used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
adjacentadjectiveUS /əˈdʒeɪsənt/
nearest in space or position; immediately adjoining without intervening space
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
the act of overcoming or outdoing
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
Bernardine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
brookside
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
a timepiece that shows the time of day
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
conjuredverbUS /ˈkɑːndʒərd/
past form of “conjure” — summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
denseadjectiveUS /dens/
permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
dilatedverbUS /ˌdaɪˈleɪtɪd/
past form of “dilate” — become wider
From this reading She gazed with dilated eyes.
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
opinion or judgment
From this reading She gazed with dilated eyes.
something many people believe that is false
From this reading Surely it was her fancy.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading She gazed with dilated eyes.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
not in action or at work
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
masteringnounUS /ˈmæstərɪŋ/
becoming proficient in the use of something; having mastery of
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
in motion
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
peeringverbUS /ˈpiːrɪŋ/
-ing form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
stealthilyadverb
in a stealthy manner
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
stuntedadjectiveUS /ˈstʌntɪd/
inferior in size or quality
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
required or under orders
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading Surely it was her fancy.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For a single instant Bernardine felt her terror mastering her; it was certainly not an idle fear conjured up by her own excited brain.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading One of the shadows, which she had supposed to be a stunted tree, moved, crept nearer and nearer, until it took the form of a man moving stealthily toward her.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The clock from an adjacent tower struck the hour of midnight as she stood there by the brookside, peering, with beating heart, among the dense shadow of the trees.
