used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The episode between Leo Stenak and Patricia Fentriss was headlong as a torrent.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The episode between Leo Stenak and Patricia Fentriss was headlong as a torrent.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The episode between Leo Stenak and Patricia Fentriss was headlong as a torrent.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading She heard him before she saw him; heard, rather, his violin, expression and interpretation of his innermost self.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The episode between Leo Stenak and Patricia Fentriss was headlong as a torrent.
a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
cardinalnounUS /ˈkɑːrdənəl/
(Roman Catholic Church) one of a group of more than 100 prominent bishops in the Sacred College who advise the Pope and elect new Popes
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
carelesslyadverbUS /ˈkerləsli/
without care or concern
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
Carroll'snounUS /ˈkærəlz/
possessive form of “carroll” — English author; Charles Dodgson was an Oxford don of mathematics who is remembered for the children's stories he wrote under the pen name Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
defectnounUS /ˈdiːfekt/
an imperfection in a bodily system
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading When it died into silence, she supposed that the number was over and entered just as he was resuming.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
Edna
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading When it died into silence, she supposed that the number was over and entered just as he was resuming.
episodenounUS /ˈepəsoʊd/
a happening that is distinctive in a series of related events
From this reading The episode between Leo Stenak and Patricia Fentriss was headlong as a torrent.
at any time
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading She heard him before she saw him; heard, rather, his violin, expression and interpretation of his innermost self.
exteriornounUS /ɪkˈstɪriər/
the region that is outside of something
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
Fentriss
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The episode between Leo Stenak and Patricia Fentriss was headlong as a torrent.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
floatedverbUS /ˈfloʊtəd/
past form of “float” — be in motion due to some air or water current
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
hallwaynounUS /ˈhɔːlweɪ/
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
headlongadverbUS /ˈhedlɔːŋ/
with the head foremost
From this reading The episode between Leo Stenak and Patricia Fentriss was headlong as a torrent.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading She heard him before she saw him; heard, rather, his violin, expression and interpretation of his innermost self.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She heard him before she saw him; heard, rather, his violin, expression and interpretation of his innermost self.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading She heard him before she saw him; heard, rather, his violin, expression and interpretation of his innermost self.
a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
infuriatedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈfjʊrieɪtɪd/
marked by extreme anger
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
innermostadjectiveUS /ˈɪnərmoʊst/
being deepest within the self
From this reading She heard him before she saw him; heard, rather, his violin, expression and interpretation of his innermost self.
interpretationnounUS /ˌɪntɜːrprɪˈteɪʃən/
a mental representation of the meaning or significance of something
From this reading She heard him before she saw him; heard, rather, his violin, expression and interpretation of his innermost self.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading When it died into silence, she supposed that the number was over and entered just as he was resuming.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When it died into silence, she supposed that the number was over and entered just as he was resuming.
and nothing more
From this reading When it died into silence, she supposed that the number was over and entered just as he was resuming.
LeonounUS /ˈliːoʊ/
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Leo
From this reading The episode between Leo Stenak and Patricia Fentriss was headlong as a torrent.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
luminousadjectiveUS /ˈluːmənəs/
softly bright or radiant
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading When it died into silence, she supposed that the number was over and entered just as he was resuming.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She heard him before she saw him; heard, rather, his violin, expression and interpretation of his innermost self.
on one occasion
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading When it died into silence, she supposed that the number was over and entered just as he was resuming.
overemphasises
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
Patricia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The episode between Leo Stenak and Patricia Fentriss was headlong as a torrent.
plumpadjectiveUS /plʌmp/
sufficiently fat so as to have a pleasing fullness of figure
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
pointedlyadverbUS /ˈpɔɪntɪdliː/
in such a manner as to make something clearly evident
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
on the contrary
From this reading She heard him before she saw him; heard, rather, his violin, expression and interpretation of his innermost self.
raucousadjectiveUS /ˈrɔːkəs/
unpleasantly loud and harsh
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
resumingverbUS /rɪˈzuːmɪŋ/
-ing form of “resume” — take up or begin anew
From this reading When it died into silence, she supposed that the number was over and entered just as he was resuming.
sallowadjective
unhealthy looking
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
cut with a saw
From this reading She heard him before she saw him; heard, rather, his violin, expression and interpretation of his innermost self.
your consciousness of your own identity
From this reading She heard him before she saw him; heard, rather, his violin, expression and interpretation of his innermost self.
sentimentalises
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
shaggyadjectiveUS /ˈʃæɡi/
used of hair; thick and poorly groomed
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She heard him before she saw him; heard, rather, his violin, expression and interpretation of his innermost self.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading When it died into silence, she supposed that the number was over and entered just as he was resuming.
Stenak
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The episode between Leo Stenak and Patricia Fentriss was headlong as a torrent.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
required or under orders
From this reading When it died into silence, she supposed that the number was over and entered just as he was resuming.
sweetnessnounUS /ˈswiːtnəs/
the taste experience when sugar dissolves in the mouth
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When it died into silence, she supposed that the number was over and entered just as he was resuming.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The episode between Leo Stenak and Patricia Fentriss was headlong as a torrent.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
torrentnounUS /ˈtɔːrənt/
a heavy rain
From this reading The episode between Leo Stenak and Patricia Fentriss was headlong as a torrent.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
unevenadjectiveUS /əˈniːvən/
not even or uniform as e.g. in shape or texture
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
violinnounUS /vaɪəˈlɪn/
bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow
From this reading She heard him before she saw him; heard, rather, his violin, expression and interpretation of his innermost self.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The episode between Leo Stenak and Patricia Fentriss was headlong as a torrent.
at the time that
From this reading When it died into silence, she supposed that the number was over and entered just as he was resuming.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The raucous sweetness of his tone, which he overemphasises and sentimentalises, and which is the cardinal defect of his striking and uneven style, floated out to her as she stood, astonished, in the exterior hallway of Edna Carroll's flat.
which person or people
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
wildlyadverbUS /ˈwaɪldli/
to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading Her first impression was of a plump, sallow, carelessly dressed youth with hair almost as shaggy as her own, and the most wildly luminous eyes she had ever looked into, who turned upon her an infuriated regard and at once pointedly dropped his bow.
