used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
any thing at all
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
move towards
From this reading On the twentieth of January the comet reached its closest approach to Earth.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading It was then less than three million miles away.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
closestadverbUS /ˈkloʊsəst/
(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance
From this reading On the twentieth of January the comet reached its closest approach to Earth.
collisionnounUS /kəˈlɪʒən/
(physics) a brief event in which two or more bodies come together
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
cometnounUS /ˈkɑːmət/
(astronomy) a relatively small extraterrestrial body consisting of a frozen mass that travels around the sun in a highly elliptical orbit
From this reading On the twentieth of January the comet reached its closest approach to Earth.
serenely self-possessed and free from agitation especially in times of stress
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
remove the dust from
From this reading Only the dust.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading On the twentieth of January the comet reached its closest approach to Earth.
gasesnounUS /ˈɡæsəz/
plural of “gas” — the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was then less than three million miles away.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading On the twentieth of January the comet reached its closest approach to Earth.
JanuarynounUS /ˈdʒænjuːeri/
the first month of the year; begins 10 days after the winter solstice
From this reading On the twentieth of January the comet reached its closest approach to Earth.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading It was then less than three million miles away.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading It was then less than three million miles away.
millionnounUS /ˈmɪljən/
the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros
From this reading It was then less than three million miles away.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
not one, and not any
From this reading There were none of these.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading On the twentieth of January the comet reached its closest approach to Earth.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On the twentieth of January the comet reached its closest approach to Earth.
and nothing more
From this reading Only the dust.
rarefiedadjectiveUS /ˈrerəfaɪd/
having low density
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading On the twentieth of January the comet reached its closest approach to Earth.
realmnounUS /relm/
a domain in which something is dominant
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading It was then less than three million miles away.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading On the twentieth of January the comet reached its closest approach to Earth.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading It was then less than three million miles away.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were none of these.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading There were none of these.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading It was then less than three million miles away.
tidaladjectiveUS /ˈtaɪdəl/
of or relating to or caused by tides
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading On the twentieth of January the comet reached its closest approach to Earth.
extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
twentiethnounUS /ˈtwentiəθ/
position 20 in a countable series of things
From this reading On the twentieth of January the comet reached its closest approach to Earth.
upheavalsnounUS /əpˈhiːvəlz/
plural of “upheaval” — a state of violent disturbance and disorder (as in politics or social conditions generally)
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
virtuallyadverbUS /ˈvɜːrtʃuːəli/
in essence or effect but not in fact
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was then less than three million miles away.
plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were none of these.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading In the realm of the stars, this was virtually a collision, and if the head of the comet had been composed of anything more than highly rarefied gases it would have caused tremendous upheavals and tidal waves.
