used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
anew
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading At the almost incredible spectacle of tears in her father's eyes Brenda had crept into his arms, against his breast, and lain there so still, so silent, that it seemed unnatural.
(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 At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading At the almost incredible spectacle of tears in her father's eyes Brenda had crept into his arms, against his breast, and lain there so still, so silent, that it seemed unnatural.
North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776
From this reading She left for America on the date that had been set, but a term was fixed for her visit; April was to see her back in Florence.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
the month following March and preceding May
From this reading She left for America on the date that had been set, but a term was fixed for her visit; April was to see her back in Florence.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading At the almost incredible spectacle of tears in her father's eyes Brenda had crept into his arms, against his breast, and lain there so still, so silent, that it seemed unnatural.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading She left for America on the date that had been set, but a term was fixed for her visit; April was to see her back in Florence.
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading She left for America on the date that had been set, but a term was fixed for her visit; April was to see her back in Florence.
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading At the almost incredible spectacle of tears in her father's eyes Brenda had crept into his arms, against his breast, and lain there so still, so silent, that it seemed unnatural.
Brenda
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She left for America on the date that had been set, but a term was fixed for her visit; April was to see her back in Florence.
a young person of either sex
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading At the almost incredible spectacle of tears in her father's eyes Brenda had crept into his arms, against his breast, and lain there so still, so silent, that it seemed unnatural.
the specified day of the month
From this reading She left for America on the date that had been set, but a term was fixed for her visit; April was to see her back in Florence.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
opinion or judgment
From this reading At the almost incredible spectacle of tears in her father's eyes Brenda had crept into his arms, against his breast, and lain there so still, so silent, that it seemed unnatural.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
faintedverbUS /ˈfeɪntɪd/
past form of “faint” — pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain
From this reading They perceived that she had fainted.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading At the almost incredible spectacle of tears in her father's eyes Brenda had crept into his arms, against his breast, and lain there so still, so silent, that it seemed unnatural.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading She left for America on the date that had been set, but a term was fixed for her visit; April was to see her back in Florence.
FlorencenounUS /ˈflɔːrəns/
a city in central Italy on the Arno; provincial capital of Tuscany; center of the Italian Renaissance from 14th to 16th centuries
From this reading She left for America on the date that had been set, but a term was fixed for her visit; April was to see her back in Florence.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She left for America on the date that had been set, but a term was fixed for her visit; April was to see her back in Florence.
set up or found
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
to an extraordinary extent or degree
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading At the almost incredible spectacle of tears in her father's eyes Brenda had crept into his arms, against his breast, and lain there so still, so silent, that it seemed unnatural.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
incredibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkredəbəl/
beyond belief or understanding
From this reading At the almost incredible spectacle of tears in her father's eyes Brenda had crept into his arms, against his breast, and lain there so still, so silent, that it seemed unnatural.
having much knowledge or education
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading At the almost incredible spectacle of tears in her father's eyes Brenda had crept into his arms, against his breast, and lain there so still, so silent, that it seemed unnatural.
lainverbUS /leɪn/
inflected form of “lie” — be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading At the almost incredible spectacle of tears in her father's eyes Brenda had crept into his arms, against his breast, and lain there so still, so silent, that it seemed unnatural.
immediately past
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading She left for America on the date that had been set, but a term was fixed for her visit; April was to see her back in Florence.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
meltedadjectiveUS /ˈmeltəd/
changed from a solid to a liquid state
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She left for America on the date that had been set, but a term was fixed for her visit; April was to see her back in Florence.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues
From this reading They perceived that she had fainted.
on the contrary
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
the act of physically reaching or thrusting out
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading She left for America on the date that had been set, but a term was fixed for her visit; April was to see her back in Florence.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading At the almost incredible spectacle of tears in her father's eyes Brenda had crept into his arms, against his breast, and lain there so still, so silent, that it seemed unnatural.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading She left for America on the date that had been set, but a term was fixed for her visit; April was to see her back in Florence.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading At the almost incredible spectacle of tears in her father's eyes Brenda had crept into his arms, against his breast, and lain there so still, so silent, that it seemed unnatural.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
spectaclenounUS /ˈspektəkəl/
something or someone seen (especially a notable or unusual sight)
From this reading At the almost incredible spectacle of tears in her father's eyes Brenda had crept into his arms, against his breast, and lain there so still, so silent, that it seemed unnatural.
not in physical motion
From this reading At the almost incredible spectacle of tears in her father's eyes Brenda had crept into his arms, against his breast, and lain there so still, so silent, that it seemed unnatural.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading At the almost incredible spectacle of tears in her father's eyes Brenda had crept into his arms, against his breast, and lain there so still, so silent, that it seemed unnatural.
express in words
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
a word or expression used for some particular thing
From this reading She left for America on the date that had been set, but a term was fixed for her visit; April was to see her back in Florence.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
in or at that place or location
From this reading At the almost incredible spectacle of tears in her father's eyes Brenda had crept into his arms, against his breast, and lain there so still, so silent, that it seemed unnatural.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
a special situation
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
trustedadjectiveUS /ˈtrʌstɪd/
(of persons) worthy of trust or confidence
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
unnaturaladjectiveUS /ənˈnætʃərəl/
not in accordance with or determined by nature; contrary to nature
From this reading At the almost incredible spectacle of tears in her father's eyes Brenda had crept into his arms, against his breast, and lain there so still, so silent, that it seemed unnatural.
precisely as stated
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading She left for America on the date that had been set, but a term was fixed for her visit; April was to see her back in Florence.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Brenda, reaching home after the ball, had asked her parents to hear a thing she must tell them, and, very pale, informed them of the manner in which she had taken the direction of her life into her own hands.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading At the sight of their faces something had melted within her; she had trusted to them at last all that was in her heart, so that father and mother, greatly moved, felt as if they had found their child again rather than lost her.
