used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Then for a little the absolute silence was broken by short and laboured breathing through clenched teeth; then it became absolute as before.
perfect or complete or pure
From this reading Then for a little the absolute silence was broken by short and laboured breathing through clenched teeth; then it became absolute as before.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading THE GREAT GULF The words died away in the still air.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
in addition
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Then for a little the absolute silence was broken by short and laboured breathing through clenched teeth; then it became absolute as before.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading THE GREAT GULF The words died away in the still air.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Then for a little the absolute silence was broken by short and laboured breathing through clenched teeth; then it became absolute as before.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Then for a little the absolute silence was broken by short and laboured breathing through clenched teeth; then it became absolute as before.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation
From this reading Then for a little the absolute silence was broken by short and laboured breathing through clenched teeth; then it became absolute as before.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading Then for a little the absolute silence was broken by short and laboured breathing through clenched teeth; then it became absolute as before.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Then for a little the absolute silence was broken by short and laboured breathing through clenched teeth; then it became absolute as before.
clenchedadjectiveUS /klentʃt/
closed or squeezed together tightly
From this reading Then for a little the absolute silence was broken by short and laboured breathing through clenched teeth; then it became absolute as before.
degreesnounUS /dɪˈɡriːz/
plural of “degree” — a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
Denis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading THE GREAT GULF The words died away in the still air.
faintlyadverbUS /ˈfeɪntli/
to a faint degree or weakly perceived
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
the soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle tissue and fat
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading THE GREAT GULF The words died away in the still air.
GULFnounUS /ɡʌlf/
an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed by land; larger than a bay
From this reading THE GREAT GULF The words died away in the still air.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE GREAT GULF The words died away in the still air.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then for a little the absolute silence was broken by short and laboured breathing through clenched teeth; then it became absolute as before.
knottedadjectiveUS /ˈnɑːtɪd/
tied with a knot
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
labouredadjective
lacking natural ease
From this reading Then for a little the absolute silence was broken by short and laboured breathing through clenched teeth; then it became absolute as before.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Then for a little the absolute silence was broken by short and laboured breathing through clenched teeth; then it became absolute as before.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading But Nan had neither stirred nor made a sound.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
masteringnounUS /ˈmæstərɪŋ/
becoming proficient in the use of something; having mastery of
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
musclenounUS /ˈmʌsəl/
one of the contractile organs of the body
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
NannounUS /næn/
your grandmother
From this reading But Nan had neither stirred nor made a sound.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading But Nan had neither stirred nor made a sound.
not any; not one
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading But Nan had neither stirred nor made a sound.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
on one occasion
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
and nothing more
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
relaxedadjectiveUS /rɪˈlækst/
without strain or anxiety
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading Then for a little the absolute silence was broken by short and laboured breathing through clenched teeth; then it became absolute as before.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Then for a little the absolute silence was broken by short and laboured breathing through clenched teeth; then it became absolute as before.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
not in physical motion
From this reading THE GREAT GULF The words died away in the still air.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading But Nan had neither stirred nor made a sound.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
swayingverbUS /ˈsweɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal
From this reading Then for a little the absolute silence was broken by short and laboured breathing through clenched teeth; then it became absolute as before.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE GREAT GULF The words died away in the still air.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then for a little the absolute silence was broken by short and laboured breathing through clenched teeth; then it became absolute as before.
in or at that place or location
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
a special situation
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Then for a little the absolute silence was broken by short and laboured breathing through clenched teeth; then it became absolute as before.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading They had been but faintly whispered, and now for many moments there was no sound at all in the quiet shelter of the trees.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading Denis was mastering himself as best he might; his whole being was as a knotted muscle; but by degrees that also relaxed, and he stood once more like a thing of flesh and blood, only swaying a little on his feet.
the words that are spoken
From this reading THE GREAT GULF The words died away in the still air.
