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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
any
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness—a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of the sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness—a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of the sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
black
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From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness—a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of the sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
cold
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness.
covering
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From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
Dark
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dark spruce forest frowned on either side the frozen waterway.
desolation
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness.
eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/
one or the other of two
From this reading Dark spruce forest frowned on either side the frozen waterway.
evennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness.
fading
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
forest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dark spruce forest frowned on either side the frozen waterway.
frost
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
frowned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dark spruce forest frowned on either side the frozen waterway.
frozen
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From this reading Dark spruce forest frowned on either side the frozen waterway.
grimness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness—a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of the sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
hint
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness—a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of the sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
infallibility
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness—a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of the sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness.
land
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A vast silence reigned over the land.
laughter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness—a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of the sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility.
lean
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
lifeless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness.
light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
lone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness.
mirthless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness—a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of the sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness—a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of the sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility.
movement
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
ominous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Dark spruce forest frowned on either side the frozen waterway.
other
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading A vast silence reigned over the land.
partaking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness—a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of the sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility.
recent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
reigned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A vast silence reigned over the land.
sadness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
side
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dark spruce forest frowned on either side the frozen waterway.
silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading A vast silence reigned over the land.
smile
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness—a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of the sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness.
sphinx
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness—a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of the sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility.
spirit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness.
sprucenounUS /spruːs/
light soft moderately strong wood of spruce trees; used especially for timbers and millwork
From this reading Dark spruce forest frowned on either side the frozen waterway.
stripped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
terriblenounUS /ˈterrible/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness—a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of the sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness—a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of the sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Dark spruce forest frowned on either side the frozen waterway.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness—a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of the sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/
in the direction of
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
trees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
vast
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A vast silence reigned over the land.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness.
waterway
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dark spruce forest frowned on either side the frozen waterway.
white
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
windnounUS /wind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness.
