used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a dark night.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He was determined to learn what he could about the mysterious Whisperer.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
anglesnounUS /ˈæŋɡəlz/
plural of “angle” — the space between two lines or planes that intersect; the inclination of one line to another; measured in degrees or radians
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
exhale hard
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
bodyguardnounUS /ˈbɑːdiɡɑːrd/
someone who escorts and protects a prominent person
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
a period of 100 years
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading Clouds hid the moon.
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 One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He was determined to learn what he could about the mysterious Whisperer.
creepverbUS /kriːp/
move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
absence of light or illumination
From this reading It was a dark night.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
characterized by great determination
From this reading He was determined to learn what he could about the mysterious Whisperer.
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
the act of discovering something
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
to come or go into
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
gustsnounUS /ɡʌsts/
plural of “gust” — a strong current of air
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
gustyadjectiveUS /ˈɡʌsti/
blowing in puffs or short intermittent blasts
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
Havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was determined to learn what he could about the mysterious Whisperer.
inflected form of “hide” — prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading Clouds hid the moon.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
water frozen in the solid state
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a dark night.
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
gain knowledge or skills
From this reading He was determined to learn what he could about the mysterious Whisperer.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
an organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading Clouds hid the moon.
of an obscure nature
From this reading He was determined to learn what he could about the mysterious Whisperer.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It was a dark night.
Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
past form of “obtain” — come into possession of
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
particlesnounUS /ˈpɑːrtəkəlz/
plural of “particle” — (nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
approval to do something
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
gradual improvement or growth or development
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
express in words
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
past form of “secure” — get by special effort
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
siftings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
SpidernounUS /ˈspaɪdər/
predatory arachnid with eight legs, two poison fangs, two feelers, and usually two silk-spinning organs at the back end of the body; they spin silk to make cocoons for eggs or traps for prey
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Having secured Spider as his special bodyguard and obtained permission to enter the deserted grounds of the Century of Progress, Johnny set out on his mission of discovery.
trembleverbUS /ˈtrembəl/
move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
not expected or anticipated
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was determined to learn what he could about the mysterious Whisperer.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He was determined to learn what he could about the mysterious Whisperer.
at the time that
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
WhisperernounUS /ˈwɪspərɜːr/
one who speaks in a whisper
From this reading He was determined to learn what he could about the mysterious Whisperer.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
in the company of; together with
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading One of those cold, gusty nights it was, when fine siftings of snow creep and tremble about your feet, when sharp gusts of wind shooting out from unexpected angles blow fine particles of ice upon your cheek, and you say with a start, "Some devil of the north has been let loose to blow his breath upon me."
