used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There an intermittent glow showed that a firefly had wandered far from the rivers and swamps above which most of his kind now congregated.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading There an intermittent glow showed that a firefly had wandered far from the rivers and swamps above which most of his kind now congregated.
how long something has existed
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
(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 soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There an intermittent glow showed that a firefly had wandered far from the rivers and swamps above which most of his kind now congregated.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading Now a faintly luminous ball of fire drifted above the steaming, moisture-sodden earth.
blacknessnounUS /ˈblæknəs/
the quality or state of the achromatic color of least lightness (bearing the least resemblance to white)
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
blanketingverbUS /ˈblæŋkətɪŋ/
-ing form of “blanket” — cover as if with a blanket
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
bluishadjectiveUS /ˈbluːɪʃ/
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Here and there, however, dim, bluish lights glowed near the ground.
congregatedverbUS /ˈkɑːŋɡrɪɡeɪtɪd/
past form of “congregate” — come together, usually for a purpose
From this reading There an intermittent glow showed that a firefly had wandered far from the rivers and swamps above which most of his kind now congregated.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The Journey Darkness.
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading Here and there, however, dim, bluish lights glowed near the ground.
driftedverbUS /ˈdrɪftəd/
past form of “drift” — be in motion due to some air or water current
From this reading Now a faintly luminous ball of fire drifted above the steaming, moisture-sodden earth.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
to or in any or all places
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
faintlyadverbUS /ˈfeɪntli/
to a faint degree or weakly perceived
From this reading Now a faintly luminous ball of fire drifted above the steaming, moisture-sodden earth.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading There an intermittent glow showed that a firefly had wandered far from the rivers and swamps above which most of his kind now congregated.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Now a faintly luminous ball of fire drifted above the steaming, moisture-sodden earth.
fireflynounUS /ˈfaɪərflaɪ/
tropical American click beetle having bright luminous spots
From this reading There an intermittent glow showed that a firefly had wandered far from the rivers and swamps above which most of his kind now congregated.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading There an intermittent glow showed that a firefly had wandered far from the rivers and swamps above which most of his kind now congregated.
fungoids
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
an alert and refreshed state
From this reading There an intermittent glow showed that a firefly had wandered far from the rivers and swamps above which most of his kind now congregated.
glowedverbUS /ɡloʊd/
past form of “glow” — emit a steady even light without flames
From this reading Here and there, however, dim, bluish lights glowed near the ground.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Here and there, however, dim, bluish lights glowed near the ground.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here and there, however, dim, bluish lights glowed near the ground.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading There an intermittent glow showed that a firefly had wandered far from the rivers and swamps above which most of his kind now congregated.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading Here and there, however, dim, bluish lights glowed near the ground.
intermittentadjectiveUS /ˌɪntərˈmɪtənt/
stopping and starting at irregular intervals
From this reading There an intermittent glow showed that a firefly had wandered far from the rivers and swamps above which most of his kind now congregated.
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading The Journey Darkness.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading There an intermittent glow showed that a firefly had wandered far from the rivers and swamps above which most of his kind now congregated.
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading Here and there, however, dim, bluish lights glowed near the ground.
luminousadjectiveUS /ˈluːmənəs/
softly bright or radiant
From this reading Now a faintly luminous ball of fire drifted above the steaming, moisture-sodden earth.
moisture-sodden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now a faintly luminous ball of fire drifted above the steaming, moisture-sodden earth.
used to form the superlative
From this reading There an intermittent glow showed that a firefly had wandered far from the rivers and swamps above which most of his kind now congregated.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading Here and there, however, dim, bluish lights glowed near the ground.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading There an intermittent glow showed that a firefly had wandered far from the rivers and swamps above which most of his kind now congregated.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
riversnounUS /ˈrɪvərz/
plural of “river” — a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading There an intermittent glow showed that a firefly had wandered far from the rivers and swamps above which most of his kind now congregated.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading There an intermittent glow showed that a firefly had wandered far from the rivers and swamps above which most of his kind now congregated.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
steamingadjectiveUS /ˈstiːmɪŋ/
filled with steam or emitting moisture in the form of vapor or mist
From this reading Now a faintly luminous ball of fire drifted above the steaming, moisture-sodden earth.
swampsnounUS /swɑːmps/
plural of “swamp” — low land that is seasonally flooded; has more woody plants than a marsh and better drainage than a bog
From this reading There an intermittent glow showed that a firefly had wandered far from the rivers and swamps above which most of his kind now congregated.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Journey Darkness.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading There an intermittent glow showed that a firefly had wandered far from the rivers and swamps above which most of his kind now congregated.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The soft, blanketing night of the age of fungoids had fallen over all the earth, and there was blackness everywhere that was not good to have.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There an intermittent glow showed that a firefly had wandered far from the rivers and swamps above which most of his kind now congregated.
