used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "I am possessed by this girl," he might have said had he put his thoughts into words.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
ArnoldnounUS /ˈɑːrnəld/
English poet and literary critic (1822-1888)
From this reading Arnold was at this point.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Arnold was at this point.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "I am possessed by this girl," he might have said had he put his thoughts into words.
CLARA
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading COUSIN CLARA.
the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading COUSIN CLARA.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
fataladjectiveUS /ˈfeɪtəl/
bringing death
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading Flight for such a man is the only thing left, and he so seldom thinks of flight until it is too late.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Flight for such a man is the only thing left, and he so seldom thinks of flight until it is too late.
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
a young female
From this reading "I am possessed by this girl," he might have said had he put his thoughts into words.
girl'snounUS /ɡɜːrlz/
possessive form of “girl” — a young female
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "I am possessed by this girl," he might have said had he put his thoughts into words.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I am possessed by this girl," he might have said had he put his thoughts into words.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Flight for such a man is the only thing left, and he so seldom thinks of flight until it is too late.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I am possessed by this girl," he might have said had he put his thoughts into words.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "I am possessed by this girl," he might have said had he put his thoughts into words.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Flight for such a man is the only thing left, and he so seldom thinks of flight until it is too late.
immediately past
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading Flight for such a man is the only thing left, and he so seldom thinks of flight until it is too late.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Flight for such a man is the only thing left, and he so seldom thinks of flight until it is too late.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading "I am possessed by this girl," he might have said had he put his thoughts into words.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
occupiesverbUS /ˈɑːkjəpaɪz/
third-person singular of “occupy” — keep busy with
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
and nothing more
From this reading Flight for such a man is the only thing left, and he so seldom thinks of flight until it is too late.
paintingnounUS /ˈpeɪntɪŋ/
graphic art consisting of an artistic composition made by applying paints to a surface
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
perilouslyadverbUS /ˈperələsli/
in a dangerous manner
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading Arnold was at this point.
a word picture of a person's appearance and character
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
influenced or controlled by a powerful force such as a strong emotion
From this reading "I am possessed by this girl," he might have said had he put his thoughts into words.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "I am possessed by this girl," he might have said had he put his thoughts into words.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I am possessed by this girl," he might have said had he put his thoughts into words.
not often
From this reading Flight for such a man is the only thing left, and he so seldom thinks of flight until it is too late.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Flight for such a man is the only thing left, and he so seldom thinks of flight until it is too late.
spendsverbUS /spendz/
third-person singular of “spend” — use up a period of time in a specific way
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Flight for such a man is the only thing left, and he so seldom thinks of flight until it is too late.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
a special situation
From this reading Flight for such a man is the only thing left, and he so seldom thinks of flight until it is too late.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
plural of “think” — an instance of deliberate thinking
From this reading Flight for such a man is the only thing left, and he so seldom thinks of flight until it is too late.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Arnold was at this point.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Flight for such a man is the only thing left, and he so seldom thinks of flight until it is too late.
unfinishedadjectiveUS /ənˈfɪnɪʃt/
not brought to the desired final state
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Flight for such a man is the only thing left, and he so seldom thinks of flight until it is too late.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Arnold was at this point.
watchesnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃəz/
plural of “watch” — a small portable timepiece
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
at the time that
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
which person or people
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
in the company of; together with
From this reading That man who spends his days in painting a girl's portrait, in talking to her, and in gazing upon the unfinished portrait when she is not with him, and occupies his thoughts during the watches of the night in thinking about her, is perilously near to taking the last and fatal step.
the words that are spoken
From this reading "I am possessed by this girl," he might have said had he put his thoughts into words.
