used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Colwyn waited on the marshes until the coming of the dawn revealed the breakwater and the sea crashing against it.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading The sea mist hung heavily over the marshes as Colwyn cautiously picked his way back along the slippery canal path.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Colwyn waited on the marshes until the coming of the dawn revealed the breakwater and the sea crashing against it.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Sooner than he expected, the inn appeared from the grey mist like a sheeted ghost.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The sea mist hung heavily over the marshes as Colwyn cautiously picked his way back along the slippery canal path.
attemptingverbUS /əˈtemptɪŋ/
-ing form of “attempt” — make an effort or attempt
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The sea mist hung heavily over the marshes as Colwyn cautiously picked his way back along the slippery canal path.
barriernounUS /ˈbæriər/
a structure or object that impedes free movement
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
breakwaternounUS /ˈbreɪkwɔːtər/
a protective structure of stone or concrete; extends from shore into the water to prevent a beach from washing away
From this reading Colwyn waited on the marshes until the coming of the dawn revealed the breakwater and the sea crashing against it.
of short duration or distance
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
canalnounUS /kəˈnæl/
(astronomy) an indistinct surface feature of Mars once thought to be a system of channels; they are now believed to be an optical illusion
From this reading The sea mist hung heavily over the marshes as Colwyn cautiously picked his way back along the slippery canal path.
cautiouslyadverbUS /ˈkɔːʃəsli/
as if with kid gloves; with caution or prudence or tact
From this reading The sea mist hung heavily over the marshes as Colwyn cautiously picked his way back along the slippery canal path.
Colwyn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Colwyn waited on the marshes until the coming of the dawn revealed the breakwater and the sea crashing against it.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Colwyn waited on the marshes until the coming of the dawn revealed the breakwater and the sea crashing against it.
persuaded of; very sure
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
crashingadjectiveUS /ˈkræʃɪŋ/
informal intensifiers
From this reading Colwyn waited on the marshes until the coming of the dawn revealed the breakwater and the sea crashing against it.
a female human offspring
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
the first light of day
From this reading Colwyn waited on the marshes until the coming of the dawn revealed the breakwater and the sea crashing against it.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
endlesslyadverbUS /ˈendləsli/
continuing forever without end
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading Sooner than he expected, the inn appeared from the grey mist like a sheeted ghost.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
futilitynounUS /fjuːˈtɪləti/
uselessness as a consequence of having no practical result
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
a mental representation of some haunting experience
From this reading Sooner than he expected, the inn appeared from the grey mist like a sheeted ghost.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading Sooner than he expected, the inn appeared from the grey mist like a sheeted ghost.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Sooner than he expected, the inn appeared from the grey mist like a sheeted ghost.
to a considerable degree
From this reading The sea mist hung heavily over the marshes as Colwyn cautiously picked his way back along the slippery canal path.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The sea would retain her secret.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The sea mist hung heavily over the marshes as Colwyn cautiously picked his way back along the slippery canal path.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading The sea mist hung heavily over the marshes as Colwyn cautiously picked his way back along the slippery canal path.
a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers
From this reading Sooner than he expected, the inn appeared from the grey mist like a sheeted ghost.
innkeeper's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Colwyn waited on the marshes until the coming of the dawn revealed the breakwater and the sea crashing against it.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Sooner than he expected, the inn appeared from the grey mist like a sheeted ghost.
marshesnounUS /ˈmɑːrʃəz/
plural of “marsh” — low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and water
From this reading Colwyn waited on the marshes until the coming of the dawn revealed the breakwater and the sea crashing against it.
become covered with mist
From this reading The sea mist hung heavily over the marshes as Colwyn cautiously picked his way back along the slippery canal path.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Colwyn waited on the marshes until the coming of the dawn revealed the breakwater and the sea crashing against it.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Colwyn waited on the marshes until the coming of the dawn revealed the breakwater and the sea crashing against it.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The sea mist hung heavily over the marshes as Colwyn cautiously picked his way back along the slippery canal path.
a course of conduct
From this reading The sea mist hung heavily over the marshes as Colwyn cautiously picked his way back along the slippery canal path.
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading The sea mist hung heavily over the marshes as Colwyn cautiously picked his way back along the slippery canal path.
ragingadjectiveUS /ˈreɪdʒɪŋ/
characterized by violent and forceful activity or movement; very intense
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
retainverbUS /rɪˈteɪn/
hold back within
From this reading The sea would retain her secret.
past form of “reveal” — make visible
From this reading Colwyn waited on the marshes until the coming of the dawn revealed the breakwater and the sea crashing against it.
scrutinynounUS /ˈskruːtəni/
the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading Colwyn waited on the marshes until the coming of the dawn revealed the breakwater and the sea crashing against it.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading The sea would retain her secret.
sheeted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sooner than he expected, the inn appeared from the grey mist like a sheeted ghost.
slipperyadjectiveUS /ˈslɪpəri/
causing or tending to cause things to slip or slide
From this reading The sea mist hung heavily over the marshes as Colwyn cautiously picked his way back along the slippery canal path.
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading Sooner than he expected, the inn appeared from the grey mist like a sheeted ghost.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Sooner than he expected, the inn appeared from the grey mist like a sheeted ghost.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Colwyn waited on the marshes until the coming of the dawn revealed the breakwater and the sea crashing against it.
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Colwyn waited on the marshes until the coming of the dawn revealed the breakwater and the sea crashing against it.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading Colwyn waited on the marshes until the coming of the dawn revealed the breakwater and the sea crashing against it.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
United States actress and singer (1896-1977)
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The sea mist hung heavily over the marshes as Colwyn cautiously picked his way back along the slippery canal path.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
a Caucasian
From this reading A brief scrutiny of the white waste of waters, raging endlessly against the barrier, convinced him of the futility of attempting to discover what the innkeeper's daughter had thrown from the breakwater wall an hour before.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The sea would retain her secret.
