used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
in actual fact
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For ten years I never saw the first star without making the same wish for you and me.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
an admission of misdeeds or faults
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
divisible by two
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading For ten years I never saw the first star without making the same wish for you and me.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For ten years I never saw the first star without making the same wish for you and me.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
lacking in or deprived of strength or power
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
hopelessadjectiveUS /ˈhoʊpləs/
without hope because there seems to be no possibility of comfort or success
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading For ten years I never saw the first star without making the same wish for you and me.
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
impersonaladjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɜːrsənəl/
not relating to or responsive to individual persons
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Think of it.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading For ten years I never saw the first star without making the same wish for you and me.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading For ten years I never saw the first star without making the same wish for you and me.
The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
a particular point in time
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading For ten years I never saw the first star without making the same wish for you and me.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Think of it.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
and nothing more
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
plural of “prayer” — the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
repeatingnounUS /rɪˈpiːtɪŋ/
the act of doing or performing again
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
Identical; not different.
From this reading For ten years I never saw the first star without making the same wish for you and me.
cut with a saw
From this reading For ten years I never saw the first star without making the same wish for you and me.
a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
shiververbUS /ˈʃɪvər/
tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading For ten years I never saw the first star without making the same wish for you and me.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading For ten years I never saw the first star without making the same wish for you and me.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For ten years I never saw the first star without making the same wish for you and me.
a special situation
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "Think of it.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
unconsciouslyadverbUS /ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəsli/
without awareness
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
at the time that
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
which person or people
From this reading For the moment he spoke as though not only that old love, but she who had caused it, were dead, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading For ten years I never saw the first star without making the same wish for you and me.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading For ten years I never saw the first star without making the same wish for you and me.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading Why," he went on, and stopped suddenly with a little shame at making the confession even to himself, and at the same time with an impersonal wonder that such a thing could be, "I used to pray for you always--when I said my prayers--actually.
a late time of life
From this reading For ten years I never saw the first star without making the same wish for you and me.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading For ten years I never saw the first star without making the same wish for you and me.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading And sometimes even now, when I'm pretty hopeless and helpless and moved by some memory, the old prayer comes back unconsciously and I find myself repeating your name."
