used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading When the dawn came, it found her lying face downward among the rushes by the river.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A crane among the sedges, an owl on the wind, a water-lizard under the stones, such were the only moving things.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
blindlyadverbUS /ˈblaɪndli/
without seeing or looking
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading There she had remained insensible, the blood flowing a little from her mouth.
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
uncastrated adult male of domestic cattle
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading When the dawn came, it found her lying face downward among the rushes by the river.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading When the dawn came, it found her lying face downward among the rushes by the river.
circusnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəs/
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
craneverbUS /kreɪn/
stretch (the neck) so as to see better
From this reading A crane among the sedges, an owl on the wind, a water-lizard under the stones, such were the only moving things.
the first light of day
From this reading When the dawn came, it found her lying face downward among the rushes by the river.
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
downwardadjectiveUS /ˈdaʊnwərd/
extending or moving from a higher to a lower place
From this reading When the dawn came, it found her lying face downward among the rushes by the river.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
dropsnounUS /drɑːps/
plural of “drop” — a shape that is spherical and small
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading When the dawn came, it found her lying face downward among the rushes by the river.
inflected form of “flee” — run away quickly
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
flowingnounUS /ˈfloʊɪŋ/
the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)
From this reading There she had remained insensible, the blood flowing a little from her mouth.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
set up or found
From this reading When the dawn came, it found her lying face downward among the rushes by the river.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading There she had remained insensible, the blood flowing a little from her mouth.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When the dawn came, it found her lying face downward among the rushes by the river.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
insensibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsensəbəl/
incapable of physical sensation
From this reading There she had remained insensible, the blood flowing a little from her mouth.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When the dawn came, it found her lying face downward among the rushes by the river.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
lendsverbUS /lendz/
third-person singular of “lend” — bestow a quality on
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There she had remained insensible, the blood flowing a little from her mouth.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading It was quite lonely by the waterside.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading When the dawn came, it found her lying face downward among the rushes by the river.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading There she had remained insensible, the blood flowing a little from her mouth.
in motion
From this reading A crane among the sedges, an owl on the wind, a water-lizard under the stones, such were the only moving things.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
and nothing more
From this reading A crane among the sedges, an owl on the wind, a water-lizard under the stones, such were the only moving things.
owlnounUS /aʊl/
nocturnal bird of prey with hawk-like beak and claws and large head with front-facing eyes
From this reading A crane among the sedges, an owl on the wind, a water-lizard under the stones, such were the only moving things.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading It was quite lonely by the waterside.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading There she had remained insensible, the blood flowing a little from her mouth.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading When the dawn came, it found her lying face downward among the rushes by the river.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
rushesnounUS /ˈrʌʃəz/
plural of “rush” — the act of moving hurriedly and in a careless manner
From this reading When the dawn came, it found her lying face downward among the rushes by the river.
sedges
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A crane among the sedges, an owl on the wind, a water-lizard under the stones, such were the only moving things.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
sheathedadjectiveUS /ʃiːðd/
enclosed in a protective covering; sometimes used in combination
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading A crane among the sedges, an owl on the wind, a water-lizard under the stones, such were the only moving things.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading A crane among the sedges, an owl on the wind, a water-lizard under the stones, such were the only moving things.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When the dawn came, it found her lying face downward among the rushes by the river.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There she had remained insensible, the blood flowing a little from her mouth.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading A crane among the sedges, an owl on the wind, a water-lizard under the stones, such were the only moving things.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading A crane among the sedges, an owl on the wind, a water-lizard under the stones, such were the only moving things.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was quite lonely by the waterside.
water-lizard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A crane among the sedges, an owl on the wind, a water-lizard under the stones, such were the only moving things.
watersidenoun
land bordering a body of water
From this reading It was quite lonely by the waterside.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A crane among the sedges, an owl on the wind, a water-lizard under the stones, such were the only moving things.
at the time that
From this reading When the dawn came, it found her lying face downward among the rushes by the river.
whitheradverbUS /ˈwɪðər/
an old word meaning “to where”
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading A crane among the sedges, an owl on the wind, a water-lizard under the stones, such were the only moving things.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading She had run on, and on, and on blindly, not knowing whither she fled, with the strange force that despair lends; then suddenly had dropped, as a young bull drops in the circus with the steel sheathed in its brain.
