used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The wind had now risen to a hurricane--a rage of swiftness.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading The laird had closed all the shutters, and drawn the old curtains across them: through windows and shutters, the curtains waved in the penetrating blasts.
(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 laird had closed all the shutters, and drawn the old curtains across them: through windows and shutters, the curtains waved in the penetrating blasts.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The house was like a rock assaulted by the waves of an ocean-tempest.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The laird had closed all the shutters, and drawn the old curtains across them: through windows and shutters, the curtains waved in the penetrating blasts.
assaultedverbUS /əˈsɔːltɪd/
past form of “assault” — attack someone physically or emotionally
From this reading The house was like a rock assaulted by the waves of an ocean-tempest.
blastsnounUS /blæsts/
plural of “blast” — a very long fly ball
From this reading The laird had closed all the shutters, and drawn the old curtains across them: through windows and shutters, the curtains waved in the penetrating blasts.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The house was like a rock assaulted by the waves of an ocean-tempest.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading The laird had closed all the shutters, and drawn the old curtains across them: through windows and shutters, the curtains waved in the penetrating blasts.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The sturdy old house did not shake, for nothing under an earthquake could have made it tremble.
curtainsnounUS /ˈkɜːrtənz/
plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading The laird had closed all the shutters, and drawn the old curtains across them: through windows and shutters, the curtains waved in the penetrating blasts.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The sturdy old house did not shake, for nothing under an earthquake could have made it tremble.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading The laird had closed all the shutters, and drawn the old curtains across them: through windows and shutters, the curtains waved in the penetrating blasts.
earthquakenounUS /ˈɜːrθkweɪk/
shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along a fault plane or from volcanic activity
From this reading The sturdy old house did not shake, for nothing under an earthquake could have made it tremble.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The sturdy old house did not shake, for nothing under an earthquake could have made it tremble.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The wind had now risen to a hurricane--a rage of swiftness.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The sturdy old house did not shake, for nothing under an earthquake could have made it tremble.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The house was like a rock assaulted by the waves of an ocean-tempest.
hurricanenounUS /ˈhɜːrəkeɪn/
a severe tropical cyclone usually with heavy rains and winds moving at 63-136 knots (12 on the Beaufort scale)
From this reading The wind had now risen to a hurricane--a rage of swiftness.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The laird had closed all the shutters, and drawn the old curtains across them: through windows and shutters, the curtains waved in the penetrating blasts.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The sturdy old house did not shake, for nothing under an earthquake could have made it tremble.
lairdnounUS /lerd/
a landowner
From this reading The laird had closed all the shutters, and drawn the old curtains across them: through windows and shutters, the curtains waved in the penetrating blasts.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The house was like a rock assaulted by the waves of an ocean-tempest.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The sturdy old house did not shake, for nothing under an earthquake could have made it tremble.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading THAT SAME NIGHT.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The sturdy old house did not shake, for nothing under an earthquake could have made it tremble.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading The sturdy old house did not shake, for nothing under an earthquake could have made it tremble.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The wind had now risen to a hurricane--a rage of swiftness.
ocean-tempest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house was like a rock assaulted by the waves of an ocean-tempest.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The wind had now risen to a hurricane--a rage of swiftness.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The laird had closed all the shutters, and drawn the old curtains across them: through windows and shutters, the curtains waved in the penetrating blasts.
penetratingadjectiveUS /ˈpenətreɪtɪŋ/
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading The laird had closed all the shutters, and drawn the old curtains across them: through windows and shutters, the curtains waved in the penetrating blasts.
a feeling of intense anger
From this reading The wind had now risen to a hurricane--a rage of swiftness.
risenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪzən/
(of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon
From this reading The wind had now risen to a hurricane--a rage of swiftness.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The house was like a rock assaulted by the waves of an ocean-tempest.
Identical; not different.
From this reading THAT SAME NIGHT.
move or cause to move back and forth
From this reading The sturdy old house did not shake, for nothing under an earthquake could have made it tremble.
shuttersnounUS /ˈʃʌtərz/
plural of “shutter” — a mechanical device on a camera that opens and closes to control the time of a photographic exposure
From this reading The laird had closed all the shutters, and drawn the old curtains across them: through windows and shutters, the curtains waved in the penetrating blasts.
sturdyadjectiveUS /ˈstɜːrdi/
having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships
From this reading The sturdy old house did not shake, for nothing under an earthquake could have made it tremble.
swiftnessnounUS /ˈswɪftnəs/
a rate (usually rapid) at which something happens
From this reading The wind had now risen to a hurricane--a rage of swiftness.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THAT SAME NIGHT.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The wind had now risen to a hurricane--a rage of swiftness.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The laird had closed all the shutters, and drawn the old curtains across them: through windows and shutters, the curtains waved in the penetrating blasts.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The laird had closed all the shutters, and drawn the old curtains across them: through windows and shutters, the curtains waved in the penetrating blasts.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The wind had now risen to a hurricane--a rage of swiftness.
trembleverbUS /ˈtrembəl/
move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways
From this reading The sturdy old house did not shake, for nothing under an earthquake could have made it tremble.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading The sturdy old house did not shake, for nothing under an earthquake could have made it tremble.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The house was like a rock assaulted by the waves of an ocean-tempest.
past form of “wave” — signal with the hands or nod
From this reading The laird had closed all the shutters, and drawn the old curtains across them: through windows and shutters, the curtains waved in the penetrating blasts.
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 The house was like a rock assaulted by the waves of an ocean-tempest.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The wind had now risen to a hurricane--a rage of swiftness.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading The laird had closed all the shutters, and drawn the old curtains across them: through windows and shutters, the curtains waved in the penetrating blasts.
