used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The wind came wailing with a low, menacing sound over the waters.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading "And on the midnight air arose That awful dying cry, That echoed through the lonely house Vibrating to the sky."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And on the midnight air arose That awful dying cry, That echoed through the lonely house Vibrating to the sky."
inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape
From this reading "And on the midnight air arose That awful dying cry, That echoed through the lonely house Vibrating to the sky."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
awfuladjectiveUS /ˈɑːfəl/
exceptionally bad or displeasing
From this reading "And on the midnight air arose That awful dying cry, That echoed through the lonely house Vibrating to the sky."
an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading WHAT CAME NEXT.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "And on the midnight air arose That awful dying cry, That echoed through the lonely house Vibrating to the sky."
darkeningadjectiveUS /ˈdɑːrkənɪŋ/
becoming dark or darker as from waning light or clouding over
From this reading The sky was rapidly darkening.
dyingadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪɪŋ/
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading "And on the midnight air arose That awful dying cry, That echoed through the lonely house Vibrating to the sky."
echoedverbUS /ˈekoʊd/
past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate
From this reading "And on the midnight air arose That awful dying cry, That echoed through the lonely house Vibrating to the sky."
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
fieryadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪəri/
characterized by intense emotion
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
heraldverbUS /ˈherəld/
foreshadow or presage
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading "And on the midnight air arose That awful dying cry, That echoed through the lonely house Vibrating to the sky."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading "And on the midnight air arose That awful dying cry, That echoed through the lonely house Vibrating to the sky."
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The wind came wailing with a low, menacing sound over the waters.
menacingadjectiveUS /ˈmenəsɪŋ/
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading The wind came wailing with a low, menacing sound over the waters.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading "And on the midnight air arose That awful dying cry, That echoed through the lonely house Vibrating to the sky."
immediately following in time or order
From this reading WHAT CAME NEXT.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "And on the midnight air arose That awful dying cry, That echoed through the lonely house Vibrating to the sky."
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The wind came wailing with a low, menacing sound over the waters.
with speed
From this reading The sky was rapidly darkening.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
scaredadjectiveUS /skerd/
made afraid
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
the act of causing something to go (especially messages)
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
shrieksnounUS /ʃriːks/
plural of “shriek” — sharp piercing cry
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
skimmingnounUS /ˈskɪmɪŋ/
the act of removing floating material from the surface of a liquid
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading "And on the midnight air arose That awful dying cry, That echoed through the lonely house Vibrating to the sky."
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The wind came wailing with a low, menacing sound over the waters.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "And on the midnight air arose That awful dying cry, That echoed through the lonely house Vibrating to the sky."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "And on the midnight air arose That awful dying cry, That echoed through the lonely house Vibrating to the sky."
threateningadjectiveUS /ˈθretənɪŋ/
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading "And on the midnight air arose That awful dying cry, That echoed through the lonely house Vibrating to the sky."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "And on the midnight air arose That awful dying cry, That echoed through the lonely house Vibrating to the sky."
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
VibratingverbUS /ˈvaɪbreɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “vibrate” — shake, quiver, or throb; move back and forth rapidly, usually in an uncontrolled manner
From this reading "And on the midnight air arose That awful dying cry, That echoed through the lonely house Vibrating to the sky."
wailingnounUS /ˈweɪlɪŋ/
loud cries made while weeping
From this reading The wind came wailing with a low, menacing sound over the waters.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The sky was rapidly darkening.
water-fowl
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
United States actress and singer (1896-1977)
From this reading The wind came wailing with a low, menacing sound over the waters.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading WHAT CAME NEXT.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading The sun sank red, fiery, and threatening in the far west, and the scared water-fowl went skimming over the troubled face of the bay, sending full, wild shrieks, as if to herald the coming storm.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The wind came wailing with a low, menacing sound over the waters.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The wind came wailing with a low, menacing sound over the waters.
