used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Chapel Prison Before the door of the chapel stood a bent old figure hooded in a red shawl.
alertlyadverbUS /əˈlɜːrtli/
in mentally perceptive and responsive way
From this reading When we were close at hand it straightened alertly; and old Mother Pêche’s startling eyes flashed into mine.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Muttering, and with bowed head, it poked in the dust with a staff.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When we were close at hand it straightened alertly; and old Mother Pêche’s startling eyes flashed into mine.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading And I held out my hand, to be clutched eagerly.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The Chapel Prison Before the door of the chapel stood a bent old figure hooded in a red shawl.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading The Chapel Prison Before the door of the chapel stood a bent old figure hooded in a red shawl.
of a stringed instrument; sounded by stroking with a bow
From this reading Muttering, and with bowed head, it poked in the dust with a staff.
ChapelnounUS /ˈtʃæpəl/
a place of worship that has its own altar
From this reading The Chapel Prison Before the door of the chapel stood a bent old figure hooded in a red shawl.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading When we were close at hand it straightened alertly; and old Mother Pêche’s startling eyes flashed into mine.
clutchedverbUS /klʌtʃt/
past form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab
From this reading And I held out my hand, to be clutched eagerly.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I could have kissed the strange hawk face, so glad was I to see it.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The Chapel Prison Before the door of the chapel stood a bent old figure hooded in a red shawl.
remove the dust from
From this reading Muttering, and with bowed head, it poked in the dust with a staff.
with eagerness; in an eager manner
From this reading And I held out my hand, to be clutched eagerly.
opinion or judgment
From this reading When we were close at hand it straightened alertly; and old Mother Pêche’s startling eyes flashed into mine.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading I could have kissed the strange hawk face, so glad was I to see it.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading The Chapel Prison Before the door of the chapel stood a bent old figure hooded in a red shawl.
past form of “flash” — gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading When we were close at hand it straightened alertly; and old Mother Pêche’s startling eyes flashed into mine.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading I could have kissed the strange hawk face, so glad was I to see it.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading When we were close at hand it straightened alertly; and old Mother Pêche’s startling eyes flashed into mine.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I could have kissed the strange hawk face, so glad was I to see it.
hawknounUS /hɔːk/
diurnal bird of prey typically having short rounded wings and a long tail
From this reading I could have kissed the strange hawk face, so glad was I to see it.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Muttering, and with bowed head, it poked in the dust with a staff.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading And I held out my hand, to be clutched eagerly.
hoodedverbUS /ˈhʊdɪd/
past form of “hood” — cover with a hood
From this reading The Chapel Prison Before the door of the chapel stood a bent old figure hooded in a red shawl.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I could have kissed the strange hawk face, so glad was I to see it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Chapel Prison Before the door of the chapel stood a bent old figure hooded in a red shawl.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading When we were close at hand it straightened alertly; and old Mother Pêche’s startling eyes flashed into mine.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Muttering, and with bowed head, it poked in the dust with a staff.
past form of “kiss” — touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.
From this reading I could have kissed the strange hawk face, so glad was I to see it.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading When we were close at hand it straightened alertly; and old Mother Pêche’s startling eyes flashed into mine.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading When we were close at hand it straightened alertly; and old Mother Pêche’s startling eyes flashed into mine.
MutteringnounUS /ˈmʌtərɪŋ/
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading Muttering, and with bowed head, it poked in the dust with a staff.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading And I held out my hand, to be clutched eagerly.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Chapel Prison Before the door of the chapel stood a bent old figure hooded in a red shawl.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The Chapel Prison Before the door of the chapel stood a bent old figure hooded in a red shawl.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading And I held out my hand, to be clutched eagerly.
pokedverbUS /poʊkt/
past form of “poke” — poke or thrust abruptly
From this reading Muttering, and with bowed head, it poked in the dust with a staff.
a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment
From this reading The Chapel Prison Before the door of the chapel stood a bent old figure hooded in a red shawl.
Pêche's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When we were close at hand it straightened alertly; and old Mother Pêche’s startling eyes flashed into mine.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading The Chapel Prison Before the door of the chapel stood a bent old figure hooded in a red shawl.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I could have kissed the strange hawk face, so glad was I to see it.
shawlnounUS /ʃɔːl/
cloak consisting of an oblong piece of cloth used to cover the head and shoulders
From this reading The Chapel Prison Before the door of the chapel stood a bent old figure hooded in a red shawl.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I could have kissed the strange hawk face, so glad was I to see it.
staffnounUS /stæf/
personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task
From this reading Muttering, and with bowed head, it poked in the dust with a staff.
startlingadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtlɪŋ/
so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm
From this reading When we were close at hand it straightened alertly; and old Mother Pêche’s startling eyes flashed into mine.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The Chapel Prison Before the door of the chapel stood a bent old figure hooded in a red shawl.
straightenedverbUS /ˈstreɪtənd/
past form of “straighten” — straighten up or out; make straight
From this reading When we were close at hand it straightened alertly; and old Mother Pêche’s startling eyes flashed into mine.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading I could have kissed the strange hawk face, so glad was I to see it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Chapel Prison Before the door of the chapel stood a bent old figure hooded in a red shawl.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I could have kissed the strange hawk face, so glad was I to see it.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I could have kissed the strange hawk face, so glad was I to see it.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading When we were close at hand it straightened alertly; and old Mother Pêche’s startling eyes flashed into mine.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading When we were close at hand it straightened alertly; and old Mother Pêche’s startling eyes flashed into mine.
at the time that
From this reading When we were close at hand it straightened alertly; and old Mother Pêche’s startling eyes flashed into mine.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Muttering, and with bowed head, it poked in the dust with a staff.
