used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Murchison slept the sleep of the just that night, to wake to the golden stillness of a July day.
(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 Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Catherine had risen while he was yet asleep, and was standing before the pier-glass combing her lambent hair.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading With the return of consciousness came a feeling of profound relief as he remembered the ordeal of the preceding evening.
in a state of sleep
From this reading Catherine had risen while he was yet asleep, and was standing before the pier-glass combing her lambent hair.
awhileadverbUS /əˈwaɪl/
for a short time
From this reading He lay still awhile, watching his wife, and the tremulous glimmer of the golden threads tossed from the sweeping comb.
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Catherine had risen while he was yet asleep, and was standing before the pier-glass combing her lambent hair.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading With the return of consciousness came a feeling of profound relief as he remembered the ordeal of the preceding evening.
CatherinenounUS /ˈkæθərən/
first wife of Henry VIII; Henry VIII's divorce from her was the initial step of the Reformation in England (1485-1536)
From this reading Catherine had risen while he was yet asleep, and was standing before the pier-glass combing her lambent hair.
a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
combverbUS /koʊm/
straighten with a comb
From this reading He lay still awhile, watching his wife, and the tremulous glimmer of the golden threads tossed from the sweeping comb.
combingnounUS /ˈkoʊmɪŋ/
the act of drawing a comb through hair
From this reading Catherine had risen while he was yet asleep, and was standing before the pier-glass combing her lambent hair.
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
From this reading With the return of consciousness came a feeling of profound relief as he remembered the ordeal of the preceding evening.
curtainsnounUS /ˈkɜːrtənz/
plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Murchison slept the sleep of the just that night, to wake to the golden stillness of a July day.
exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading With the return of consciousness came a feeling of profound relief as he remembered the ordeal of the preceding evening.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
well known or easily recognized
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading With the return of consciousness came a feeling of profound relief as he remembered the ordeal of the preceding evening.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He lay still awhile, watching his wife, and the tremulous glimmer of the golden threads tossed from the sweeping comb.
glimmernounUS /ˈɡlɪmər/
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading He lay still awhile, watching his wife, and the tremulous glimmer of the golden threads tossed from the sweeping comb.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading Murchison slept the sleep of the just that night, to wake to the golden stillness of a July day.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Catherine had risen while he was yet asleep, and was standing before the pier-glass combing her lambent hair.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading Catherine had risen while he was yet asleep, and was standing before the pier-glass combing her lambent hair.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading With the return of consciousness came a feeling of profound relief as he remembered the ordeal of the preceding evening.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Catherine had risen while he was yet asleep, and was standing before the pier-glass combing her lambent hair.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He lay still awhile, watching his wife, and the tremulous glimmer of the golden threads tossed from the sweeping comb.
the month following June and preceding August
From this reading Murchison slept the sleep of the just that night, to wake to the golden stillness of a July day.
and nothing more
From this reading Murchison slept the sleep of the just that night, to wake to the golden stillness of a July day.
lambentadjective
softly bright or radiant
From this reading Catherine had risen while he was yet asleep, and was standing before the pier-glass combing her lambent hair.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading He lay still awhile, watching his wife, and the tremulous glimmer of the golden threads tossed from the sweeping comb.
Murchison
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Murchison slept the sleep of the just that night, to wake to the golden stillness of a July day.
Murchison's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Murchison slept the sleep of the just that night, to wake to the golden stillness of a July day.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Murchison slept the sleep of the just that night, to wake to the golden stillness of a July day.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
ordealnounUS /ɔːrˈdiːl/
a severe or trying experience
From this reading With the return of consciousness came a feeling of profound relief as he remembered the ordeal of the preceding evening.
plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
pier-glass
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Catherine had risen while he was yet asleep, and was standing before the pier-glass combing her lambent hair.
precedingadjectiveUS /priˈsiːdɪŋ/
existing or coming before
From this reading With the return of consciousness came a feeling of profound relief as he remembered the ordeal of the preceding evening.
showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
From this reading With the return of consciousness came a feeling of profound relief as he remembered the ordeal of the preceding evening.
the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
From this reading With the return of consciousness came a feeling of profound relief as he remembered the ordeal of the preceding evening.
past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading With the return of consciousness came a feeling of profound relief as he remembered the ordeal of the preceding evening.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading With the return of consciousness came a feeling of profound relief as he remembered the ordeal of the preceding evening.
risenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪzən/
(of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon
From this reading Catherine had risen while he was yet asleep, and was standing before the pier-glass combing her lambent hair.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
scarletnounUS /ˈskɑːrlət/
a variable color that is vivid red but sometimes with an orange tinge
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading Murchison slept the sleep of the just that night, to wake to the golden stillness of a July day.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading Murchison slept the sleep of the just that night, to wake to the golden stillness of a July day.
having a supporting base
From this reading Catherine had risen while he was yet asleep, and was standing before the pier-glass combing her lambent hair.
stencilling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
not in physical motion
From this reading He lay still awhile, watching his wife, and the tremulous glimmer of the golden threads tossed from the sweeping comb.
stillnessnounUS /ˈstɪlnəs/
(poetic) tranquil silence
From this reading Murchison slept the sleep of the just that night, to wake to the golden stillness of a July day.
the rays of the sun
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
sweepingadjectiveUS /ˈswiːpɪŋ/
taking in or moving over (or as if over) a wide area; often used in combination
From this reading He lay still awhile, watching his wife, and the tremulous glimmer of the golden threads tossed from the sweeping comb.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Murchison slept the sleep of the just that night, to wake to the golden stillness of a July day.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Murchison slept the sleep of the just that night, to wake to the golden stillness of a July day.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
threadsnounUS /θredz/
informal terms for clothing
From this reading He lay still awhile, watching his wife, and the tremulous glimmer of the golden threads tossed from the sweeping comb.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Murchison slept the sleep of the just that night, to wake to the golden stillness of a July day.
tossedverbUS /tɔːst/
past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading He lay still awhile, watching his wife, and the tremulous glimmer of the golden threads tossed from the sweeping comb.
touchesnounUS /ˈtʌtʃəz/
plural of “touch” — the event of something coming in contact with the body
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
tremulousadjectiveUS /ˈtremjələs/
(of the voice) quivering as from weakness or fear
From this reading He lay still awhile, watching his wife, and the tremulous glimmer of the golden threads tossed from the sweeping comb.
tulipsnounUS /ˈtuːləps/
plural of “tulip” — any of numerous perennial bulbous herbs having linear or broadly lanceolate leaves and usually a single showy flower
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Murchison’s eyes had opened to all the familiar beauty of the room, the delicate touches of color, the books and pictures, the sunlight shining upon the curtains with their simple stencilling of scarlet tulips.
be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading Murchison slept the sleep of the just that night, to wake to the golden stillness of a July day.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Catherine had risen while he was yet asleep, and was standing before the pier-glass combing her lambent hair.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading He lay still awhile, watching his wife, and the tremulous glimmer of the golden threads tossed from the sweeping comb.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Catherine had risen while he was yet asleep, and was standing before the pier-glass combing her lambent hair.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading He lay still awhile, watching his wife, and the tremulous glimmer of the golden threads tossed from the sweeping comb.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With the return of consciousness came a feeling of profound relief as he remembered the ordeal of the preceding evening.
but in spite of that
From this reading Catherine had risen while he was yet asleep, and was standing before the pier-glass combing her lambent hair.
