used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He looked up, and, rubbing the blinding tears from his eyes, he beheld a little girl about six years old.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Why are you kying so?”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
inflected form of “behold” — see with attention
From this reading He looked up, and, rubbing the blinding tears from his eyes, he beheld a little girl about six years old.
blindingadjectiveUS /ˈblaɪndɪŋ/
shining intensely
From this reading He looked up, and, rubbing the blinding tears from his eyes, he beheld a little girl about six years old.
a youthful male person
From this reading MOLLY “What is the matter, itty boy?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
Charles'snounUS /ˈtʃɑːrlzɪz/
possessive form of “charles” — King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
chubby-cheeked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
past form of “clasp” — hold firmly and tightly
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
cooverbUS /kuː/
speak softly or lovingly
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
coveringnounUS /ˈkʌvərɪŋ/
a natural object that covers or envelops
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
curlsnounUS /kɜːrlz/
plural of “curl” — a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals)
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
dovenounUS /dʌv/
any of numerous small pigeons
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
cause to move by pulling
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
opinion or judgment
From this reading He looked up, and, rubbing the blinding tears from his eyes, he beheld a little girl about six years old.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
with resolute determination
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He looked up, and, rubbing the blinding tears from his eyes, he beheld a little girl about six years old.
in a gradual manner
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
a young female
From this reading He looked up, and, rubbing the blinding tears from his eyes, he beheld a little girl about six years old.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He looked up, and, rubbing the blinding tears from his eyes, he beheld a little girl about six years old.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading MOLLY “What is the matter, itty boy?
itty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MOLLY “What is the matter, itty boy?
kying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Why are you kying so?”
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He looked up, and, rubbing the blinding tears from his eyes, he beheld a little girl about six years old.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading MOLLY “What is the matter, itty boy?
MOLLYnounUS /ˈmɑːli/
popular aquarium fish
From this reading MOLLY “What is the matter, itty boy?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading He looked up, and, rubbing the blinding tears from his eyes, he beheld a little girl about six years old.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
rubbingnounUS /ˈrʌbɪŋ/
the resistance encountered when one body is moved in contact with another
From this reading He looked up, and, rubbing the blinding tears from his eyes, he beheld a little girl about six years old.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading He looked up, and, rubbing the blinding tears from his eyes, he beheld a little girl about six years old.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Why are you kying so?”
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading He looked up, and, rubbing the blinding tears from his eyes, he beheld a little girl about six years old.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading MOLLY “What is the matter, itty boy?
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
a special situation
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
totnounUS /tɑːt/
a small amount (especially of a drink)
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He looked up, and, rubbing the blinding tears from his eyes, he beheld a little girl about six years old.
precisely as stated
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading MOLLY “What is the matter, itty boy?
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading And while the voice spoke soft and sweet as the coo of a dove, two little hands very gently, but firmly, clasped Charles’s hands, which were covering his face, and tried to draw them away.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why are you kying so?”
in the company of; together with
From this reading She was a very chubby-cheeked tot of a thing, with short golden curls running over her head, and half covering her eyes, that were looking at him with immense curiosity.
a late time of life
From this reading He looked up, and, rubbing the blinding tears from his eyes, he beheld a little girl about six years old.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Why are you kying so?”
