used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She felt, and it was a cruel moment to do so, that she was growing very old.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Her feet almost gave way beneath her; her hands had barely strength to hold her cloak together over her chest.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading AUNT ANNE went slowly along Portman Square.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She felt, and it was a cruel moment to do so, that she was growing very old.
Queen of England and Scotland and Ireland; daughter if James II and the last of the Stuart monarchs; in 1707 she was the last English ruler to exercise the royal veto over parliament (1665-1714)
From this reading AUNT ANNE went slowly along Portman Square.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There was a little cold breeze passing by; as it swept over her face she realized that she was half stunned and sad and sick at heart.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There was a little cold breeze passing by; as it swept over her face she realized that she was half stunned and sad and sick at heart.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading AUNT ANNE went slowly along Portman Square.
barelyadverbUS /ˈberli/
only a very short time before
From this reading Her feet almost gave way beneath her; her hands had barely strength to hold her cloak together over her chest.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading But she dragged on, step by step, stopping once, to hold by the iron railings of a house, before she could find strength enough to turn into a side-street.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading Her feet almost gave way beneath her; her hands had barely strength to hold her cloak together over her chest.
a slight wind (usually refreshing)
From this reading There was a little cold breeze passing by; as it swept over her face she realized that she was half stunned and sad and sick at heart.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But she dragged on, step by step, stopping once, to hold by the iron railings of a house, before she could find strength enough to turn into a side-street.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading There was a little cold breeze passing by; as it swept over her face she realized that she was half stunned and sad and sick at heart.
the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates
From this reading Her feet almost gave way beneath her; her hands had barely strength to hold her cloak together over her chest.
anything that covers or conceals
From this reading Her feet almost gave way beneath her; her hands had barely strength to hold her cloak together over her chest.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading There was a little cold breeze passing by; as it swept over her face she realized that she was half stunned and sad and sick at heart.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading But she dragged on, step by step, stopping once, to hold by the iron railings of a house, before she could find strength enough to turn into a side-street.
crueladjectiveUS /ˈkruːəl/
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading She felt, and it was a cruel moment to do so, that she was growing very old.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading She felt, and it was a cruel moment to do so, that she was growing very old.
inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance
From this reading But she dragged on, step by step, stopping once, to hold by the iron railings of a house, before she could find strength enough to turn into a side-street.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading But she dragged on, step by step, stopping once, to hold by the iron railings of a house, before she could find strength enough to turn into a side-street.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading There was a little cold breeze passing by; as it swept over her face she realized that she was half stunned and sad and sick at heart.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Her feet almost gave way beneath her; her hands had barely strength to hold her cloak together over her chest.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading She felt, and it was a cruel moment to do so, that she was growing very old.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading But she dragged on, step by step, stopping once, to hold by the iron railings of a house, before she could find strength enough to turn into a side-street.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Her feet almost gave way beneath her; her hands had barely strength to hold her cloak together over her chest.
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading She felt, and it was a cruel moment to do so, that she was growing very old.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Her feet almost gave way beneath her; her hands had barely strength to hold her cloak together over her chest.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading There was a little cold breeze passing by; as it swept over her face she realized that she was half stunned and sad and sick at heart.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Her feet almost gave way beneath her; her hands had barely strength to hold her cloak together over her chest.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading There was a little cold breeze passing by; as it swept over her face she realized that she was half stunned and sad and sick at heart.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her feet almost gave way beneath her; her hands had barely strength to hold her cloak together over her chest.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Her feet almost gave way beneath her; her hands had barely strength to hold her cloak together over her chest.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading But she dragged on, step by step, stopping once, to hold by the iron railings of a house, before she could find strength enough to turn into a side-street.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading But she dragged on, step by step, stopping once, to hold by the iron railings of a house, before she could find strength enough to turn into a side-street.
a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
From this reading But she dragged on, step by step, stopping once, to hold by the iron railings of a house, before she could find strength enough to turn into a side-street.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She felt, and it was a cruel moment to do so, that she was growing very old.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There was a little cold breeze passing by; as it swept over her face she realized that she was half stunned and sad and sick at heart.
a particular point in time
From this reading She felt, and it was a cruel moment to do so, that she was growing very old.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But she dragged on, step by step, stopping once, to hold by the iron railings of a house, before she could find strength enough to turn into a side-street.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading She felt, and it was a cruel moment to do so, that she was growing very old.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But she dragged on, step by step, stopping once, to hold by the iron railings of a house, before she could find strength enough to turn into a side-street.
on one occasion
From this reading But she dragged on, step by step, stopping once, to hold by the iron railings of a house, before she could find strength enough to turn into a side-street.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Her feet almost gave way beneath her; her hands had barely strength to hold her cloak together over her chest.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading There was a little cold breeze passing by; as it swept over her face she realized that she was half stunned and sad and sick at heart.
Portman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUNT ANNE went slowly along Portman Square.
railingsnounUS /ˈreɪlɪŋz/
plural of “railing” — a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading But she dragged on, step by step, stopping once, to hold by the iron railings of a house, before she could find strength enough to turn into a side-street.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading There was a little cold breeze passing by; as it swept over her face she realized that she was half stunned and sad and sick at heart.
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading There was a little cold breeze passing by; as it swept over her face she realized that she was half stunned and sad and sick at heart.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She felt, and it was a cruel moment to do so, that she was growing very old.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading There was a little cold breeze passing by; as it swept over her face she realized that she was half stunned and sad and sick at heart.
side-street
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But she dragged on, step by step, stopping once, to hold by the iron railings of a house, before she could find strength enough to turn into a side-street.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading AUNT ANNE went slowly along Portman Square.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading She felt, and it was a cruel moment to do so, that she was growing very old.
make square
From this reading AUNT ANNE went slowly along Portman Square.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading But she dragged on, step by step, stopping once, to hold by the iron railings of a house, before she could find strength enough to turn into a side-street.
fastener consisting of a narrow strip of welded metal used to join steel members
From this reading But she dragged on, step by step, stopping once, to hold by the iron railings of a house, before she could find strength enough to turn into a side-street.
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading Her feet almost gave way beneath her; her hands had barely strength to hold her cloak together over her chest.
stunnedadjectiveUS /stʌnd/
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading There was a little cold breeze passing by; as it swept over her face she realized that she was half stunned and sad and sick at heart.
possessing sweep
From this reading There was a little cold breeze passing by; as it swept over her face she realized that she was half stunned and sad and sick at heart.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She felt, and it was a cruel moment to do so, that she was growing very old.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But she dragged on, step by step, stopping once, to hold by the iron railings of a house, before she could find strength enough to turn into a side-street.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a little cold breeze passing by; as it swept over her face she realized that she was half stunned and sad and sick at heart.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She felt, and it was a cruel moment to do so, that she was growing very old.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading Her feet almost gave way beneath her; her hands had barely strength to hold her cloak together over her chest.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading But she dragged on, step by step, stopping once, to hold by the iron railings of a house, before she could find strength enough to turn into a side-street.
precisely as stated
From this reading She felt, and it was a cruel moment to do so, that she was growing very old.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She felt, and it was a cruel moment to do so, that she was growing very old.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Her feet almost gave way beneath her; her hands had barely strength to hold her cloak together over her chest.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading AUNT ANNE went slowly along Portman Square.
