used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
extreme mental distress
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Quite clearly, without any hope or self-deception, he knew that Felicita was dead.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
next to; at the side of
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
without doubt or question
From this reading Quite clearly, without any hope or self-deception, he knew that Felicita was dead.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading Quite clearly, without any hope or self-deception, he knew that Felicita was dead.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Phebe did not know what had happened, but he knew.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
dumbadjectiveUS /dʌm/
slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
dyingadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪɪŋ/
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
encirclingadjectiveUS /enˈsɜːrkəlɪŋ/
being all around the edges; enclosing
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
apart from; not including
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
Felicita
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Quite clearly, without any hope or self-deception, he knew that Felicita was dead.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
hold firmly
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading Phebe did not know what had happened, but he knew.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Quite clearly, without any hope or self-deception, he knew that Felicita was dead.
temporary military shelter
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Phebe did not know what had happened, but he knew.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Phebe did not know what had happened, but he knew.
a particular point in time
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
not in physical motion
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
not any; not one
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Quite clearly, without any hope or self-deception, he knew that Felicita was dead.
Phebe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Quite clearly, without any hope or self-deception, he knew that Felicita was dead.
relentlessadjectiveUS /rɪˈlentlɪs/
not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
self-deceptionnounUS /ˌselfdəˈsepʃən/
a misconception that is favorable to the person who holds it
From this reading Quite clearly, without any hope or self-deception, he knew that Felicita was dead.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
snatchverbUS /snætʃ/
to grasp hastily or eagerly
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
communicated in words
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Phebe did not know what had happened, but he knew.
which person or people
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading A single cry of anguish had escaped him; but he was dumb now, and no sound was heard in the silent hut, except those that entered it from without.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
the words that are spoken
From this reading FOR ONE MOMENT She had not uttered a word to him; but her smile and the tender gesture of her dying hands had spoken more than words.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He stood motionless, gazing down upon her, and upon Phebe, who had thrown herself beside her, encircling her with her arms, as if she would snatch her away from the relentless grasp of death.
