used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “I’ll have to pull off the road and stop for a while,” declared Patricia.
quickly and without warning
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
(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 In fact, almost any place would have been safe, so far as traffic was concerned; for nearly all drivers stopped to await the end of the storm.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading In fact, almost any place would have been safe, so far as traffic was concerned; for nearly all drivers stopped to await the end of the storm.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “I’ll have to pull off the road and stop for a while,” declared Patricia.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading In fact, almost any place would have been safe, so far as traffic was concerned; for nearly all drivers stopped to await the end of the storm.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading In fact, almost any place would have been safe, so far as traffic was concerned; for nearly all drivers stopped to await the end of the storm.
awaitverbUS /əˈweɪt/
look forward to the probable occurrence of
From this reading In fact, almost any place would have been safe, so far as traffic was concerned; for nearly all drivers stopped to await the end of the storm.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading In fact, almost any place would have been safe, so far as traffic was concerned; for nearly all drivers stopped to await the end of the storm.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
carpetnounUS /ˈkɑːrpət/
floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
feeling or showing worry or solicitude
From this reading In fact, almost any place would have been safe, so far as traffic was concerned; for nearly all drivers stopped to await the end of the storm.
coveringnounUS /ˈkʌvərɪŋ/
a natural object that covers or envelops
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
made known or openly avowed
From this reading “I’ll have to pull off the road and stop for a while,” declared Patricia.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading The shoulder was wide and smooth; so she had no difficulty in finding a safe place to park.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
operate or control a vehicle
From this reading “Trying to drive in this is too nerve racking.”
driversnounUS /ˈdraɪvərz/
plural of “driver” — the operator of a motor vehicle
From this reading In fact, almost any place would have been safe, so far as traffic was concerned; for nearly all drivers stopped to await the end of the storm.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading In fact, almost any place would have been safe, so far as traffic was concerned; for nearly all drivers stopped to await the end of the storm.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading In fact, almost any place would have been safe, so far as traffic was concerned; for nearly all drivers stopped to await the end of the storm.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading In fact, almost any place would have been safe, so far as traffic was concerned; for nearly all drivers stopped to await the end of the storm.
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading The shoulder was wide and smooth; so she had no difficulty in finding a safe place to park.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “I’ll have to pull off the road and stop for a while,” declared Patricia.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The shoulder was wide and smooth; so she had no difficulty in finding a safe place to park.
hailstonesnounUS /ˈheɪlstoʊnz/
plural of “hailstone” — small pellet of ice that falls during a hailstorm
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “I’ll have to pull off the road and stop for a while,” declared Patricia.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
I'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ll have to pull off the road and stop for a while,” declared Patricia.
icyadjectiveUS /ˈaɪsi/
devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Trying to drive in this is too nerve racking.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Trying to drive in this is too nerve racking.”
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading In fact, almost any place would have been safe, so far as traffic was concerned; for nearly all drivers stopped to await the end of the storm.
nervenounUS /nɜːrv/
any bundle of nerve fibers running to various organs and tissues of the body
From this reading “Trying to drive in this is too nerve racking.”
not any; not one
From this reading The shoulder was wide and smooth; so she had no difficulty in finding a safe place to park.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In fact, almost any place would have been safe, so far as traffic was concerned; for nearly all drivers stopped to await the end of the storm.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “I’ll have to pull off the road and stop for a while,” declared Patricia.
a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property
From this reading The shoulder was wide and smooth; so she had no difficulty in finding a safe place to park.
Patricia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ll have to pull off the road and stop for a while,” declared Patricia.
peltedverbUS /ˈpeltɪd/
past form of “pelt” — cast, hurl, or throw repeatedly with some missile
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The shoulder was wide and smooth; so she had no difficulty in finding a safe place to park.
cause to move by pulling
From this reading “I’ll have to pull off the road and stop for a while,” declared Patricia.
rackingadjectiveUS /ˈrækɪŋ/
causing great physical or mental suffering
From this reading “Trying to drive in this is too nerve racking.”
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading “I’ll have to pull off the road and stop for a while,” declared Patricia.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading The shoulder was wide and smooth; so she had no difficulty in finding a safe place to park.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The shoulder was wide and smooth; so she had no difficulty in finding a safe place to park.
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading The shoulder was wide and smooth; so she had no difficulty in finding a safe place to park.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading The shoulder was wide and smooth; so she had no difficulty in finding a safe place to park.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The shoulder was wide and smooth; so she had no difficulty in finding a safe place to park.
come to a halt, stop moving
From this reading “I’ll have to pull off the road and stop for a while,” declared Patricia.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading In fact, almost any place would have been safe, so far as traffic was concerned; for nearly all drivers stopped to await the end of the storm.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading In fact, almost any place would have been safe, so far as traffic was concerned; for nearly all drivers stopped to await the end of the storm.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “I’ll have to pull off the road and stop for a while,” declared Patricia.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Trying to drive in this is too nerve racking.”
three-quartersnounUS /ˌθriːˈkwɔːrtərz/
three of four equal parts
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I’ll have to pull off the road and stop for a while,” declared Patricia.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading “Trying to drive in this is too nerve racking.”
trafficnounUS /ˈtræfɪk/
the aggregation of things (pedestrians or vehicles) coming and going in a particular locality during a specified period of time
From this reading In fact, almost any place would have been safe, so far as traffic was concerned; for nearly all drivers stopped to await the end of the storm.
hard to endure
From this reading “Trying to drive in this is too nerve racking.”
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The shoulder was wide and smooth; so she had no difficulty in finding a safe place to park.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading “I’ll have to pull off the road and stop for a while,” declared Patricia.
a Caucasian
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading The shoulder was wide and smooth; so she had no difficulty in finding a safe place to park.
in the company of; together with
From this reading For three-quarters of an hour the sky was dark, while hailstones, big and little, pelted down covering the ground with an icy white carpet; then they ceased almost as abruptly as they had begun.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading In fact, almost any place would have been safe, so far as traffic was concerned; for nearly all drivers stopped to await the end of the storm.
