with a definite chillness.
ScoutsnounUS /skaʊts/
plural of “scout” — a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
sharpnessnounUS /ˈʃɑːrpnəs/
a quick and penetrating intelligence
From this reading The skies were gray, with rare streaks of blue, the atmosphere had the clear sharpness of recent frost, the wind blew with a definite chillness.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
the display of a motion picture
From this reading In out-of-the-way places there were thin layers of ice with the melted water showing beneath.
skiesnounUS /skaɪz/
plural of “sky” — the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading The skies were gray, with rare streaks of blue, the atmosphere had the clear sharpness of recent frost, the wind blew with a definite chillness.
spearsnounUS /spɪrz/
plural of “spear” — a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
the season of growth
From this reading AN ANNOUNCEMENT An occasional early spring day was making its appearance in the Connecticut valley.
not in physical motion
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
streaksnounUS /striːks/
plural of “streak” — an unbroken series of events
From this reading The skies were gray, with rare streaks of blue, the atmosphere had the clear sharpness of recent frost, the wind blew with a definite chillness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AN ANNOUNCEMENT An occasional early spring day was making its appearance in the Connecticut valley.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
in or at that place or location
From this reading In out-of-the-way places there were thin layers of ice with the melted water showing beneath.
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading In out-of-the-way places there were thin layers of ice with the melted water showing beneath.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
trainedadjectiveUS /treɪnd/
shaped or conditioned or disciplined by training; often used as a combining form
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
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 Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
a successful ending of a struggle or contest
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
TroopnounUS /truːp/
a group of soldiers
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading AN ANNOUNCEMENT An occasional early spring day was making its appearance in the Connecticut valley.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading AN ANNOUNCEMENT An occasional early spring day was making its appearance in the Connecticut valley.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading In out-of-the-way places there were thin layers of ice with the melted water showing beneath.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading In out-of-the-way places there were thin layers of ice with the melted water showing beneath.
at the time that
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
willownounUS /ˈwɪloʊ/
any of numerous deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Salix
From this reading Only a few faint spears of green showed on the long, pointed fingers of the willow trees, a bursting of the hardiest buds on the lilac bushes, while the pussy willow was enjoying its usual triumph, the first harbinger of the approaching season.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The skies were gray, with rare streaks of blue, the atmosphere had the clear sharpness of recent frost, the wind blew with a definite chillness.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading As a matter of fact, when the Girl Scouts and their Troop Captain set out on their afternoon hike, except to eager and trained eyes winter was still chiefly in evidence.
in the company of; together with
From this reading In out-of-the-way places there were thin layers of ice with the melted water showing beneath.
