used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
plural of “adventure” — a wild and exciting undertaking (not necessarily lawful)
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
(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 'The winter is on us, and I say that it will be well for us all when the excavations have been begun.'
Alphonse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
accomplishment of an objective
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading 'The winter is on us, and I say that it will be well for us all when the excavations have been begun.'
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading 'The winter is on us, and I say that it will be well for us all when the excavations have been begun.'
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading 'The winter is on us, and I say that it will be well for us all when the excavations have been begun.'
blastverbUS /blæst/
make a strident sound
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading '_Parbleu!_ but we may expect cold weather now, Monsieur David,' he called out.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading '_Parbleu!_ but we may expect cold weather now, Monsieur David,' he called out.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
circulationnounUS /ˈsɜːrkjəleɪʃən/
the dissemination of copies of periodicals (as newspapers or magazines)
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading '_Parbleu!_ but we may expect cold weather now, Monsieur David,' he called out.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
emergedverbUS /ɪˈmɜːrdʒd/
past form of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
excavationsnounUS /ˌekskəˈveɪʃənz/
plural of “excavation” — the act of digging
From this reading 'The winter is on us, and I say that it will be well for us all when the excavations have been begun.'
regard something as probable or likely
From this reading '_Parbleu!_ but we may expect cold weather now, Monsieur David,' he called out.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading 'The winter is on us, and I say that it will be well for us all when the excavations have been begun.'
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
half-buried
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading 'The winter is on us, and I say that it will be well for us all when the excavations have been begun.'
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading 'The winter is on us, and I say that it will be well for us all when the excavations have been begun.'
icyadjectiveUS /ˈaɪsi/
devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
inspectverbUS /ˌɪnˈspekt/
look over carefully
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading 'The winter is on us, and I say that it will be well for us all when the excavations have been begun.'
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading 'The winter is on us, and I say that it will be well for us all when the excavations have been begun.'
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading '_Parbleu!_ but we may expect cold weather now, Monsieur David,' he called out.
MongoliannounUS /mɑːŋˈɡoʊliən/
a member of the nomadic peoples of Mongolia
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”
From this reading '_Parbleu!_ but we may expect cold weather now, Monsieur David,' he called out.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
a surrounding or nearby region
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading '_Parbleu!_ but we may expect cold weather now, Monsieur David,' he called out.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading '_Parbleu!_ but we may expect cold weather now, Monsieur David,' he called out.
Parbleu
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading '_Parbleu!_ but we may expect cold weather now, Monsieur David,' he called out.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
Professor'snounUS /prəˈfesərz/
possessive form of “professor” — someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
ruinsnounUS /ˈruːənz/
plural of “ruin” — an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
express in words
From this reading 'The winter is on us, and I say that it will be well for us all when the excavations have been begun.'
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
shirtnounUS /ʃɜːrt/
a garment worn on the upper half of the body
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
shiververbUS /ˈʃɪvər/
tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
sleevesnounUS /sliːvz/
plural of “sleeve” — the part of a garment that is attached at the armhole and that provides a cloth covering for the arm
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
snappingverbUS /ˈsnæpɪŋ/
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
SnowflakesnounUS /ˈsnoʊfleɪks/
plural of “snowflake” — a crystal of snow
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
not in physical motion
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading 'The winter is on us, and I say that it will be well for us all when the excavations have been begun.'
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
toesnounUS /toʊz/
plural of “toe” — one of the digits of the foot
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading 'The winter is on us, and I say that it will be well for us all when the excavations have been begun.'
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading '_Parbleu!_ but we may expect cold weather now, Monsieur David,' he called out.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading '_Parbleu!_ but we may expect cold weather now, Monsieur David,' he called out.
(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 winter is on us, and I say that it will be well for us all when the excavations have been begun.'
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
at the time that
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading When David emerged from the tent and looked into the open, an icy blast made him shiver, while he smiled at seeing Alphonse, still in his shirt sleeves, dancing about to warm his toes, and snapping his fingers to bring the circulation to them.
whirlingnounUS /ˈwɜːrlɪŋ/
the act of rotating in a circle or spiral
From this reading A Chapter of Adventures Snowflakes were whirling through the air on the morning after the arrival of the Professor's party in the neighbourhood of the half-buried Mongolian ruins which they had come to inspect.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading 'And why?
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading 'The winter is on us, and I say that it will be well for us all when the excavations have been begun.'
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading 'The winter is on us, and I say that it will be well for us all when the excavations have been begun.'
