used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Stars were hidden by a fine haze.
North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading Ruth Bracket’s arms moved backward and forward in rhythmic motion.
backwardadverbUS /ˈbækwərd/
at or to or toward the back or rear
From this reading Ruth Bracket’s arms moved backward and forward in rhythmic motion.
an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
blacknessnounUS /ˈblæknəs/
the quality or state of the achromatic color of least lightness (bearing the least resemblance to white)
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
Bracket's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ruth Bracket’s arms moved backward and forward in rhythmic motion.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Stars were hidden by a fine haze.
Casco
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
cat'snounUS /kæts/
possessive form of “cat” — feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
ChicagonounUS /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/
largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
ConounUS /koʊ/
an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
being one more than seven
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
faintlyadverbUS /ˈfeɪntli/
to a faint degree or weakly perceived
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading Stars were hidden by a fine haze.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Ruth Bracket’s arms moved backward and forward in rhythmic motion.
gleamingnounUS /ˈɡliːmɪŋ/
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
harborverbUS /ˈhɑːrbər/
maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings)
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
hazenounUS /heɪz/
atmospheric moisture or dust or smoke that causes reduced visibility
From this reading Stars were hidden by a fine haze.
not accessible to view
From this reading Stars were hidden by a fine haze.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
intensifyverbUS /ɪnˈtensəfaɪ/
increase in extent or intensity
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
MainenounUS /meɪn/
a state in New England
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading There was no moon.
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading Ruth Bracket’s arms moved backward and forward in rhythmic motion.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading Ruth Bracket’s arms moved backward and forward in rhythmic motion.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
not any; not one
From this reading There was no moon.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
and nothing more
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
pairsnounUS /perz/
plural of “pair” — a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
PortlandnounUS /ˈpɔːrtlənd/
freshwater port and largest city in Oregon; located in northwestern Oregon on the Willamette River which divides the city into east and west sections; renowned for its beautiful natural setting among the mountains
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
past form of “print” — put into print
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
Reilly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
rhythmicadjectiveUS /ˈrɪðmɪk/
recurring with measured regularity
From this reading Ruth Bracket’s arms moved backward and forward in rhythmic motion.
United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
From this reading Ruth Bracket’s arms moved backward and forward in rhythmic motion.
past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading Stars were hidden by a fine haze.
plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was no moon.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
UnitedadjectiveUS /juːˈnaɪtɪd/
characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Stars were hidden by a fine haze.
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading The distant harbor lights of Portland, eight of them, gleaming faintly in pairs like yellow cat’s eyes, served only to intensify the blackness of the water and the night.
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago New York _Printed in the United States of America_ It was night on Casco Bay off the coast of Maine.
