used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She was hurrying and breathing painfully, and Mr. Petersen heard a gasping little sob now and then.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading He waited until she was slowly climbing the hill above the tracks before he came up with her.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading He was afraid of startling her too much by speaking just then.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She turned away and retraced her steps, through the wood and through the settlement.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading She turned away and retraced her steps, through the wood and through the settlement.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He waited until she was slowly climbing the hill above the tracks before he came up with her.
the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation
From this reading She was hurrying and breathing painfully, and Mr. Petersen heard a gasping little sob now and then.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He was afraid of startling her too much by speaking just then.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He waited until she was slowly climbing the hill above the tracks before he came up with her.
climbingnounUS /ˈklaɪmɪŋ/
an event that involves rising to a higher point (as in altitude or temperature or intensity etc.)
From this reading He waited until she was slowly climbing the hill above the tracks before he came up with her.
opinion or judgment
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
gaspingverbUS /ˈɡæspɪŋ/
-ing form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading She was hurrying and breathing painfully, and Mr. Petersen heard a gasping little sob now and then.
in a gradual manner
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was afraid of startling her too much by speaking just then.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading She was hurrying and breathing painfully, and Mr. Petersen heard a gasping little sob now and then.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She turned away and retraced her steps, through the wood and through the settlement.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading He waited until she was slowly climbing the hill above the tracks before he came up with her.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
hurryingadjectiveUS /ˈhɜːriɪŋ/
moving with great haste
From this reading She was hurrying and breathing painfully, and Mr. Petersen heard a gasping little sob now and then.
and nothing more
From this reading He was afraid of startling her too much by speaking just then.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading She was hurrying and breathing painfully, and Mr. Petersen heard a gasping little sob now and then.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
Minnie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
a form of address for a man
From this reading She was hurrying and breathing painfully, and Mr. Petersen heard a gasping little sob now and then.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading He was afraid of startling her too much by speaking just then.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading She was hurrying and breathing painfully, and Mr. Petersen heard a gasping little sob now and then.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was afraid of startling her too much by speaking just then.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
painfullyadverbUS /ˈpeɪnfəli/
unpleasantly
From this reading She was hurrying and breathing painfully, and Mr. Petersen heard a gasping little sob now and then.
Petersen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was hurrying and breathing painfully, and Mr. Petersen heard a gasping little sob now and then.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
quivered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
retracedverbUS /riˈtreɪst/
past form of “retrace” — to go back over again
From this reading She turned away and retraced her steps, through the wood and through the settlement.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
settlementnounUS /ˈsetəlmənt/
a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state's system of government
From this reading She turned away and retraced her steps, through the wood and through the settlement.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She turned away and retraced her steps, through the wood and through the settlement.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading He waited until she was slowly climbing the hill above the tracks before he came up with her.
sobverbUS /sɑːb/
weep convulsively
From this reading She was hurrying and breathing painfully, and Mr. Petersen heard a gasping little sob now and then.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading He was afraid of startling her too much by speaking just then.
startlingadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtlɪŋ/
so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm
From this reading He was afraid of startling her too much by speaking just then.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading She turned away and retraced her steps, through the wood and through the settlement.
terrifiedadjectiveUS /ˈterəfaɪd/
thrown into a state of intense fear or desperation
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She turned away and retraced her steps, through the wood and through the settlement.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading She was hurrying and breathing painfully, and Mr. Petersen heard a gasping little sob now and then.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading She turned away and retraced her steps, through the wood and through the settlement.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading He was afraid of startling her too much by speaking just then.
tracksnounUS /træks/
plural of “track” — a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading He waited until she was slowly climbing the hill above the tracks before he came up with her.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading She turned away and retraced her steps, through the wood and through the settlement.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading He waited until she was slowly climbing the hill above the tracks before he came up with her.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He waited until she was slowly climbing the hill above the tracks before he came up with her.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading He waited until she was slowly climbing the hill above the tracks before he came up with her.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was hurrying and breathing painfully, and Mr. Petersen heard a gasping little sob now and then.
which person or people
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
wildlyadverbUS /ˈwaɪldli/
to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree
From this reading “Minnie!” he said as gently as possible, “_Who was that?_” She looked at him wildly; her eyes made him think of a terrified horse, and she quivered like one.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He waited until she was slowly climbing the hill above the tracks before he came up with her.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading She turned away and retraced her steps, through the wood and through the settlement.
