used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
anew
From this reading They were once again confronted by a strange reality.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE FOURTH SITTING They turned the light off and sat down in silence.
a particular environment or surrounding influence
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Then Julian said: "Keep your hands well away from mine, Val."
according with custom or propriety
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading They were once again confronted by a strange reality.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
make overcast or cloudy
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
confrontedverbUS /kənˈfrʌntəd/
past form of “confront” — oppose, as in hostility or a competition
From this reading They were once again confronted by a strange reality.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading THE FOURTH SITTING They turned the light off and sat down in silence.
drearinessnounUS /ˈdriːrinəs/
extreme dullness; lacking spirit or interest
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
following the third position; number four in a countable series
From this reading THE FOURTH SITTING They turned the light off and sat down in silence.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Then Julian said: "Keep your hands well away from mine, Val."
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Then Julian said: "Keep your hands well away from mine, Val."
decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
heavinessnoun
the property of being comparatively great in weight
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I will."
impregnatedverbUS /ˌɪmˈpreɡneɪtəd/
past form of “impregnate” — fill, as with a certain quality
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE FOURTH SITTING They turned the light off and sat down in silence.
JuliannounUS /ˈdʒuːliən/
Roman Emperor and nephew of Constantine; he restored paganism as the official religion of the Roman Empire and destroyed Christian temples but his decision was reversed after his death (331?-363)
From this reading Then Julian said: "Keep your hands well away from mine, Val."
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Then Julian said: "Keep your hands well away from mine, Val."
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading THE FOURTH SITTING They turned the light off and sat down in silence.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Then Julian said: "Keep your hands well away from mine, Val."
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading THE FOURTH SITTING They turned the light off and sat down in silence.
on one occasion
From this reading They were once again confronted by a strange reality.
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading They were once again confronted by a strange reality.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Then Julian said: "Keep your hands well away from mine, Val."
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading THE FOURTH SITTING They turned the light off and sat down in silence.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading THE FOURTH SITTING They turned the light off and sat down in silence.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading THE FOURTH SITTING They turned the light off and sat down in silence.
make steady
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading They were once again confronted by a strange reality.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE FOURTH SITTING They turned the light off and sat down in silence.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then Julian said: "Keep your hands well away from mine, Val."
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE FOURTH SITTING They turned the light off and sat down in silence.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading THE FOURTH SITTING They turned the light off and sat down in silence.
unyieldingadjectiveUS /əˈnjiːldɪŋ/
stubbornly unyielding
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
Val
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Julian said: "Keep your hands well away from mine, Val."
ValentinenounUS /ˈvæləntaɪn/
a sweetheart chosen to receive a greeting on Saint Valentine's Day
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
(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 Then Julian said: "Keep your hands well away from mine, Val."
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were once again confronted by a strange reality.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "I will."
in the company of; together with
From this reading They had not been sitting for five minutes before Valentine felt that the atmosphere was becoming impregnated with a certain heaviness of mystery, with a certain steady and unyielding dreariness hanging round them like a cloud.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Then Julian said: "Keep your hands well away from mine, Val."
