used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When she seemed inclined to praise him for his bravery he laughed at her; there was no bravery in doing a thing that was perfectly easy and natural to him.
inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading The desire for whisky that had obsessed him for ten years seemed to have died: he frankly admitted that it gave him no trouble now at all.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading He looked different: he was just as different as Saul of Tarsus after he saw the blinding light on the Damascus road.
(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 The desire for whisky that had obsessed him for ten years seemed to have died: he frankly admitted that it gave him no trouble now at all.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When she seemed inclined to praise him for his bravery he laughed at her; there was no bravery in doing a thing that was perfectly easy and natural to him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He looked different: he was just as different as Saul of Tarsus after he saw the blinding light on the Damascus road.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The desire for whisky that had obsessed him for ten years seemed to have died: he frankly admitted that it gave him no trouble now at all.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
blindingadjectiveUS /ˈblaɪndɪŋ/
shining intensely
From this reading He looked different: he was just as different as Saul of Tarsus after he saw the blinding light on the Damascus road.
the two together, not just one
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
a youthful male person
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
braverynounUS /ˈbreɪvəri/
a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear
From this reading When she seemed inclined to praise him for his bravery he laughed at her; there was no bravery in doing a thing that was perfectly easy and natural to him.
BushnounUS /bʊʃ/
a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
crackedadjectiveUS /krækt/
used of skin roughened as a result of cold or exposure
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
DamascusnounUS /dəˈmæskəs/
an ancient city (widely regarded as the world's oldest) and present capital and largest city of Syria; according to the New Testament, the Apostle Paul (then known as Saul) underwent a dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus
From this reading He looked different: he was just as different as Saul of Tarsus after he saw the blinding light on the Damascus road.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
From this reading The desire for whisky that had obsessed him for ten years seemed to have died: he frankly admitted that it gave him no trouble now at all.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading The desire for whisky that had obsessed him for ten years seemed to have died: he frankly admitted that it gave him no trouble now at all.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading He looked different: he was just as different as Saul of Tarsus after he saw the blinding light on the Damascus road.
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading When she seemed inclined to praise him for his bravery he laughed at her; there was no bravery in doing a thing that was perfectly easy and natural to him.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading When she seemed inclined to praise him for his bravery he laughed at her; there was no bravery in doing a thing that was perfectly easy and natural to him.
divisible by two
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
franklyadverbUS /ˈfræŋkli/
(used as intensives reflecting the speaker's attitude) it is sincerely the case that
From this reading The desire for whisky that had obsessed him for ten years seemed to have died: he frankly admitted that it gave him no trouble now at all.
frequentverbUS /ˈfriːkwənt/
do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The desire for whisky that had obsessed him for ten years seemed to have died: he frankly admitted that it gave him no trouble now at all.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The desire for whisky that had obsessed him for ten years seemed to have died: he frankly admitted that it gave him no trouble now at all.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The desire for whisky that had obsessed him for ten years seemed to have died: he frankly admitted that it gave him no trouble now at all.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The desire for whisky that had obsessed him for ten years seemed to have died: he frankly admitted that it gave him no trouble now at all.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When she seemed inclined to praise him for his bravery he laughed at her; there was no bravery in doing a thing that was perfectly easy and natural to him.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
(often followed by “to”) having a preference, disposition, or tendency
From this reading When she seemed inclined to praise him for his bravery he laughed at her; there was no bravery in doing a thing that was perfectly easy and natural to him.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
and nothing more
From this reading He looked different: he was just as different as Saul of Tarsus after he saw the blinding light on the Damascus road.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading When she seemed inclined to praise him for his bravery he laughed at her; there was no bravery in doing a thing that was perfectly easy and natural to him.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading He looked different: he was just as different as Saul of Tarsus after he saw the blinding light on the Damascus road.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He looked different: he was just as different as Saul of Tarsus after he saw the blinding light on the Damascus road.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
Marcella
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
meannesses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
MiraclenounUS /ˈmɪrəkəl/
any amazing or wonderful occurrence
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading When she seemed inclined to praise him for his bravery he laughed at her; there was no bravery in doing a thing that was perfectly easy and natural to him.
an uneasy psychological state
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
not any; not one
From this reading The desire for whisky that had obsessed him for ten years seemed to have died: he frankly admitted that it gave him no trouble now at all.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The desire for whisky that had obsessed him for ten years seemed to have died: he frankly admitted that it gave him no trouble now at all.
obsessedadjectiveUS /əbˈsest/
having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something
From this reading The desire for whisky that had obsessed him for ten years seemed to have died: he frankly admitted that it gave him no trouble now at all.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He looked different: he was just as different as Saul of Tarsus after he saw the blinding light on the Damascus road.
many times at short intervals
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He looked different: he was just as different as Saul of Tarsus after he saw the blinding light on the Damascus road.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading When she seemed inclined to praise him for his bravery he laughed at her; there was no bravery in doing a thing that was perfectly easy and natural to him.
an expression of approval and commendation
From this reading When she seemed inclined to praise him for his bravery he laughed at her; there was no bravery in doing a thing that was perfectly easy and natural to him.
protectingadjectiveUS /prəˈtektɪŋ/
shielding (or designed to shield) against harm or discomfort
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
established beyond doubt
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
radicalnounUS /ˈrædəkəl/
(chemistry) two or more atoms bound together as a single unit and forming part of a molecule
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading He looked different: he was just as different as Saul of Tarsus after he saw the blinding light on the Damascus road.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
SaulnounUS /sɔːl/
(Old Testament) the first king of the Israelites who defended Israel against many enemies (especially the Philistines)
From this reading He looked different: he was just as different as Saul of Tarsus after he saw the blinding light on the Damascus road.
cut with a saw
From this reading He looked different: he was just as different as Saul of Tarsus after he saw the blinding light on the Damascus road.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When she seemed inclined to praise him for his bravery he laughed at her; there was no bravery in doing a thing that was perfectly easy and natural to him.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
TarsusnounUS /ˈtɑːrsəs/
the part of the foot of a vertebrate between the metatarsus and the leg; in human beings the bones of the ankle and heel collectively
From this reading He looked different: he was just as different as Saul of Tarsus after he saw the blinding light on the Damascus road.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading The desire for whisky that had obsessed him for ten years seemed to have died: he frankly admitted that it gave him no trouble now at all.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
in or at that place or location
From this reading When she seemed inclined to praise him for his bravery he laughed at her; there was no bravery in doing a thing that was perfectly easy and natural to him.
a special situation
From this reading When she seemed inclined to praise him for his bravery he laughed at her; there was no bravery in doing a thing that was perfectly easy and natural to him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
townshipnounUS /ˈtaʊnʃɪp/
an administrative division of a county
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
a source of difficulty
From this reading The desire for whisky that had obsessed him for ten years seemed to have died: he frankly admitted that it gave him no trouble now at all.
victimsnounUS /ˈvɪktəmz/
plural of “victim” — an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
visitsnounUS /ˈvɪzɪts/
plural of “visit” — the act of going to see some person or place or thing for a short time
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When she seemed inclined to praise him for his bravery he laughed at her; there was no bravery in doing a thing that was perfectly easy and natural to him.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading In the months that followed Marcella often tried to find out what had caused the Miracle--for Miracle it seemed to her.
at the time that
From this reading When she seemed inclined to praise him for his bravery he laughed at her; there was no bravery in doing a thing that was perfectly easy and natural to him.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
whiskynounUS /ˈwɪski/
a liquor made from fermented mash of grain
From this reading The desire for whisky that had obsessed him for ten years seemed to have died: he frankly admitted that it gave him no trouble now at all.
wistfuladjectiveUS /ˈwɪstfəl/
showing pensive sadness
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading His nerves never cracked now; the little meannesses of which both she and the boy had been victims had disappeared; he gave her a kind of wistful, protecting love that proved to her, more even than his frequent safe visits to the township, that something radical had happened that day in the Bush--something so radical that, if it were taken from him, he would not be there at all.
a late time of life
From this reading The desire for whisky that had obsessed him for ten years seemed to have died: he frankly admitted that it gave him no trouble now at all.
