used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading His dark blue eyes, always penetrating, now gleamed with a sterner light from under his shaggy grey eyebrows.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading It was not such a change as grief alone usually induces, and angrier passions seemed to have had their share in bringing it about.
alterationnounUS /ˌɔːltərˈeɪʃən/
an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading His dark blue eyes, always penetrating, now gleamed with a sterner light from under his shaggy grey eyebrows.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had grown thinner; something of gloom and anxiety had taken the place of that cordial serenity which used to characterise his features.
angrieradjectiveUS /ˈæŋɡriər/
comparative of “angry” — feeling or showing anger
From this reading It was not such a change as grief alone usually induces, and angrier passions seemed to have had their share in bringing it about.
(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic
From this reading He had grown thinner; something of gloom and anxiety had taken the place of that cordial serenity which used to characterise his features.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was not such a change as grief alone usually induces, and angrier passions seemed to have had their share in bringing it about.
BEREAVEDnounUS /bərˈiːvd/
a person who has suffered the death of someone they loved
From this reading BEREAVED.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading His dark blue eyes, always penetrating, now gleamed with a sterner light from under his shaggy grey eyebrows.
the act of delivering or distributing something (as goods or mail)
From this reading It was not such a change as grief alone usually induces, and angrier passions seemed to have had their share in bringing it about.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading It was not such a change as grief alone usually induces, and angrier passions seemed to have had their share in bringing it about.
characteriseverb
be characteristic of
From this reading He had grown thinner; something of gloom and anxiety had taken the place of that cordial serenity which used to characterise his features.
cordialadjectiveUS /ˈkɔːrdʒəl/
diffusing warmth and friendliness
From this reading He had grown thinner; something of gloom and anxiety had taken the place of that cordial serenity which used to characterise his features.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading His dark blue eyes, always penetrating, now gleamed with a sterner light from under his shaggy grey eyebrows.
eyebrowsnounUS /ˈaɪbraʊz/
plural of “eyebrow” — the arch of hair above each eye
From this reading His dark blue eyes, always penetrating, now gleamed with a sterner light from under his shaggy grey eyebrows.
opinion or judgment
From this reading His dark blue eyes, always penetrating, now gleamed with a sterner light from under his shaggy grey eyebrows.
plural of “feature” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading He had grown thinner; something of gloom and anxiety had taken the place of that cordial serenity which used to characterise his features.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading His dark blue eyes, always penetrating, now gleamed with a sterner light from under his shaggy grey eyebrows.
gleamedverbUS /ɡliːmd/
past form of “gleam” — be shiny, as if wet
From this reading His dark blue eyes, always penetrating, now gleamed with a sterner light from under his shaggy grey eyebrows.
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading He had grown thinner; something of gloom and anxiety had taken the place of that cordial serenity which used to characterise his features.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading His dark blue eyes, always penetrating, now gleamed with a sterner light from under his shaggy grey eyebrows.
intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)
From this reading It was not such a change as grief alone usually induces, and angrier passions seemed to have had their share in bringing it about.
(of animals) fully developed
From this reading He had grown thinner; something of gloom and anxiety had taken the place of that cordial serenity which used to characterise his features.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It was not such a change as grief alone usually induces, and angrier passions seemed to have had their share in bringing it about.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had grown thinner; something of gloom and anxiety had taken the place of that cordial serenity which used to characterise his features.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
inducesverbUS /ˌɪnˈduːsɪz/
third-person singular of “induce” — cause to arise
From this reading It was not such a change as grief alone usually induces, and angrier passions seemed to have had their share in bringing it about.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
immediately past
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading His dark blue eyes, always penetrating, now gleamed with a sterner light from under his shaggy grey eyebrows.
engage in
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was not such a change as grief alone usually induces, and angrier passions seemed to have had their share in bringing it about.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading His dark blue eyes, always penetrating, now gleamed with a sterner light from under his shaggy grey eyebrows.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
passionsnounUS /ˈpæʃənz/
plural of “passion” — a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading It was not such a change as grief alone usually induces, and angrier passions seemed to have had their share in bringing it about.
penetratingadjectiveUS /ˈpenətreɪtɪŋ/
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading His dark blue eyes, always penetrating, now gleamed with a sterner light from under his shaggy grey eyebrows.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading He had grown thinner; something of gloom and anxiety had taken the place of that cordial serenity which used to characterise his features.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It was not such a change as grief alone usually induces, and angrier passions seemed to have had their share in bringing it about.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
serenitynounUS /səˈren.ə.t̬i/
The state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled by external storms.
From this reading He had grown thinner; something of gloom and anxiety had taken the place of that cordial serenity which used to characterise his features.
shaggyadjectiveUS /ˈʃæɡi/
used of hair; thick and poorly groomed
From this reading His dark blue eyes, always penetrating, now gleamed with a sterner light from under his shaggy grey eyebrows.
have in common
From this reading It was not such a change as grief alone usually induces, and angrier passions seemed to have had their share in bringing it about.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading He had grown thinner; something of gloom and anxiety had taken the place of that cordial serenity which used to characterise his features.
sterneradjectiveUS /ˈstɜːrnər/
comparative of “stern” — of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect
From this reading His dark blue eyes, always penetrating, now gleamed with a sterner light from under his shaggy grey eyebrows.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading It was not such a change as grief alone usually induces, and angrier passions seemed to have had their share in bringing it about.
sufficedverbUS /səˈfaɪst/
past form of “suffice” — be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading He had grown thinner; something of gloom and anxiety had taken the place of that cordial serenity which used to characterise his features.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He had grown thinner; something of gloom and anxiety had taken the place of that cordial serenity which used to characterise his features.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading It was not such a change as grief alone usually induces, and angrier passions seemed to have had their share in bringing it about.
thinnernounUS /ˈθɪnər/
a diluting agent
From this reading He had grown thinner; something of gloom and anxiety had taken the place of that cordial serenity which used to characterise his features.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading His dark blue eyes, always penetrating, now gleamed with a sterner light from under his shaggy grey eyebrows.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading He had grown thinner; something of gloom and anxiety had taken the place of that cordial serenity which used to characterise his features.
under normal conditions
From this reading It was not such a change as grief alone usually induces, and angrier passions seemed to have had their share in bringing it about.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He had grown thinner; something of gloom and anxiety had taken the place of that cordial serenity which used to characterise his features.
in the company of; together with
From this reading His dark blue eyes, always penetrating, now gleamed with a sterner light from under his shaggy grey eyebrows.
a late time of life
From this reading It was about ten months since we had last seen him; but that time had sufficed to make an alteration of years in his appearance.
