1665
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was midnight in London, in the year 1665.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading With the cart came a cry; so loud, so clear, so piercing, that it could be heard in all the closed houses of the street.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
awfuladjectiveUS /ˈɑːfəl/
exceptionally bad or displeasing
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
barredadjectiveUS /bɑːrd/
preventing entry or exit or a course of action
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading With the cart came a cry; so loud, so clear, so piercing, that it could be heard in all the closed houses of the street.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading 'Bring out your dead, bring out your dead!'
the act of burning something
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
cartnounUS /kɑːrt/
a heavy open wagon usually having two wheels and drawn by an animal
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
rid of obstructions
From this reading With the cart came a cry; so loud, so clear, so piercing, that it could be heard in all the closed houses of the street.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading With the cart came a cry; so loud, so clear, so piercing, that it could be heard in all the closed houses of the street.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading With the cart came a cry; so loud, so clear, so piercing, that it could be heard in all the closed houses of the street.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading 'Bring out your dead, bring out your dead!'
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
firesnounUS /ˈfaɪərz/
plural of “fire” — the event of something burning (often destructive)
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading With the cart came a cry; so loud, so clear, so piercing, that it could be heard in all the closed houses of the street.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was midnight in London, in the year 1665.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was midnight in London, in the year 1665.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
King'snounUS /kɪŋz/
possessive form of “king” — a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading The King's Table.
set afire or burning
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
loadnounUS /loʊd/
weight to be borne or conveyed
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading It was midnight in London, in the year 1665.
characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading With the cart came a cry; so loud, so clear, so piercing, that it could be heard in all the closed houses of the street.
luridadjectiveUS /ˈlʊrəd/
horrible in fierceness or savagery
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading It was midnight in London, in the year 1665.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
odournounUS /ˈoʊdər/
the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading 'Bring out your dead, bring out your dead!'
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
piercingadjectiveUS /ˈpɪrsɪŋ/
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading With the cart came a cry; so loud, so clear, so piercing, that it could be heard in all the closed houses of the street.
pitchnounUS /pɪtʃ/
the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
rumbleverbUS /ˈrʌmbəl/
make a low noise
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading With the cart came a cry; so loud, so clear, so piercing, that it could be heard in all the closed houses of the street.
stiflingnounUS /ˈstaɪflɪŋ/
forceful prevention; putting down by power or authority
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
sulphurverbUS /ˈsʌlfər/
treat with sulphur in order to preserve
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading The King's Table.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading With the cart came a cry; so loud, so clear, so piercing, that it could be heard in all the closed houses of the street.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The King's Table.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was midnight in London, in the year 1665.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of 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 The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The houses were closed and barred, but strange lurid fires were lighted in every street, a stifling odour of burning pitch and sulphur filled the air, and from time to time came the heavy rumble of wheels, as a terrible cart, with its awful load, passed by in the darkness of the night.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading It was midnight in London, in the year 1665.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading 'Bring out your dead, bring out your dead!'
