used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
(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 The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
ambernounUS /ˈæmbər/
a deep yellow color
From this reading The sky flamed with crimson and amber.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
blue-greyadjective
of grey tinged with blue
From this reading But gradually the vivid warmth sank and faded; day slowly withdrew into the soft embrace of night, and a blue-grey mantle covered sea and sky and land.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But gradually the vivid warmth sank and faded; day slowly withdrew into the soft embrace of night, and a blue-grey mantle covered sea and sky and land.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading One by one the stars shone forth till overhead the mantle was thickly powdered with their twinkling eyes.
changingadjectiveUS /ˈtʃeɪndʒɪŋ/
marked by continuous change or effective action
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading But gradually the vivid warmth sank and faded; day slowly withdrew into the soft embrace of night, and a blue-grey mantle covered sea and sky and land.
crimsonadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪmzən/
of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
From this reading The sky flamed with crimson and amber.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
embraceverbUS /emˈbreɪs/
include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory
From this reading But gradually the vivid warmth sank and faded; day slowly withdrew into the soft embrace of night, and a blue-grey mantle covered sea and sky and land.
opinion or judgment
From this reading One by one the stars shone forth till overhead the mantle was thickly powdered with their twinkling eyes.
fadedadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪdəd/
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading But gradually the vivid warmth sank and faded; day slowly withdrew into the soft embrace of night, and a blue-grey mantle covered sea and sky and land.
flamedverbUS /fleɪmd/
past form of “flame” — shine with a sudden light
From this reading The sky flamed with crimson and amber.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading One by one the stars shone forth till overhead the mantle was thickly powdered with their twinkling eyes.
coins made of gold
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
in a gradual manner
From this reading But gradually the vivid warmth sank and faded; day slowly withdrew into the soft embrace of night, and a blue-grey mantle covered sea and sky and land.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading But gradually the vivid warmth sank and faded; day slowly withdrew into the soft embrace of night, and a blue-grey mantle covered sea and sky and land.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was sunset.
lainverbUS /leɪn/
inflected form of “lie” — be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading But gradually the vivid warmth sank and faded; day slowly withdrew into the soft embrace of night, and a blue-grey mantle covered sea and sky and land.
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 sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
mantlenounUS /ˈmæntəl/
the cloak as a symbol of authority
From this reading But gradually the vivid warmth sank and faded; day slowly withdrew into the soft embrace of night, and a blue-grey mantle covered sea and sky and land.
in motion
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading But gradually the vivid warmth sank and faded; day slowly withdrew into the soft embrace of night, and a blue-grey mantle covered sea and sky and land.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But gradually the vivid warmth sank and faded; day slowly withdrew into the soft embrace of night, and a blue-grey mantle covered sea and sky and land.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One by one the stars shone forth till overhead the mantle was thickly powdered with their twinkling eyes.
overheadadverbUS /ˈoʊvərˈhed/
above your head; in the sky
From this reading One by one the stars shone forth till overhead the mantle was thickly powdered with their twinkling eyes.
powderedadjectiveUS /ˈpaʊdərd/
consisting of fine particles
From this reading One by one the stars shone forth till overhead the mantle was thickly powdered with their twinkling eyes.
a purple color or pigment
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading But gradually the vivid warmth sank and faded; day slowly withdrew into the soft embrace of night, and a blue-grey mantle covered sea and sky and land.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading One by one the stars shone forth till overhead the mantle was thickly powdered with their twinkling eyes.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading The sky flamed with crimson and amber.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading But gradually the vivid warmth sank and faded; day slowly withdrew into the soft embrace of night, and a blue-grey mantle covered sea and sky and land.
sparklingadjectiveUS /ˈspɑːrklɪŋ/
shining with brilliant points of light like stars
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading One by one the stars shone forth till overhead the mantle was thickly powdered with their twinkling eyes.
the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon
From this reading It was sunset.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading One by one the stars shone forth till overhead the mantle was thickly powdered with their twinkling eyes.
thicklyadverbUS /ˈθɪkli/
spoken with poor articulation as if with a thick tongue
From this reading One by one the stars shone forth till overhead the mantle was thickly powdered with their twinkling eyes.
up to a particular time
From this reading One by one the stars shone forth till overhead the mantle was thickly powdered with their twinkling eyes.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
twinklingnounUS /ˈtwɪŋkəlɪŋ/
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading One by one the stars shone forth till overhead the mantle was thickly powdered with their twinkling eyes.
vividadjectiveUS /ˈvɪvəd/
evoking lifelike images within the mind
From this reading But gradually the vivid warmth sank and faded; day slowly withdrew into the soft embrace of night, and a blue-grey mantle covered sea and sky and land.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
warmthnounUS /wɔːrmθ/
the sensation caused by heat energy
From this reading But gradually the vivid warmth sank and faded; day slowly withdrew into the soft embrace of night, and a blue-grey mantle covered sea and sky and land.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was sunset.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The sea, which all day long had lain blue and sparkling, was changing slowly to a warm grey shot with moving purple and gold.
withdrewverbUS /wɪθˈdruː/
inflected form of “withdraw” — pull back or move away or backward
From this reading But gradually the vivid warmth sank and faded; day slowly withdrew into the soft embrace of night, and a blue-grey mantle covered sea and sky and land.
