used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
abatingverbUS /əˈbeɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “abate” — make less active or intense
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading In one of these lulls we saw for an instant the mountain rise before us, its bold outline being shown darkly against a sky less black.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading In one of these lulls we saw for an instant the mountain rise before us, its bold outline being shown darkly against a sky less black.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As we drew closer to the mountain, and recognized our whereabouts by the various landmarks, my dread seemed to grow.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As we drew closer to the mountain, and recognized our whereabouts by the various landmarks, my dread seemed to grow.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading In one of these lulls we saw for an instant the mountain rise before us, its bold outline being shown darkly against a sky less black.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading In one of these lulls we saw for an instant the mountain rise before us, its bold outline being shown darkly against a sky less black.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading In one of these lulls we saw for an instant the mountain rise before us, its bold outline being shown darkly against a sky less black.
fearless and daring
From this reading In one of these lulls we saw for an instant the mountain rise before us, its bold outline being shown darkly against a sky less black.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading As we drew closer to the mountain, and recognized our whereabouts by the various landmarks, my dread seemed to grow.
make calm or still
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
CATASTROPHEnounUS /kəˈtæstrəfi/
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading THE CATASTROPHE.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading As we drew closer to the mountain, and recognized our whereabouts by the various landmarks, my dread seemed to grow.
come or bring to a finish or an end
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
contrastnounUS /ˈkɑːntræst/
the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
correctlyadverbUS /kərˈektli/
in an accurate manner
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
darklyadverbUS /ˈdɑːrkli/
without light
From this reading In one of these lulls we saw for an instant the mountain rise before us, its bold outline being shown darkly against a sky less black.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
fearful expectation or anticipation
From this reading As we drew closer to the mountain, and recognized our whereabouts by the various landmarks, my dread seemed to grow.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading As we drew closer to the mountain, and recognized our whereabouts by the various landmarks, my dread seemed to grow.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading In one of these lulls we saw for an instant the mountain rise before us, its bold outline being shown darkly against a sky less black.
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading As we drew closer to the mountain, and recognized our whereabouts by the various landmarks, my dread seemed to grow.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading In one of these lulls we saw for an instant the mountain rise before us, its bold outline being shown darkly against a sky less black.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading In one of these lulls we saw for an instant the mountain rise before us, its bold outline being shown darkly against a sky less black.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
landmarksnounUS /ˈlændmɑːrks/
plural of “landmark” — the position of a prominent or well-known object in a particular landscape
From this reading As we drew closer to the mountain, and recognized our whereabouts by the various landmarks, my dread seemed to grow.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
lullsnounUS /lʌlz/
plural of “lull” — a pause during which things are calm or activities are diminished
From this reading In one of these lulls we saw for an instant the mountain rise before us, its bold outline being shown darkly against a sky less black.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading As we drew closer to the mountain, and recognized our whereabouts by the various landmarks, my dread seemed to grow.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading As we drew closer to the mountain, and recognized our whereabouts by the various landmarks, my dread seemed to grow.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
sporadically and infrequently
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading In one of these lulls we saw for an instant the mountain rise before us, its bold outline being shown darkly against a sky less black.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading As we drew closer to the mountain, and recognized our whereabouts by the various landmarks, my dread seemed to grow.
outlinenounUS /ˈaʊtlaɪn/
the line that appears to bound an object
From this reading In one of these lulls we saw for an instant the mountain rise before us, its bold outline being shown darkly against a sky less black.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
generally approved or compelling recognition
From this reading As we drew closer to the mountain, and recognized our whereabouts by the various landmarks, my dread seemed to grow.
renewedadjectiveUS /rɪˈnuːd/
restored to a new condition
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
move upward
From this reading In one of these lulls we saw for an instant the mountain rise before us, its bold outline being shown darkly against a sky less black.
cut with a saw
From this reading In one of these lulls we saw for an instant the mountain rise before us, its bold outline being shown darkly against a sky less black.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading As we drew closer to the mountain, and recognized our whereabouts by the various landmarks, my dread seemed to grow.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
inflected form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading In one of these lulls we saw for an instant the mountain rise before us, its bold outline being shown darkly against a sky less black.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
smiteverb
inflict a heavy blow on, with the hand, a tool, or a weapon
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
express in speech
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
squallverbUS /skwɔːl/
make high-pitched, whiney noises
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE CATASTROPHE.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading In one of these lulls we saw for an instant the mountain rise before us, its bold outline being shown darkly against a sky less black.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As we drew closer to the mountain, and recognized our whereabouts by the various landmarks, my dread seemed to grow.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity
From this reading As we drew closer to the mountain, and recognized our whereabouts by the various landmarks, my dread seemed to grow.
an act of aggression (as one against a person who resists)
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading As we drew closer to the mountain, and recognized our whereabouts by the various landmarks, my dread seemed to grow.
(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 The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
whereaboutsnounUS /ˈwerəbaʊts/
the general location where something is
From this reading As we drew closer to the mountain, and recognized our whereabouts by the various landmarks, my dread seemed to grow.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading In such moments some kind of light would be seen in the sky—or, to speak more correctly, the darkness would be less complete—and then the new squall which followed would seem by contrast with the calm to smite us with renewed violence.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The night was now well on, and there were signs of the storm abating; occasionally the wind would fall off a little, and the rain beat with less dreadful violence.
