used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In the ward at the field hospital they told me a visitor was coming to see me in the afternoon.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading In the ward at the field hospital they told me a visitor was coming to see me in the afternoon.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was a hot day and there were many flies in the room.
in a state of sleep
From this reading When he stopped swishing and fell asleep they came down and I blew them away and finally covered my face with my hands and slept too.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading In the ward at the field hospital they told me a visitor was coming to see me in the afternoon.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading My orderly had cut paper into strips and tied the strips to a stick to make a brush that swished the flies away.
inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard
From this reading When he stopped swishing and fell asleep they came down and I blew them away and finally covered my face with my hands and slept too.
brushverbUS /brʌʃ/
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading My orderly had cut paper into strips and tied the strips to a stick to make a brush that swished the flies away.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading When he stopped swishing and fell asleep they came down and I blew them away and finally covered my face with my hands and slept too.
ceilingnounUS /ˈsiːlɪŋ/
the overhead upper surface of a covered space
From this reading I watched them settle on the ceiling.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading In the ward at the field hospital they told me a visitor was coming to see me in the afternoon.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading When he stopped swishing and fell asleep they came down and I blew them away and finally covered my face with my hands and slept too.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading My orderly had cut paper into strips and tied the strips to a stick to make a brush that swished the flies away.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading It was a hot day and there were many flies in the room.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading When he stopped swishing and fell asleep they came down and I blew them away and finally covered my face with my hands and slept too.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading When he stopped swishing and fell asleep they came down and I blew them away and finally covered my face with my hands and slept too.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading When he stopped swishing and fell asleep they came down and I blew them away and finally covered my face with my hands and slept too.
a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed
From this reading In the ward at the field hospital they told me a visitor was coming to see me in the afternoon.
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading When he stopped swishing and fell asleep they came down and I blew them away and finally covered my face with my hands and slept too.
fliesnounUS /flaɪz/
(theater) the space over the stage (out of view of the audience) used to store scenery (drop curtains)
From this reading It was a hot day and there were many flies in the room.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading My orderly had cut paper into strips and tied the strips to a stick to make a brush that swished the flies away.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading When he stopped swishing and fell asleep they came down and I blew them away and finally covered my face with my hands and slept too.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When he stopped swishing and fell asleep they came down and I blew them away and finally covered my face with my hands and slept too.
a health facility where patients receive treatment
From this reading In the ward at the field hospital they told me a visitor was coming to see me in the afternoon.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading It was a hot day and there were many flies in the room.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I watched them settle on the ceiling.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the ward at the field hospital they told me a visitor was coming to see me in the afternoon.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading My orderly had cut paper into strips and tied the strips to a stick to make a brush that swished the flies away.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a hot day and there were many flies in the room.
engage in
From this reading My orderly had cut paper into strips and tied the strips to a stick to make a brush that swished the flies away.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading It was a hot day and there were many flies in the room.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading In the ward at the field hospital they told me a visitor was coming to see me in the afternoon.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My orderly had cut paper into strips and tied the strips to a stick to make a brush that swished the flies away.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I watched them settle on the ceiling.
orderlynounUS /ˈɔːrdərli/
a soldier who serves as an attendant to a superior officer
From this reading My orderly had cut paper into strips and tied the strips to a stick to make a brush that swished the flies away.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading My orderly had cut paper into strips and tied the strips to a stick to make a brush that swished the flies away.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading It was a hot day and there were many flies in the room.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading In the ward at the field hospital they told me a visitor was coming to see me in the afternoon.
settle into a position, usually on a surface or ground
From this reading I watched them settle on the ceiling.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading When he stopped swishing and fell asleep they came down and I blew them away and finally covered my face with my hands and slept too.
put, fix, force, or implant
From this reading My orderly had cut paper into strips and tied the strips to a stick to make a brush that swished the flies away.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading When he stopped swishing and fell asleep they came down and I blew them away and finally covered my face with my hands and slept too.
stripsnounUS /strɪps/
plural of “strip” — a relatively long narrow piece of something
From this reading My orderly had cut paper into strips and tied the strips to a stick to make a brush that swished the flies away.
swishedverbUS /swɪʃt/
past form of “swish” — move with or cause to move with a whistling or hissing sound
From this reading My orderly had cut paper into strips and tied the strips to a stick to make a brush that swished the flies away.
swishing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When he stopped swishing and fell asleep they came down and I blew them away and finally covered my face with my hands and slept too.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading My orderly had cut paper into strips and tied the strips to a stick to make a brush that swished the flies away.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In the ward at the field hospital they told me a visitor was coming to see me in the afternoon.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I watched them settle on the ceiling.
in or at that place or location
From this reading It was a hot day and there were many flies in the room.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In the ward at the field hospital they told me a visitor was coming to see me in the afternoon.
bound or secured closely
From this reading My orderly had cut paper into strips and tied the strips to a stick to make a brush that swished the flies away.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In the ward at the field hospital they told me a visitor was coming to see me in the afternoon.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading In the ward at the field hospital they told me a visitor was coming to see me in the afternoon.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading When he stopped swishing and fell asleep they came down and I blew them away and finally covered my face with my hands and slept too.
someone who visits
From this reading In the ward at the field hospital they told me a visitor was coming to see me in the afternoon.
wardnounUS /wɔːrd/
a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another
From this reading In the ward at the field hospital they told me a visitor was coming to see me in the afternoon.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In the ward at the field hospital they told me a visitor was coming to see me in the afternoon.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading I watched them settle on the ceiling.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It was a hot day and there were many flies in the room.
at the time that
From this reading When he stopped swishing and fell asleep they came down and I blew them away and finally covered my face with my hands and slept too.
in the company of; together with
From this reading When he stopped swishing and fell asleep they came down and I blew them away and finally covered my face with my hands and slept too.
