used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading The room was not warm, although the front of the stove glowed a bright red, and after supper Thirlwell pulled his chair between it and the wall.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The room was not warm, although the front of the stove glowed a bright red, and after supper Thirlwell pulled his chair between it and the wall.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading The white desolation was empty of life, and silent except for the wind among the pine-tops.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "I'd meant to look into the Snake Creek muskegs, but the cold drove me back," he said.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had been out for some hours with snowshoe and rifle, but had seen nothing to shoot.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The room was not warm, although the front of the stove glowed a bright red, and after supper Thirlwell pulled his chair between it and the wall.
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading The room was not warm, although the front of the stove glowed a bright red, and after supper Thirlwell pulled his chair between it and the wall.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He had been out for some hours with snowshoe and rifle, but had seen nothing to shoot.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading The room was not warm, although the front of the stove glowed a bright red, and after supper Thirlwell pulled his chair between it and the wall.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
crackedadjectiveUS /krækt/
used of skin roughened as a result of cold or exposure
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
CreeknounUS /kriːk/
a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)
From this reading "I'd meant to look into the Snake Creek muskegs, but the cold drove me back," he said.
desolationnounUS /ˌdesəˈleɪʃən/
the state of being decayed or destroyed
From this reading The white desolation was empty of life, and silent except for the wind among the pine-tops.
drearyadjectiveUS /ˈdrɪri/
lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together
From this reading "I'd meant to look into the Snake Creek muskegs, but the cold drove me back," he said.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading The white desolation was empty of life, and silent except for the wind among the pine-tops.
apart from; not including
From this reading The white desolation was empty of life, and silent except for the wind among the pine-tops.
fasteningsnounUS /ˈfæsənɪŋz/
plural of “fastening” — restraint that attaches to something or holds something in place
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He had been out for some hours with snowshoe and rifle, but had seen nothing to shoot.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading The room was not warm, although the front of the stove glowed a bright red, and after supper Thirlwell pulled his chair between it and the wall.
plural of “get” — a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
glowedverbUS /ɡloʊd/
past form of “glow” — emit a steady even light without flames
From this reading The room was not warm, although the front of the stove glowed a bright red, and after supper Thirlwell pulled his chair between it and the wall.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had been out for some hours with snowshoe and rifle, but had seen nothing to shoot.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had been out for some hours with snowshoe and rifle, but had seen nothing to shoot.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The room was not warm, although the front of the stove glowed a bright red, and after supper Thirlwell pulled his chair between it and the wall.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading He had been out for some hours with snowshoe and rifle, but had seen nothing to shoot.
I'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'd meant to look into the Snake Creek muskegs, but the cold drove me back," he said.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "I'd meant to look into the Snake Creek muskegs, but the cold drove me back," he said.
a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The white desolation was empty of life, and silent except for the wind among the pine-tops.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading "I'd meant to look into the Snake Creek muskegs, but the cold drove me back," he said.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I'd meant to look into the Snake Creek muskegs, but the cold drove me back," he said.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "I'd meant to look into the Snake Creek muskegs, but the cold drove me back," he said.
muskegs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'd meant to look into the Snake Creek muskegs, but the cold drove me back," he said.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The room was not warm, although the front of the stove glowed a bright red, and after supper Thirlwell pulled his chair between it and the wall.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading He had been out for some hours with snowshoe and rifle, but had seen nothing to shoot.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The room was not warm, although the front of the stove glowed a bright red, and after supper Thirlwell pulled his chair between it and the wall.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He had been out for some hours with snowshoe and rifle, but had seen nothing to shoot.
pine-tops
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The white desolation was empty of life, and silent except for the wind among the pine-tops.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading The room was not warm, although the front of the stove glowed a bright red, and after supper Thirlwell pulled his chair between it and the wall.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading The room was not warm, although the front of the stove glowed a bright red, and after supper Thirlwell pulled his chair between it and the wall.
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading He had been out for some hours with snowshoe and rifle, but had seen nothing to shoot.
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The room was not warm, although the front of the stove glowed a bright red, and after supper Thirlwell pulled his chair between it and the wall.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I'd meant to look into the Snake Creek muskegs, but the cold drove me back," he said.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He had been out for some hours with snowshoe and rifle, but had seen nothing to shoot.
shacknounUS /ʃæk/
small crude shelter used as a dwelling
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
hit with a missile from a weapon
From this reading He had been out for some hours with snowshoe and rifle, but had seen nothing to shoot.
shrankverbUS /ʃræŋk/
inflected form of “shrink” — wither, as with a loss of moisture
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading The white desolation was empty of life, and silent except for the wind among the pine-tops.
SnakenounUS /sneɪk/
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading "I'd meant to look into the Snake Creek muskegs, but the cold drove me back," he said.
snowshoenounUS /ˈsnoʊʃuː/
a device to help you walk on deep snow; a lightweight frame shaped like a racquet is strengthened with cross pieces and contains a network of thongs; one is worn on each foot
From this reading He had been out for some hours with snowshoe and rifle, but had seen nothing to shoot.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading He had been out for some hours with snowshoe and rifle, but had seen nothing to shoot.
stovenounUS /stoʊv/
a kitchen appliance used for cooking food
From this reading The room was not warm, although the front of the stove glowed a bright red, and after supper Thirlwell pulled his chair between it and the wall.
a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime
From this reading The room was not warm, although the front of the stove glowed a bright red, and after supper Thirlwell pulled his chair between it and the wall.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
THIRLWELL
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had been out for some hours with snowshoe and rifle, but had seen nothing to shoot.
wailedverbUS /weɪld/
past form of “wail” — emit long loud cries
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading The room was not warm, although the front of the stove glowed a bright red, and after supper Thirlwell pulled his chair between it and the wall.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading The room was not warm, although the front of the stove glowed a bright red, and after supper Thirlwell pulled his chair between it and the wall.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The room was not warm, although the front of the stove glowed a bright red, and after supper Thirlwell pulled his chair between it and the wall.
a Caucasian
From this reading The white desolation was empty of life, and silent except for the wind among the pine-tops.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He had been out for some hours with snowshoe and rifle, but had seen nothing to shoot.
wrenchedverbUS /rentʃt/
past form of “wrench” — twist or pull violently or suddenly, especially so as to remove (something) from that to which it is attached or from where it originates
From this reading THIRLWELL GETS A LETTER A dreary wind wailed about the shack, and now and then the iron roof cracked as it shrank and wrenched its fastenings in the bitter cold.
