used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Only before his beloved was he--still sore from the wounds of the past--merely a zephyr, which spares the dusting blossoms.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The warmer climate, together with love and May, seemed to awaken all the spring winds of his powers; they blew with an impetuosity which made him conscious of them himself.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading All he wanted was to be ever hurrying onward, and--if it might be--to proceed this very night on his way to Vesuvius.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
awakenverbUS /əˈweɪkən/
cause to become awake or conscious
From this reading The warmer climate, together with love and May, seemed to awaken all the spring winds of his powers; they blew with an impetuosity which made him conscious of them himself.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Only before his beloved was he--still sore from the wounds of the past--merely a zephyr, which spares the dusting blossoms.
dearly loved
From this reading Only before his beloved was he--still sore from the wounds of the past--merely a zephyr, which spares the dusting blossoms.
inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard
From this reading The warmer climate, together with love and May, seemed to awaken all the spring winds of his powers; they blew with an impetuosity which made him conscious of them himself.
blossomsnounUS /ˈblɑːsəmz/
plural of “blossom” — reproductive organ of angiosperm plants especially one having showy or colorful parts
From this reading Only before his beloved was he--still sore from the wounds of the past--merely a zephyr, which spares the dusting blossoms.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
chordsnounUS /kɔːrdz/
plural of “chord” — a straight line connecting two points on a curve
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
climatenounUS /ˈklaɪmət/
the weather in some location averaged over some long period of time
From this reading The warmer climate, together with love and May, seemed to awaken all the spring winds of his powers; they blew with an impetuosity which made him conscious of them himself.
intentionally conceived
From this reading The warmer climate, together with love and May, seemed to awaken all the spring winds of his powers; they blew with an impetuosity which made him conscious of them himself.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading For him there was now only one season of the day.
Dian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
dizzilyadverb
in a giddy light-headed manner
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
dustingverbUS /ˈdʌstɪŋ/
-ing form of “dust” — remove the dust from
From this reading Only before his beloved was he--still sore from the wounds of the past--merely a zephyr, which spares the dusting blossoms.
echoverbUS /ˈekoʊ/
to say again or imitate
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
at any time
From this reading All he wanted was to be ever hurrying onward, and--if it might be--to proceed this very night on his way to Vesuvius.
externaladjectiveUS /ɪkˈstɜːrnəl/
happening or arising or located outside or beyond some limits or especially surface
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
festiveadjectiveUS /ˈfestɪv/
offering fun and gaiety
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For him there was now only one season of the day.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Only before his beloved was he--still sore from the wounds of the past--merely a zephyr, which spares the dusting blossoms.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading The warmer climate, together with love and May, seemed to awaken all the spring winds of his powers; they blew with an impetuosity which made him conscious of them himself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
hurdy-gurdynoun
a stringed instrument that produces sounds by means of a wheel that rubs against the strings
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
hurryingadjectiveUS /ˈhɜːriɪŋ/
moving with great haste
From this reading All he wanted was to be ever hurrying onward, and--if it might be--to proceed this very night on his way to Vesuvius.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading All he wanted was to be ever hurrying onward, and--if it might be--to proceed this very night on his way to Vesuvius.
impetuositynoun
rash impulsiveness
From this reading The warmer climate, together with love and May, seemed to awaken all the spring winds of his powers; they blew with an impetuosity which made him conscious of them himself.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
located inward
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading All he wanted was to be ever hurrying onward, and--if it might be--to proceed this very night on his way to Vesuvius.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading The warmer climate, together with love and May, seemed to awaken all the spring winds of his powers; they blew with an impetuosity which made him conscious of them himself.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The warmer climate, together with love and May, seemed to awaken all the spring winds of his powers; they blew with an impetuosity which made him conscious of them himself.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading The warmer climate, together with love and May, seemed to awaken all the spring winds of his powers; they blew with an impetuosity which made him conscious of them himself.
and nothing more
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
merrimentnoun
a gay feeling
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading All he wanted was to be ever hurrying onward, and--if it might be--to proceed this very night on his way to Vesuvius.
NaplesnounUS /ˈneɪpəlz/
a port and tourist center in southwestern Italy; capital of the Campania region
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading All he wanted was to be ever hurrying onward, and--if it might be--to proceed this very night on his way to Vesuvius.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading For him there was now only one season of the day.
odeum
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading All he wanted was to be ever hurrying onward, and--if it might be--to proceed this very night on his way to Vesuvius.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading For him there was now only one season of the day.
plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
and nothing more
From this reading For him there was now only one season of the day.
onwardadverbUS /ˈɔːnwərd/
forward in time or order or degree
From this reading All he wanted was to be ever hurrying onward, and--if it might be--to proceed this very night on his way to Vesuvius.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading Only before his beloved was he--still sore from the wounds of the past--merely a zephyr, which spares the dusting blossoms.
plural of “power” — possession of controlling influence
From this reading The warmer climate, together with love and May, seemed to awaken all the spring winds of his powers; they blew with an impetuosity which made him conscious of them himself.
continue talking
From this reading All he wanted was to be ever hurrying onward, and--if it might be--to proceed this very night on his way to Vesuvius.
ringingnounUS /ˈrɪŋɪŋ/
the sound of a bell ringing
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
especially of petals or leaves in bud; having margins rolled inward
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading For him there was now only one season of the day.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
sensitiveadjectiveUS /ˈsensətɪv/
responsive to physical stimuli
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
hurting
From this reading Only before his beloved was he--still sore from the wounds of the past--merely a zephyr, which spares the dusting blossoms.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
sparesnounUS /sperz/
plural of “spare” — an extra component of a machine or other apparatus
From this reading Only before his beloved was he--still sore from the wounds of the past--merely a zephyr, which spares the dusting blossoms.
the season of growth
From this reading The warmer climate, together with love and May, seemed to awaken all the spring winds of his powers; they blew with an impetuosity which made him conscious of them himself.
not in physical motion
From this reading Only before his beloved was he--still sore from the wounds of the past--merely a zephyr, which spares the dusting blossoms.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading For him there was now only one season of the day.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The warmer climate, together with love and May, seemed to awaken all the spring winds of his powers; they blew with an impetuosity which made him conscious of them himself.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading All he wanted was to be ever hurrying onward, and--if it might be--to proceed this very night on his way to Vesuvius.
up to a particular time
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading The warmer climate, together with love and May, seemed to awaken all the spring winds of his powers; they blew with an impetuosity which made him conscious of them himself.
precisely as stated
From this reading All he wanted was to be ever hurrying onward, and--if it might be--to proceed this very night on his way to Vesuvius.
VesuviusnounUS /vəˈsuːviəs/
a volcano in southwestern Italy on the Mediterranean coast; a Plinian eruption in 79 AD buried Pompeii and killed Pliny the Elder; last erupted in 1944
From this reading All he wanted was to be ever hurrying onward, and--if it might be--to proceed this very night on his way to Vesuvius.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading All he wanted was to be ever hurrying onward, and--if it might be--to proceed this very night on his way to Vesuvius.
warmernounUS /ˈwɔːrmər/
device that heats water or supplies warmth to a room
From this reading The warmer climate, together with love and May, seemed to awaken all the spring winds of his powers; they blew with an impetuosity which made him conscious of them himself.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading All he wanted was to be ever hurrying onward, and--if it might be--to proceed this very night on his way to Vesuvius.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading All he wanted was to be ever hurrying onward, and--if it might be--to proceed this very night on his way to Vesuvius.
change directions as if revolving on a pivot
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
whereasconjunctionUS /weˈræz/
in contrast with the fact that
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading He came slowly back to Naples to his friend Dian; all the festive merriment which met him, the whole odeum of joy, in which the ringing wheel of the hurdy-gurdy dizzily rolled round, seemed to him to be merely his echo; whereas, in general, not till the external, sensitive chords of man are struck, do the inner ones sound after them.
plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The warmer climate, together with love and May, seemed to awaken all the spring winds of his powers; they blew with an impetuosity which made him conscious of them himself.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The warmer climate, together with love and May, seemed to awaken all the spring winds of his powers; they blew with an impetuosity which made him conscious of them himself.
woundsnounUS /wuːndz/
plural of “wound” — an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)
From this reading Only before his beloved was he--still sore from the wounds of the past--merely a zephyr, which spares the dusting blossoms.
zephyrnounUS /ˈzefər/
a slight wind (usually refreshing)
From this reading Only before his beloved was he--still sore from the wounds of the past--merely a zephyr, which spares the dusting blossoms.
