used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The lashes were so long, so dark and straight that they were like a veil of night shadowing the grayness beneath.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The lashes were so long, so dark and straight that they were like a veil of night shadowing the grayness beneath.
any thing at all
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Her walk as she trailed from the first line of show girls in her wide-spread bird of paradise costume was as measured as the muse of tragedy.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading A slow smile lifted the corners of her mouth, then let them droop before the smile was really born.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading The lashes were so long, so dark and straight that they were like a veil of night shadowing the grayness beneath.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading Her walk as she trailed from the first line of show girls in her wide-spread bird of paradise costume was as measured as the muse of tragedy.
brought into existence
From this reading A slow smile lifted the corners of her mouth, then let them droop before the smile was really born.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Her gaze came through, inviting you to penetrate, urging you by its very weariness to try to read the story those eyes might tell.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Her gaze came through, inviting you to penetrate, urging you by its very weariness to try to read the story those eyes might tell.
centuriesnounUS /ˈsentʃəriz/
plural of “century” — a period of 100 years
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
cornersnounUS /ˈkɔːrnərz/
plural of “corner” — a place off to the side of an area
From this reading A slow smile lifted the corners of her mouth, then let them droop before the smile was really born.
costumenounUS /kɑːˈstuːm/
the attire worn in a play or at a fancy dress ball
From this reading Her walk as she trailed from the first line of show girls in her wide-spread bird of paradise costume was as measured as the muse of tragedy.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The lashes were so long, so dark and straight that they were like a veil of night shadowing the grayness beneath.
droopverbUS /druːp/
droop, sink, or settle from or as if from pressure or loss of tautness
From this reading A slow smile lifted the corners of her mouth, then let them droop before the smile was really born.
opinion or judgment
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Her walk as she trailed from the first line of show girls in her wide-spread bird of paradise costume was as measured as the muse of tragedy.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Her walk as she trailed from the first line of show girls in her wide-spread bird of paradise costume was as measured as the muse of tragedy.
a long fixed look
From this reading Her gaze came through, inviting you to penetrate, urging you by its very weariness to try to read the story those eyes might tell.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading Her walk as she trailed from the first line of show girls in her wide-spread bird of paradise costume was as measured as the muse of tragedy.
graynessnoun
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading The lashes were so long, so dark and straight that they were like a veil of night shadowing the grayness beneath.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her gaze came through, inviting you to penetrate, urging you by its very weariness to try to read the story those eyes might tell.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Her walk as she trailed from the first line of show girls in her wide-spread bird of paradise costume was as measured as the muse of tragedy.
invitingadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈvaɪtɪŋ/
attractive and tempting
From this reading Her gaze came through, inviting you to penetrate, urging you by its very weariness to try to read the story those eyes might tell.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Her gaze came through, inviting you to penetrate, urging you by its very weariness to try to read the story those eyes might tell.
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
lashesnounUS /ˈlæʃɪz/
plural of “lash” — any of the short curved hairs that grow from the edges of the eyelids
From this reading The lashes were so long, so dark and straight that they were like a veil of night shadowing the grayness beneath.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading A slow smile lifted the corners of her mouth, then let them droop before the smile was really born.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
held up in the air
From this reading A slow smile lifted the corners of her mouth, then let them droop before the smile was really born.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The lashes were so long, so dark and straight that they were like a veil of night shadowing the grayness beneath.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Her walk as she trailed from the first line of show girls in her wide-spread bird of paradise costume was as measured as the muse of tragedy.
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 The lashes were so long, so dark and straight that they were like a veil of night shadowing the grayness beneath.
for more time
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
measuredadjectiveUS /ˈmeʒərd/
having notes of fixed rhythmic value
From this reading Her walk as she trailed from the first line of show girls in her wide-spread bird of paradise costume was as measured as the muse of tragedy.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading A slow smile lifted the corners of her mouth, then let them droop before the smile was really born.
musenounUS /mjuːz/
in ancient Greek mythology any of 9 daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne; protector of an art or science
From this reading Her walk as she trailed from the first line of show girls in her wide-spread bird of paradise costume was as measured as the muse of tragedy.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The lashes were so long, so dark and straight that they were like a veil of night shadowing the grayness beneath.
not any; not one
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
paradisenounUS /ˈperədaɪs/
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading Her walk as she trailed from the first line of show girls in her wide-spread bird of paradise costume was as measured as the muse of tragedy.
penetrateverbUS /ˈpenətreɪt/
pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance
From this reading Her gaze came through, inviting you to penetrate, urging you by its very weariness to try to read the story those eyes might tell.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading Her gaze came through, inviting you to penetrate, urging you by its very weariness to try to read the story those eyes might tell.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading A slow smile lifted the corners of her mouth, then let them droop before the smile was really born.
shadowingnounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ.ɪŋ/
An advanced language learning technique where a student repeats speech immediately after hearing it.
From this reading The lashes were so long, so dark and straight that they were like a veil of night shadowing the grayness beneath.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Her walk as she trailed from the first line of show girls in her wide-spread bird of paradise costume was as measured as the muse of tragedy.
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
From this reading A slow smile lifted the corners of her mouth, then let them droop before the smile was really born.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading A slow smile lifted the corners of her mouth, then let them droop before the smile was really born.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The lashes were so long, so dark and straight that they were like a veil of night shadowing the grayness beneath.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading Her gaze came through, inviting you to penetrate, urging you by its very weariness to try to read the story those eyes might tell.
successive (without a break)
From this reading The lashes were so long, so dark and straight that they were like a veil of night shadowing the grayness beneath.
express in words
From this reading Her gaze came through, inviting you to penetrate, urging you by its very weariness to try to read the story those eyes might tell.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading A slow smile lifted the corners of her mouth, then let them droop before the smile was really born.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The lashes were so long, so dark and straight that they were like a veil of night shadowing the grayness beneath.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Her gaze came through, inviting you to penetrate, urging you by its very weariness to try to read the story those eyes might tell.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Her gaze came through, inviting you to penetrate, urging you by its very weariness to try to read the story those eyes might tell.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Her gaze came through, inviting you to penetrate, urging you by its very weariness to try to read the story those eyes might tell.
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading Her walk as she trailed from the first line of show girls in her wide-spread bird of paradise costume was as measured as the muse of tragedy.
trailedverbUS /treɪld/
past form of “trail” — to lag or linger behind
From this reading Her walk as she trailed from the first line of show girls in her wide-spread bird of paradise costume was as measured as the muse of tragedy.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading Her gaze came through, inviting you to penetrate, urging you by its very weariness to try to read the story those eyes might tell.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
urgingnounUS /ˈɜːrdʒɪŋ/
a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something
From this reading Her gaze came through, inviting you to penetrate, urging you by its very weariness to try to read the story those eyes might tell.
a garment that covers the head and face
From this reading The lashes were so long, so dark and straight that they were like a veil of night shadowing the grayness beneath.
precisely as stated
From this reading Her gaze came through, inviting you to penetrate, urging you by its very weariness to try to read the story those eyes might tell.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading Her walk as she trailed from the first line of show girls in her wide-spread bird of paradise costume was as measured as the muse of tragedy.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A slow smile lifted the corners of her mouth, then let them droop before the smile was really born.
wearinessnounUS /ˈwɪrinəs/
temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work
From this reading Her gaze came through, inviting you to penetrate, urging you by its very weariness to try to read the story those eyes might tell.
exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The lashes were so long, so dark and straight that they were like a veil of night shadowing the grayness beneath.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
wide-spread
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her walk as she trailed from the first line of show girls in her wide-spread bird of paradise costume was as measured as the muse of tragedy.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She had weary eyes—eyes with the weight of centuries of knowledge upon them—eyes that could no longer open wide with astonishment at anything life might hold.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Her gaze came through, inviting you to penetrate, urging you by its very weariness to try to read the story those eyes might tell.
