used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading HOW JULIE MEDITATED EVIL Nance had crouched all the morning, in the bracken above Brenière, on the knife-edge of expectancy.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading They had all gone down out of sight, across there, and it was terrible to sit here waiting, waiting, waiting for what she feared.
(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 HOW JULIE MEDITATED EVIL Nance had crouched all the morning, in the bracken above Brenière, on the knife-edge of expectancy.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “What will be the end?
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
brackennounUS /ˈbrækən/
fern of southeastern Asia; not hardy in cold temperate regions
From this reading HOW JULIE MEDITATED EVIL Nance had crouched all the morning, in the bracken above Brenière, on the knife-edge of expectancy.
Brenière
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW JULIE MEDITATED EVIL Nance had crouched all the morning, in the bracken above Brenière, on the knife-edge of expectancy.
feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
crouchedverbUS /kraʊtʃt/
past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading HOW JULIE MEDITATED EVIL Nance had crouched all the morning, in the bracken above Brenière, on the knife-edge of expectancy.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading They had all gone down out of sight, across there, and it was terrible to sit here waiting, waiting, waiting for what she feared.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading “What will be the end?
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading HOW JULIE MEDITATED EVIL Nance had crouched all the morning, in the bracken above Brenière, on the knife-edge of expectancy.
expectancynounUS /ɪkˈspektənsi/
an expectation
From this reading HOW JULIE MEDITATED EVIL Nance had crouched all the morning, in the bracken above Brenière, on the knife-edge of expectancy.
past form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading They had all gone down out of sight, across there, and it was terrible to sit here waiting, waiting, waiting for what she feared.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They had all gone down out of sight, across there, and it was terrible to sit here waiting, waiting, waiting for what she feared.
destroyed or killed
From this reading They had all gone down out of sight, across there, and it was terrible to sit here waiting, waiting, waiting for what she feared.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading HOW JULIE MEDITATED EVIL Nance had crouched all the morning, in the bracken above Brenière, on the knife-edge of expectancy.
Hamon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading They had all gone down out of sight, across there, and it was terrible to sit here waiting, waiting, waiting for what she feared.
HOW
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW JULIE MEDITATED EVIL Nance had crouched all the morning, in the bracken above Brenière, on the knife-edge of expectancy.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading HOW JULIE MEDITATED EVIL Nance had crouched all the morning, in the bracken above Brenière, on the knife-edge of expectancy.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading They had all gone down out of sight, across there, and it was terrible to sit here waiting, waiting, waiting for what she feared.
JULIE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW JULIE MEDITATED EVIL Nance had crouched all the morning, in the bracken above Brenière, on the knife-edge of expectancy.
knife-edgenoun
a narrow boundary
From this reading HOW JULIE MEDITATED EVIL Nance had crouched all the morning, in the bracken above Brenière, on the knife-edge of expectancy.
L'Etat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
MEDITATED
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW JULIE MEDITATED EVIL Nance had crouched all the morning, in the bracken above Brenière, on the knife-edge of expectancy.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading HOW JULIE MEDITATED EVIL Nance had crouched all the morning, in the bracken above Brenière, on the knife-edge of expectancy.
NancenounUS /næns/
offensive term for a homosexual man
From this reading HOW JULIE MEDITATED EVIL Nance had crouched all the morning, in the bracken above Brenière, on the knife-edge of expectancy.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading HOW JULIE MEDITATED EVIL Nance had crouched all the morning, in the bracken above Brenière, on the knife-edge of expectancy.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading HOW JULIE MEDITATED EVIL Nance had crouched all the morning, in the bracken above Brenière, on the knife-edge of expectancy.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading They had all gone down out of sight, across there, and it was terrible to sit here waiting, waiting, waiting for what she feared.
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
Identical; not different.
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had all gone down out of sight, across there, and it was terrible to sit here waiting, waiting, waiting for what she feared.
past form of “sigh” — heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading What will be the end?” sighed Nance.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading They had all gone down out of sight, across there, and it was terrible to sit here waiting, waiting, waiting for what she feared.
be seated
From this reading They had all gone down out of sight, across there, and it was terrible to sit here waiting, waiting, waiting for what she feared.
sparrownounUS /ˈsperoʊ/
any of several small dull-colored singing birds feeding on seeds or insects
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
the rays of the sun
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading They had all gone down out of sight, across there, and it was terrible to sit here waiting, waiting, waiting for what she feared.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading HOW JULIE MEDITATED EVIL Nance had crouched all the morning, in the bracken above Brenière, on the knife-edge of expectancy.
in or at that place or location
From this reading They had all gone down out of sight, across there, and it was terrible to sit here waiting, waiting, waiting for what she feared.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had all gone down out of sight, across there, and it was terrible to sit here waiting, waiting, waiting for what she feared.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They had all gone down out of sight, across there, and it was terrible to sit here waiting, waiting, waiting for what she feared.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading They had all gone down out of sight, across there, and it was terrible to sit here waiting, waiting, waiting for what she feared.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They had all gone down out of sight, across there, and it was terrible to sit here waiting, waiting, waiting for what she feared.
watchesnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃəz/
plural of “watch” — a small portable timepiece
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading And behind her, at a safe distance, crouched Julie Hamon, watching Nance and L’Etat at the same time, as a cat in the shade watches a sparrow playing in the sunshine.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What will be the end?
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “What will be the end?
