used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The joy in Beatrice's eyes gave way to poignant wonder as she gazed on him.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Could this be _he?_ Yes, well she knew it was.
the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
Beatrice'snounUS /ˈbiːətrɪsɪz/
possessive form of “beatrice” — the woman who guided Dante through Paradise in the Divine Comedy
From this reading The joy in Beatrice's eyes gave way to poignant wonder as she gazed on him.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
clingingverbUS /ˈklɪŋɪŋ/
-ing form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
complexnounUS /ˈkɑːmpleks/
a conceptual whole made up of complicated and related parts
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Could this be _he?_ Yes, well she knew it was.
despiteprepositionUS /dɪˈspaɪt/
although something is true; in spite of
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
directingadjectiveUS /dərˈektɪŋ/
showing the way by conducting or leading; imposing direction on
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
dominantadjectiveUS /ˈdɑːmənənt/
exercising influence or control
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
dustyadjectiveUS /ˈdʌsti/
covered with a layer of dust
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
employernounUS /emˈplɔɪər/
a person or firm that employs workers
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
engineeringnounUS /ˈendʒəˈnɪrɪŋ/
the practical application of technical and scientific knowledge to commerce or industry
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
divisible by two
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The joy in Beatrice's eyes gave way to poignant wonder as she gazed on him.
past form of “flash” — gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
formidableadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrmədəbəl/
extremely impressive in strength or excellence
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The joy in Beatrice's eyes gave way to poignant wonder as she gazed on him.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading The joy in Beatrice's eyes gave way to poignant wonder as she gazed on him.
grotesquerynoun
ludicrous or incongruous unnaturalness or distortion
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Could this be _he?_ Yes, well she knew it was.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The joy in Beatrice's eyes gave way to poignant wonder as she gazed on him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet how incredible the metamorphosis!
ten 10s
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The joy in Beatrice's eyes gave way to poignant wonder as she gazed on him.
incoherencenounUS /ˌɪnkoʊˈhɪrəns/
lack of cohesion or clarity or organization
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
incredibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkredəbəl/
beyond belief or understanding
From this reading Yet how incredible the metamorphosis!
innumerableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnuːmərəbəl/
too numerous to be counted
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Could this be _he?_ Yes, well she knew it was.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading The joy in Beatrice's eyes gave way to poignant wonder as she gazed on him.
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
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 Could this be _he?_ Yes, well she knew it was.
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 She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
maskverbUS /mæsk/
hide under a false appearance
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
metamorphosisnounUS /ˌmet.əˈmɔːr.fə.sɪs/
A change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one.
From this reading Yet how incredible the metamorphosis!
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
mustachenounUS /ˈmʌstæʃ/
an unshaved growth of hair on the upper lip
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The joy in Beatrice's eyes gave way to poignant wonder as she gazed on him.
other-time
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
poignantadjectiveUS /ˈpɔɪnjənt/
arousing affect
From this reading The joy in Beatrice's eyes gave way to poignant wonder as she gazed on him.
problemsnounUS /ˈprɑːbləmz/
plural of “problem” — a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
ragsnounUS /ræɡz/
plural of “rag” — a small piece of cloth or paper
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
generally approved or compelling recognition
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
self-centeredadjectiveUS /ˈselfˈsentərd/
limited to or caring only about yourself and your own needs
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The joy in Beatrice's eyes gave way to poignant wonder as she gazed on him.
smooth-shavenadjectiveUS /ˌsmuːθˈʃeɪvən/
closely shaved recently
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The joy in Beatrice's eyes gave way to poignant wonder as she gazed on him.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Could this be _he?_ Yes, well she knew it was.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The joy in Beatrice's eyes gave way to poignant wonder as she gazed on him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Could this be _he?_ Yes, well she knew it was.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The joy in Beatrice's eyes gave way to poignant wonder as she gazed on him.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Could this be _he?_ Yes, well she knew it was.
well-dressedadjective
having tasteful clothing and being scrupulously neat
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading She recognized him even through the grotesquery of his clinging rags, even behind the mask of a long, red, dusty beard and formidable mustache, even despite the wild and staring incoherence of his whole expression.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading The joy in Beatrice's eyes gave way to poignant wonder as she gazed on him.
buildings for carrying on industrial labor
From this reading To her flashed a memory of this man, her other-time employer--keen and smooth-shaven, alert, well-dressed, self-centered, dominant, the master of a hundred complex problems, the directing mind of engineering works innumerable.
an affirmative
From this reading Could this be _he?_ Yes, well she knew it was.
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet how incredible the metamorphosis!
