used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A DISAPPEARANCE The iron thrall of winter was broken at last.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A DISAPPEARANCE The iron thrall of winter was broken at last.
completely unclothed
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard
From this reading Great winds still blew in the valley, but their keen edge was dulled.
bluejays
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
boughsnounUS /baʊz/
plural of “bough” — any of the larger branches of a tree
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading A DISAPPEARANCE The iron thrall of winter was broken at last.
make by combining materials and parts
From this reading Their errand was not to destroy now, but to build.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Great winds still blew in the valley, but their keen edge was dulled.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
daffodilsnounUS /ˈdæfədɪlz/
plural of “daffodil” — any of numerous varieties of Narcissus plants having showy often yellow flowers with a trumpet-shaped central crown
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of
From this reading Their errand was not to destroy now, but to build.
DISAPPEARANCEnounUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrəns/
the act of leaving secretly or without explanation
From this reading A DISAPPEARANCE The iron thrall of winter was broken at last.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
dulledadjectiveUS /dʌld/
having lost or been caused to lose interest because of overexposure
From this reading Great winds still blew in the valley, but their keen edge was dulled.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading Great winds still blew in the valley, but their keen edge was dulled.
errandnounUS /ˈerənd/
a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission
From this reading Their errand was not to destroy now, but to build.
the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto normally dry land
From this reading The yellow river had shaken itself free of ice, and its swollen flood rolled seaward.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading The yellow river had shaken itself free of ice, and its swollen flood rolled seaward.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Great winds still blew in the valley, but their keen edge was dulled.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The yellow river had shaken itself free of ice, and its swollen flood rolled seaward.
hillsidenounUS /ˈhɪlsaɪd/
the side or slope of a hill
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
water frozen in the solid state
From this reading The yellow river had shaken itself free of ice, and its swollen flood rolled seaward.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Great winds still blew in the valley, but their keen edge was dulled.
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 A DISAPPEARANCE The iron thrall of winter was broken at last.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The yellow river had shaken itself free of ice, and its swollen flood rolled seaward.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading The yellow river had shaken itself free of ice, and its swollen flood rolled seaward.
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading Great winds still blew in the valley, but their keen edge was dulled.
immediately past
From this reading A DISAPPEARANCE The iron thrall of winter was broken at last.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Their errand was not to destroy now, but to build.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Their errand was not to destroy now, but to build.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A DISAPPEARANCE The iron thrall of winter was broken at last.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
PorternounUS /ˈpɔːrtər/
a person employed to carry luggage and supplies
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
recedingnounUS /rɪˈsiːdɪŋ/
a slow or gradual disappearance
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading The yellow river had shaken itself free of ice, and its swollen flood rolled seaward.
RobinsnounUS /ˈrɑːbənz/
plural of “robin” — small Old World songbird with a reddish breast
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
especially of petals or leaves in bud; having margins rolled inward
From this reading The yellow river had shaken itself free of ice, and its swollen flood rolled seaward.
seawardadjectiveUS /ˈsiːwərd/
(of winds) coming from the land
From this reading The yellow river had shaken itself free of ice, and its swollen flood rolled seaward.
shakenadjectiveUS /ˈʃeɪkən/
disturbed psychologically as if by a physical jolt or shock
From this reading The yellow river had shaken itself free of ice, and its swollen flood rolled seaward.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
not in physical motion
From this reading Great winds still blew in the valley, but their keen edge was dulled.
swollenadjectiveUS /ˈswoʊlən/
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading The yellow river had shaken itself free of ice, and its swollen flood rolled seaward.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A DISAPPEARANCE The iron thrall of winter was broken at last.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Great winds still blew in the valley, but their keen edge was dulled.
thrallnounUS /θrɔːl/
the state of being under the control of another person
From this reading A DISAPPEARANCE The iron thrall of winter was broken at last.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Their errand was not to destroy now, but to build.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Robins and bluejays, coming before the daffodils dared, looked down from bare boughs upon the receding line of snow on the Porter hillside.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading Great winds still blew in the valley, but their keen edge was dulled.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A DISAPPEARANCE The iron thrall of winter was broken at last.
plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Great winds still blew in the valley, but their keen edge was dulled.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading A DISAPPEARANCE The iron thrall of winter was broken at last.
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading The yellow river had shaken itself free of ice, and its swollen flood rolled seaward.
