used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
anew
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading All through the long hours of that day Dorothy watched by the sick child.
alleviations
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Notwithstanding all her care, however, and all the alleviations which she used, the sick child suffered and moaned terribly.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
balanceverbUS /ˈbæləns/
bring into balance or equilibrium
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
Borderlandnoun
district consisting of the area on either side of a border or boundary of a country or an area
From this reading The child was on the Borderland.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading All through the long hours of that day Dorothy watched by the sick child.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading Notwithstanding all her care, however, and all the alleviations which she used, the sick child suffered and moaned terribly.
a young person of either sex
From this reading All through the long hours of that day Dorothy watched by the sick child.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading All through the long hours of that day Dorothy watched by the sick child.
(often used in combination) having a specified direction
From this reading Dorothy's efforts were directed to turning the balance in the scale toward life.
Dorothy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All through the long hours of that day Dorothy watched by the sick child.
Dorothy's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dorothy's efforts were directed to turning the balance in the scale toward life.
plural of “effort” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Dorothy's efforts were directed to turning the balance in the scale toward life.
one or the other of two
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
feather's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading All through the long hours of that day Dorothy watched by the sick child.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading Notwithstanding all her care, however, and all the alleviations which she used, the sick child suffered and moaned terribly.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading All through the long hours of that day Dorothy watched by the sick child.
moanedverbUS /moʊnd/
past form of “moan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading Notwithstanding all her care, however, and all the alleviations which she used, the sick child suffered and moaned terribly.
not any; not one
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
despite anything to the contrary (usually preceding a concession)
From this reading Notwithstanding all her care, however, and all the alleviations which she used, the sick child suffered and moaned terribly.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading All through the long hours of that day Dorothy watched by the sick child.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The child was on the Borderland.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
scalenounUS /skeɪl/
an ordered reference standard
From this reading Dorothy's efforts were directed to turning the balance in the scale toward life.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading All through the long hours of that day Dorothy watched by the sick child.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to
From this reading Notwithstanding all her care, however, and all the alleviations which she used, the sick child suffered and moaned terribly.
terriblyadverbUS /ˈterəbli/
used as intensifiers
From this reading Notwithstanding all her care, however, and all the alleviations which she used, the sick child suffered and moaned terribly.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading All through the long hours of that day Dorothy watched by the sick child.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading All through the long hours of that day Dorothy watched by the sick child.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading All through the long hours of that day Dorothy watched by the sick child.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading Dorothy's efforts were directed to turning the balance in the scale toward life.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading Dorothy's efforts were directed to turning the balance in the scale toward life.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading Notwithstanding all her care, however, and all the alleviations which she used, the sick child suffered and moaned terribly.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The child was on the Borderland.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading All through the long hours of that day Dorothy watched by the sick child.
the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Dorothy's efforts were directed to turning the balance in the scale toward life.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Her life hung in the balance--a feather's weight on either side and she would go to the country from which there is no return, or she would become well again.
