1665
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STUDENTS OF 1665 Night came on, dark, cold, tempestuous.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There were symptoms of a turbulent night.
adjoiningverbUS /əˈdʒɔɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “adjoin” — lie adjacent to another or share a boundary
From this reading The wind whistled keenly over the river and the dreary flats adjoining; and big drops of rain fell audibly upon the paved court and drawbridge of the Bastille.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
(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 All was merged in one deep impenetrable obscurity.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
audiblyadverbUS /ˈɑːdəbli/
in an audible manner
From this reading The wind whistled keenly over the river and the dreary flats adjoining; and big drops of rain fell audibly upon the paved court and drawbridge of the Bastille.
BastillenounUS /ˈbæstɪl/
a fortress built in Paris in the 14th century and used as a prison in the 17th and 18th centuries; it was destroyed July 14, 1789 at the start of the French Revolution
From this reading The wind whistled keenly over the river and the dreary flats adjoining; and big drops of rain fell audibly upon the paved court and drawbridge of the Bastille.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The wind whistled keenly over the river and the dreary flats adjoining; and big drops of rain fell audibly upon the paved court and drawbridge of the Bastille.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading THE STUDENTS OF 1665 Night came on, dark, cold, tempestuous.
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
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 THE STUDENTS OF 1665 Night came on, dark, cold, tempestuous.
an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading The wind whistled keenly over the river and the dreary flats adjoining; and big drops of rain fell audibly upon the paved court and drawbridge of the Bastille.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading THE STUDENTS OF 1665 Night came on, dark, cold, tempestuous.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading All was merged in one deep impenetrable obscurity.
well in the past; former
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
drawbridgenounUS /ˈdrɔːbrɪdʒ/
a bridge that can be raised to block passage or to allow boats or ships to pass beneath it
From this reading The wind whistled keenly over the river and the dreary flats adjoining; and big drops of rain fell audibly upon the paved court and drawbridge of the Bastille.
drearyadjectiveUS /ˈdrɪri/
lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise
From this reading The wind whistled keenly over the river and the dreary flats adjoining; and big drops of rain fell audibly upon the paved court and drawbridge of the Bastille.
dropsnounUS /drɑːps/
plural of “drop” — a shape that is spherical and small
From this reading The wind whistled keenly over the river and the dreary flats adjoining; and big drops of rain fell audibly upon the paved court and drawbridge of the Bastille.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading The wind whistled keenly over the river and the dreary flats adjoining; and big drops of rain fell audibly upon the paved court and drawbridge of the Bastille.
flatsnounUS /flæts/
footwear (shoes or slippers) with no heel (or a very low heel)
From this reading The wind whistled keenly over the river and the dreary flats adjoining; and big drops of rain fell audibly upon the paved court and drawbridge of the Bastille.
fleetingadjectiveUS /ˈfliːtɪŋ/
lasting for a markedly brief time
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
depressingly dark
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
impenetrableadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpenətrəbəl/
not admitting of penetration or passage into or through
From this reading All was merged in one deep impenetrable obscurity.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
invisibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈvɪzəbəl/
impossible or nearly impossible to see; imperceptible by the eye
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
keenlyadverbUS /ˈkiːnli/
in a keen or penetrating way
From this reading The wind whistled keenly over the river and the dreary flats adjoining; and big drops of rain fell audibly upon the paved court and drawbridge of the Bastille.
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 The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
for more time
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
massesnounUS /ˈmæsəz/
the common people generally
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
mergedadjectiveUS /mɜːrdʒd/
formed or united into a whole
From this reading All was merged in one deep impenetrable obscurity.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading THE STUDENTS OF 1665 Night came on, dark, cold, tempestuous.
not any; not one
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
obscuritynounUS /əbsˈkjʊrəti/
the quality of being unclear or abstruse and hard to understand
From this reading All was merged in one deep impenetrable obscurity.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE STUDENTS OF 1665 Night came on, dark, cold, tempestuous.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE STUDENTS OF 1665 Night came on, dark, cold, tempestuous.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading All was merged in one deep impenetrable obscurity.
onwardsadverbUS /ˈɑːnwərdz/
in a forward direction
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
outlinesnounUS /ˈaʊtlaɪnz/
plural of “outline” — the line that appears to bound an object
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The wind whistled keenly over the river and the dreary flats adjoining; and big drops of rain fell audibly upon the paved court and drawbridge of the Bastille.
pavedadjectiveUS /peɪvd/
covered with a firm surface
From this reading The wind whistled keenly over the river and the dreary flats adjoining; and big drops of rain fell audibly upon the paved court and drawbridge of the Bastille.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading The wind whistled keenly over the river and the dreary flats adjoining; and big drops of rain fell audibly upon the paved court and drawbridge of the Bastille.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading The wind whistled keenly over the river and the dreary flats adjoining; and big drops of rain fell audibly upon the paved court and drawbridge of the Bastille.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
soaringadjectiveUS /ˈsɔːrɪŋ/
ascending to a level markedly higher than the usual
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
the season of growth
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
STUDENTSnounUS /ˈstuːdənts/
plural of “student” — a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution
From this reading THE STUDENTS OF 1665 Night came on, dark, cold, tempestuous.
symptomsnounUS /ˈsɪmptəmz/
plural of “symptom” — (medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease
From this reading There were symptoms of a turbulent night.
tempestuousadjectiveUS /ˌtemˈpestʃuːəs/
characterized by violent emotions or behavior
From this reading THE STUDENTS OF 1665 Night came on, dark, cold, tempestuous.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE STUDENTS OF 1665 Night came on, dark, cold, tempestuous.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were symptoms of a turbulent night.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
totallyadverbUS /ˈtoʊtəli/
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
tracedverbUS /treɪst/
past form of “trace” — follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
turbulentadjectiveUS /ˈtɜːrbjələnt/
characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination
From this reading There were symptoms of a turbulent night.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The wind whistled keenly over the river and the dreary flats adjoining; and big drops of rain fell audibly upon the paved court and drawbridge of the Bastille.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading All was merged in one deep impenetrable obscurity.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The fleeting beauty of the spring evening had long departed; the moon became totally invisible through the thick clouds that had been soaring onwards in gloomy masses from the south; and the outlines of the houses were no longer to be traced against the sky.
whistledverbUS /ˈwɪsəld/
past form of “whistle” — make whistling sounds
From this reading The wind whistled keenly over the river and the dreary flats adjoining; and big drops of rain fell audibly upon the paved court and drawbridge of the Bastille.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The wind whistled keenly over the river and the dreary flats adjoining; and big drops of rain fell audibly upon the paved court and drawbridge of the Bastille.
