used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading He realised that his chances of success depended on the slope of the pit and the depth to which the shrubs grew, but the attempt was well worth making.
attemptingverbUS /əˈtemptɪŋ/
-ing form of “attempt” — make an effort or attempt
From this reading Colwyn waited for the first light of dawn before attempting the descent of the pit.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
chancesnounUS /ˈtʃænsəz/
plural of “chance” — a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading He realised that his chances of success depended on the slope of the pit and the depth to which the shrubs grew, but the attempt was well worth making.
climbverbUS /klaɪm/
go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
Colwyn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
creepers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
crescentnounUS /ˈkresənt/
any shape resembling the curved shape of the moon in its first or last quarters
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
the first light of day
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
dependedverbUS /dɪˈpendəd/
past form of “depend” — be contingent upon (something that is elided)
From this reading He realised that his chances of success depended on the slope of the pit and the depth to which the shrubs grew, but the attempt was well worth making.
depthnounUS /depθ/
the extent downward or backward or inward
From this reading He realised that his chances of success depended on the slope of the pit and the depth to which the shrubs grew, but the attempt was well worth making.
descendverbUS /dɪˈsend/
move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
descentnounUS /dɪˈsent/
An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.
From this reading Colwyn waited for the first light of dawn before attempting the descent of the pit.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
fadingnounUS /ˈfeɪdɪŋ/
weakening in force or intensity
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
fastenverbUS /ˈfæsən/
cause to be firmly attached
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Colwyn waited for the first light of dawn before attempting the descent of the pit.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Colwyn waited for the first light of dawn before attempting the descent of the pit.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading He realised that his chances of success depended on the slope of the pit and the depth to which the shrubs grew, but the attempt was well worth making.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
interioradjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtɪriər/
situated within or suitable for inside a building
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Colwyn waited for the first light of dawn before attempting the descent of the pit.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading He realised that his chances of success depended on the slope of the pit and the depth to which the shrubs grew, but the attempt was well worth making.
marshesnounUS /ˈmɑːrʃəz/
plural of “marsh” — low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and water
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He realised that his chances of success depended on the slope of the pit and the depth to which the shrubs grew, but the attempt was well worth making.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
orangenounUS /ˈɔːrəndʒ/
round yellow to orange fruit of any of several citrus trees
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
pitnounUS /pɪt/
A large hole in the ground, or an abyss of darkness and peril.
From this reading Colwyn waited for the first light of dawn before attempting the descent of the pit.
have the will and intention to carry out some action
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
with low volume
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
realisedadjectiveUS /ˈriːəlaɪzd/
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading He realised that his chances of success depended on the slope of the pit and the depth to which the shrubs grew, but the attempt was well worth making.
reedsnounUS /riːdz/
plural of “reed” — tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems especially of the genera Arundo and Phragmites
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
remaindernounUS /rɪˈmeɪndər/
something left after other parts have been taken away
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
move upward
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
a strong line
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
shrubsnounUS /ʃrʌbz/
plural of “shrub” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
sinkingnounUS /ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/
a descent as through liquid (especially through water)
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
an elevated geological formation
From this reading He realised that his chances of success depended on the slope of the pit and the depth to which the shrubs grew, but the attempt was well worth making.
move an implement through
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
an event that accomplishes its intended purpose
From this reading He realised that his chances of success depended on the slope of the pit and the depth to which the shrubs grew, but the attempt was well worth making.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He realised that his chances of success depended on the slope of the pit and the depth to which the shrubs grew, but the attempt was well worth making.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading Colwyn waited for the first light of dawn before attempting the descent of the pit.
waningnounUS /ˈweɪnɪŋ/
a gradual decrease in magnitude or extent
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading An orange crescent of a waning moon was sinking in a black sky as Colwyn let himself quietly out of the door and took his way up to the rise.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading He realised that his chances of success depended on the slope of the pit and the depth to which the shrubs grew, but the attempt was well worth making.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But the darkness of the night was fading fast before the grey dawn of the coming day, and in the marshes below the birds were beginning to stir and call among the reeds.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value
From this reading He realised that his chances of success depended on the slope of the pit and the depth to which the shrubs grew, but the attempt was well worth making.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading His plan was to climb down by the creepers as far as they went, and descend the remainder of the distance by the rope, which he would fasten to one of the shrubs growing in the interior.
