used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Jean Valjean had been dazzled by the idea of liberty.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading But it was not long before this ray paled.
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading He had believed in a new life.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But it was not long before this ray paled.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Jean Valjean had been dazzled by the idea of liberty.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
dazzledadjectiveUS /ˈdæzəld/
having vision overcome temporarily by or as if by intense light
From this reading Jean Valjean had been dazzled by the idea of liberty.
the act of departing
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
galleysnounUS /ˈɡæliz/
plural of “galley” — a large medieval vessel with a single deck propelled by sails and oars with guns at stern and prow; a complement of 1,000 men; used mainly in the Mediterranean for war and trading
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Jean Valjean had been dazzled by the idea of liberty.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had believed in a new life.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Jean Valjean had been dazzled by the idea of liberty.
improbableadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈprɑːbəbəl/
not likely to be true or to occur or to have occurred
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He very speedily perceived what sort of liberty it is to which a yellow passport is provided.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But it was not long before this ray paled.
a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.
From this reading Jean Valjean had been dazzled by the idea of liberty.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading He had believed in a new life.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading But it was not long before this ray paled.
a particular point in time
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading He had believed in a new life.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But it was not long before this ray paled.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
paledverbUS /peɪld/
past form of “pale” — turn pale, as if in fear
From this reading But it was not long before this ray paled.
passportnounUS /ˈpæspɔːrt/
any authorization to pass or go somewhere
From this reading He very speedily perceived what sort of liberty it is to which a yellow passport is provided.
penetratedverbUS /ˈpenətreɪtɪd/
past form of “penetrate” — pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues
From this reading He very speedily perceived what sort of liberty it is to which a yellow passport is provided.
past form of “provide” — give something useful or necessary to
From this reading He very speedily perceived what sort of liberty it is to which a yellow passport is provided.
raynounUS /reɪ/
a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading He very speedily perceived what sort of liberty it is to which a yellow passport is provided.
speedilyadverbUS /ˈspiːdəli/
with speed
From this reading He very speedily perceived what sort of liberty it is to which a yellow passport is provided.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
carry out
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading But it was not long before this ray paled.
an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
unprecedentedadjectiveUS /ənˈpresɪdentɪd/
having no precedent; novel
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
Valjean
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
precisely as stated
From this reading He very speedily perceived what sort of liberty it is to which a yellow passport is provided.
vividadjectiveUS /ˈvɪvəd/
evoking lifelike images within the mind
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But it was not long before this ray paled.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He very speedily perceived what sort of liberty it is to which a yellow passport is provided.
at the time that
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He very speedily perceived what sort of liberty it is to which a yellow passport is provided.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
the words that are spoken
From this reading When the hour came for him to take his departure from the galleys, when Jean Valjean heard in his ear the strange words, _Thou art free!_ the moment seemed improbable and unprecedented; a ray of vivid light, a ray of the true light of the living, suddenly penetrated within him.
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading He very speedily perceived what sort of liberty it is to which a yellow passport is provided.
