used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And yet above the city streets, above the noise and whir, There seems to come a fragrant breath of frankincense and myrrh.
abidingadjectiveUS /əˈbaɪdɪŋ/
lasting a long time
From this reading --_Caroline Reynolds._ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading And yet above the city streets, above the noise and whir, There seems to come a fragrant breath of frankincense and myrrh.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And yet above the city streets, above the noise and whir, There seems to come a fragrant breath of frankincense and myrrh.
spiritual being attendant upon God
From this reading And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading And as the little children passed, and one lad turned and smiled, I saw within his wistful eyes the spirit of the Child.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading I saw a woman, bent and wan, and on her face a light The look that Mary might have worn that other Christmas night.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading And yet above the city streets, above the noise and whir, There seems to come a fragrant breath of frankincense and myrrh.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading --_Caroline Reynolds._ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
CarolineadjectiveUS /ˈkerəlaɪn/
of or relating to the life and times of kings Charles I or Charles II of England
From this reading --_Caroline Reynolds._ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
a young person of either sex
From this reading And as the little children passed, and one lad turned and smiled, I saw within his wistful eyes the spirit of the Child.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading And as the little children passed, and one lad turned and smiled, I saw within his wistful eyes the spirit of the Child.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading I saw a woman, bent and wan, and on her face a light The look that Mary might have worn that other Christmas night.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading And yet above the city streets, above the noise and whir, There seems to come a fragrant breath of frankincense and myrrh.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading And yet above the city streets, above the noise and whir, There seems to come a fragrant breath of frankincense and myrrh.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading --_Caroline Reynolds._ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
opinion or judgment
From this reading And as the little children passed, and one lad turned and smiled, I saw within his wistful eyes the spirit of the Child.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading I saw a woman, bent and wan, and on her face a light The look that Mary might have worn that other Christmas night.
a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed
From this reading --_Caroline Reynolds._ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
flocknounUS /flɑːk/
a church congregation guided by a pastor
From this reading --_Caroline Reynolds._ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
fragrantadjectiveUS /ˈfreɪɡrənt/
pleasant-smelling
From this reading And yet above the city streets, above the noise and whir, There seems to come a fragrant breath of frankincense and myrrh.
frankincensenounUS /ˈfræŋkənsens/
an aromatic gum resin obtained from various Arabian or East African trees; formerly valued for worship and for embalming and fumigation
From this reading And yet above the city streets, above the noise and whir, There seems to come a fragrant breath of frankincense and myrrh.
a state of high honor
From this reading And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I saw a woman, bent and wan, and on her face a light The look that Mary might have worn that other Christmas night.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading I saw a woman, bent and wan, and on her face a light The look that Mary might have worn that other Christmas night.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And as the little children passed, and one lad turned and smiled, I saw within his wistful eyes the spirit of the Child.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I saw a woman, bent and wan, and on her face a light The look that Mary might have worn that other Christmas night.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading --_Caroline Reynolds._ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
conformity or harmony
From this reading --_Caroline Reynolds._ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
a boy or man
From this reading And as the little children passed, and one lad turned and smiled, I saw within his wistful eyes the spirit of the Child.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading I saw a woman, bent and wan, and on her face a light The look that Mary might have worn that other Christmas night.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading And as the little children passed, and one lad turned and smiled, I saw within his wistful eyes the spirit of the Child.
lo
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading I saw a woman, bent and wan, and on her face a light The look that Mary might have worn that other Christmas night.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading I saw a woman, bent and wan, and on her face a light The look that Mary might have worn that other Christmas night.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading I saw a woman, bent and wan, and on her face a light The look that Mary might have worn that other Christmas night.
myrrhnounUS /mɜːr/
aromatic resin that is burned as incense and used in perfume
From this reading And yet above the city streets, above the noise and whir, There seems to come a fragrant breath of frankincense and myrrh.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading I saw a woman, bent and wan, and on her face a light The look that Mary might have worn that other Christmas night.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading And yet above the city streets, above the noise and whir, There seems to come a fragrant breath of frankincense and myrrh.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And yet above the city streets, above the noise and whir, There seems to come a fragrant breath of frankincense and myrrh.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I saw a woman, bent and wan, and on her face a light The look that Mary might have worn that other Christmas night.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading And as the little children passed, and one lad turned and smiled, I saw within his wistful eyes the spirit of the Child.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading I saw a woman, bent and wan, and on her face a light The look that Mary might have worn that other Christmas night.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading --_Caroline Reynolds._ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading And as the little children passed, and one lad turned and smiled, I saw within his wistful eyes the spirit of the Child.
ReynoldsnounUS /ˈrenəldz/
English portrait painter and first president of the Royal Academy (1723-1792)
From this reading --_Caroline Reynolds._ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
Identical; not different.
From this reading --_Caroline Reynolds._ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
cut with a saw
From this reading I saw a woman, bent and wan, and on her face a light The look that Mary might have worn that other Christmas night.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading And yet above the city streets, above the noise and whir, There seems to come a fragrant breath of frankincense and myrrh.
shepherdsnounUS /ˈʃepərdz/
plural of “shepherd” — a clergyman who watches over a group of people
From this reading --_Caroline Reynolds._ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading And as the little children passed, and one lad turned and smiled, I saw within his wistful eyes the spirit of the Child.
hurting
From this reading And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
the vital principle or animating force within living things
From this reading And as the little children passed, and one lad turned and smiled, I saw within his wistful eyes the spirit of the Child.
plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading And yet above the city streets, above the noise and whir, There seems to come a fragrant breath of frankincense and myrrh.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I saw a woman, bent and wan, and on her face a light The look that Mary might have worn that other Christmas night.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And yet above the city streets, above the noise and whir, There seems to come a fragrant breath of frankincense and myrrh.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading --_Caroline Reynolds._ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
in or at that place or location
From this reading And yet above the city streets, above the noise and whir, There seems to come a fragrant breath of frankincense and myrrh.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And yet above the city streets, above the noise and whir, There seems to come a fragrant breath of frankincense and myrrh.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading And as the little children passed, and one lad turned and smiled, I saw within his wistful eyes the spirit of the Child.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
wanadjectiveUS /wɑːn/
(of light) lacking in intensity or brightness; dim or feeble
From this reading I saw a woman, bent and wan, and on her face a light The look that Mary might have worn that other Christmas night.
look attentively
From this reading --_Caroline Reynolds._ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading --_Caroline Reynolds._ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
whirnoun
sound of something in rapid motion
From this reading And yet above the city streets, above the noise and whir, There seems to come a fragrant breath of frankincense and myrrh.
wistfuladjectiveUS /ˈwɪstfəl/
showing pensive sadness
From this reading And as the little children passed, and one lad turned and smiled, I saw within his wistful eyes the spirit of the Child.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading And as the little children passed, and one lad turned and smiled, I saw within his wistful eyes the spirit of the Child.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading I saw a woman, bent and wan, and on her face a light The look that Mary might have worn that other Christmas night.
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading I saw a woman, bent and wan, and on her face a light The look that Mary might have worn that other Christmas night.
but in spite of that
From this reading And yet above the city streets, above the noise and whir, There seems to come a fragrant breath of frankincense and myrrh.
