used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
any person at all
From this reading "As I would with anyone who could help me to escape from this vile bondage," said Humphrey.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
ArmstrongnounUS /ˈɑːrmstrɑːŋ/
United States astronaut; the first man to set foot on the Moon (July 20, 1969) (1930-)
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "As I would with anyone who could help me to escape from this vile bondage," said Humphrey.
installation from which a military force initiates operations
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
earlier than; in front of
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
bondagenounUS /ˈbɑːndɪdʒ/
the state of being under the control of a force or influence or abstract power
From this reading "As I would with anyone who could help me to escape from this vile bondage," said Humphrey.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
put or send forth
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "As I would with anyone who could help me to escape from this vile bondage," said Humphrey.
declarationnounUS /ˌdeklərˈeɪʃən/
a statement that is emphatic and explicit (spoken or written)
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
degradedadjectiveUS /dɪˈɡreɪdəd/
unrestrained by convention or morality
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
DellnounUS /del/
a small wooded hollow
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
the act of escaping physically
From this reading "As I would with anyone who could help me to escape from this vile bondage," said Humphrey.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "As I would with anyone who could help me to escape from this vile bondage," said Humphrey.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Who has made it vile?"
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading "As I would with anyone who could help me to escape from this vile bondage," said Humphrey.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
Humphrey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "As I would with anyone who could help me to escape from this vile bondage," said Humphrey.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "As I would with anyone who could help me to escape from this vile bondage," said Humphrey.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
insinuationnounUS /ˌɪnsɪnjuːˈeɪʃən/
an indirect (and usually malicious) implication
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
insultnounUS /ˌɪnˈsʌlt/
a rude expression intended to offend or hurt
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Who has made it vile?"
set down according to a plan
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Who has made it vile?"
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "As I would with anyone who could help me to escape from this vile bondage," said Humphrey.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
realiseverbUS /ˈriːəlaɪz/
earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "As I would with anyone who could help me to escape from this vile bondage," said Humphrey.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
sternlyadverbUS /ˈstɜːrnli/
with sternness; in a severe manner
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "As I would with anyone who could help me to escape from this vile bondage," said Humphrey.
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "As I would with anyone who could help me to escape from this vile bondage," said Humphrey.
articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
vileadjectiveUS /vaɪl/
morally reprehensible
From this reading "As I would with anyone who could help me to escape from this vile bondage," said Humphrey.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was utter silence for a few moments, and then a quick step forward; and before Humphrey Armstrong could realise the fact, Mary Dell had cast herself down, thrown her arms around him, and laid her cheek against his feet.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
which person or people
From this reading "As I would with anyone who could help me to escape from this vile bondage," said Humphrey.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "As I would with anyone who could help me to escape from this vile bondage," said Humphrey.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "As I would with anyone who could help me to escape from this vile bondage," said Humphrey.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You," said Humphrey, sternly; "and as if I were not degraded low enough by your base passion and declaration, you come here in the night to insult me by such an insinuation as that."
