used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
altitudenounUS /ˈæltətuːd/
elevation especially above sea level or above the earth's surface
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
ArizonanounUS /ˌerɪˈzoʊnə/
a state in southwestern United States; site of the Grand Canyon
From this reading The same conditions prevailed from Flagstaff to Winslow, and while Southern Arizona picked oranges and basked in the sun, the Grand Canyon was in the grip of winter.
inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape
From this reading Complications arose when we reached Tucson.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
baskedverbUS /bæskt/
past form of “bask” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading The same conditions prevailed from Flagstaff to Winslow, and while Southern Arizona picked oranges and basked in the sun, the Grand Canyon was in the grip of winter.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
CanyonnounUS /ˈkænjən/
a ravine formed by a river in an area with little rainfall
From this reading The same conditions prevailed from Flagstaff to Winslow, and while Southern Arizona picked oranges and basked in the sun, the Grand Canyon was in the grip of winter.
CENTnounUS /sent/
a fractional monetary unit of several countries
From this reading TWENTY PER CENT GRADES, FORTY PER CENT VANILLA.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
ComplicationsnounUS /ˌkɑːmpləˈkeɪʃənz/
plural of “complication” — the act or process of complicating
From this reading Complications arose when we reached Tucson.
the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process
From this reading The same conditions prevailed from Flagstaff to Winslow, and while Southern Arizona picked oranges and basked in the sun, the Grand Canyon was in the grip of winter.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
a region marked off for administrative or other purposes
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
endlessadjectiveUS /ˈendləs/
tiresomely long; seemingly without end
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
FlagstaffnounUS /ˈflæɡstæf/
a town in north central Arizona; site of an important observatory
From this reading The same conditions prevailed from Flagstaff to Winslow, and while Southern Arizona picked oranges and basked in the sun, the Grand Canyon was in the grip of winter.
floodedadjectiveUS /ˈflʌdəd/
covered with water
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
FORTYadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrti/
being ten more than thirty
From this reading TWENTY PER CENT GRADES, FORTY PER CENT VANILLA.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The same conditions prevailed from Flagstaff to Winslow, and while Southern Arizona picked oranges and basked in the sun, the Grand Canyon was in the grip of winter.
GRADESnounUS /ɡreɪdz/
plural of “grade” — a body of students who are taught together
From this reading TWENTY PER CENT GRADES, FORTY PER CENT VANILLA.
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading The same conditions prevailed from Flagstaff to Winslow, and while Southern Arizona picked oranges and basked in the sun, the Grand Canyon was in the grip of winter.
gripnounUS /ɡrɪp/
the act of grasping
From this reading The same conditions prevailed from Flagstaff to Winslow, and while Southern Arizona picked oranges and basked in the sun, the Grand Canyon was in the grip of winter.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
highwaysnounUS /ˈhaɪweɪz/
plural of “highway” — a major road for any form of motor transport
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The same conditions prevailed from Flagstaff to Winslow, and while Southern Arizona picked oranges and basked in the sun, the Grand Canyon was in the grip of winter.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
used to form the superlative
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
and nothing more
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
orangesnounUS /ˈɔːrəndʒəz/
plural of “orange” — round yellow to orange fruit of any of several citrus trees
From this reading The same conditions prevailed from Flagstaff to Winslow, and while Southern Arizona picked oranges and basked in the sun, the Grand Canyon was in the grip of winter.
for each
From this reading TWENTY PER CENT GRADES, FORTY PER CENT VANILLA.
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading The same conditions prevailed from Flagstaff to Winslow, and while Southern Arizona picked oranges and basked in the sun, the Grand Canyon was in the grip of winter.
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
plannedadjectiveUS /plænd/
designed or carried out according to a plan
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
prevailedverbUS /prɪˈveɪld/
past form of “prevail” — be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance
From this reading The same conditions prevailed from Flagstaff to Winslow, and while Southern Arizona picked oranges and basked in the sun, the Grand Canyon was in the grip of winter.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Complications arose when we reached Tucson.
ridgedadjectiveUS /rɪdʒd/
having a ridge or shaped like a ridge or suggesting the keel of a ship
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
riversnounUS /ˈrɪvərz/
plural of “river” — a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
roadsnounUS /roʊdz/
a partly sheltered anchorage
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
Identical; not different.
From this reading The same conditions prevailed from Flagstaff to Winslow, and while Southern Arizona picked oranges and basked in the sun, the Grand Canyon was in the grip of winter.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
snow-drifts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
in or characteristic of a region of the United States south of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading The same conditions prevailed from Flagstaff to Winslow, and while Southern Arizona picked oranges and basked in the sun, the Grand Canyon was in the grip of winter.
not in physical motion
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The same conditions prevailed from Flagstaff to Winslow, and while Southern Arizona picked oranges and basked in the sun, the Grand Canyon was in the grip of winter.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
thriceadverbUS /θraɪs/
three times
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
TucsonnounUS /ˈtuːsɑːn/
a city in southeastern Arizona ringed by mountain ranges; long known as a winter and health resort but the population shift from industrial states to the Sunbelt resulted in rapid growth late in the 20th century
From this reading Complications arose when we reached Tucson.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading TWENTY PER CENT GRADES, FORTY PER CENT VANILLA.
unbridged
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading We planned to see endless places but most of them, at an altitude of a half mile to a mile and a half, could be reached only by roads still under ten feet of snow.
VANILLAnounUS /vəˈnɪlə/
any of numerous climbing plants of the genus Vanilla having fleshy leaves and clusters of large waxy highly fragrant white or green or topaz flowers
From this reading TWENTY PER CENT GRADES, FORTY PER CENT VANILLA.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Complications arose when we reached Tucson.
at the time that
From this reading Complications arose when we reached Tucson.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading The same conditions prevailed from Flagstaff to Winslow, and while Southern Arizona picked oranges and basked in the sun, the Grand Canyon was in the grip of winter.
a Caucasian
From this reading The district ridged by the White Mountains was completely cut off, its unbridged rivers flooded, and its few highways covered by snow-drifts thrice the height of a man.
WinslownounUS /ˈwɪnzloʊ/
English colonial administrator who traveled to America on the Mayflower and served as the first governor of the Plymouth Colony (1595-1655)
From this reading The same conditions prevailed from Flagstaff to Winslow, and while Southern Arizona picked oranges and basked in the sun, the Grand Canyon was in the grip of winter.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading The same conditions prevailed from Flagstaff to Winslow, and while Southern Arizona picked oranges and basked in the sun, the Grand Canyon was in the grip of winter.
