used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading They had reached the landing on the first floor--as large as an ordinary room.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They had reached the landing on the first floor--as large as an ordinary room.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
combinedadjectiveUS /kəmˈbaɪnd/
made or joined or united into one
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
permission to do something
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
constraintnounUS /kənˈstreɪnt/
the state of being physically constrained
From this reading Hastily, to escape the constraint each imposed upon the other, she ran to the door at the right and entered.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading As they did not exchange a word, their embarrassment increased.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Hastily, to escape the constraint each imposed upon the other, she ran to the door at the right and entered.
cause to move by pulling
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Hastily, to escape the constraint each imposed upon the other, she ran to the door at the right and entered.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
embarrassmentnounUS /ɪmˈberəsmənt/
the shame you feel when your inadequacy or guilt is made public
From this reading As they did not exchange a word, their embarrassment increased.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading Hastily, to escape the constraint each imposed upon the other, she ran to the door at the right and entered.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading Hastily, to escape the constraint each imposed upon the other, she ran to the door at the right and entered.
chemical process in which one atom or ion or group changes places with another
From this reading As they did not exchange a word, their embarrassment increased.
exertedverbUS /ɪɡˈzɜːrtɪd/
past form of “exert” — put to use
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading They had reached the landing on the first floor--as large as an ordinary room.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading They had reached the landing on the first floor--as large as an ordinary room.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had reached the landing on the first floor--as large as an ordinary room.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading Hastily, to escape the constraint each imposed upon the other, she ran to the door at the right and entered.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
imposedadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpoʊzd/
set forth authoritatively as obligatory
From this reading Hastily, to escape the constraint each imposed upon the other, she ran to the door at the right and entered.
an instinctive motive
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
impulsesnounUS /ˈɪmpəlsɪz/
plural of “impulse” — an instinctive motive
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
made greater in size or amount or degree
From this reading As they did not exchange a word, their embarrassment increased.
landingnounUS /ˈlændɪŋ/
an intermediate platform in a staircase
From this reading They had reached the landing on the first floor--as large as an ordinary room.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading They had reached the landing on the first floor--as large as an ordinary room.
immediately past
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
liftingverbUS /ˈlɪftɪŋ/
-ing form of “lift” — raise from a lower to a higher position
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
Livette
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
mutualadjectiveUS /ˈmjuːtʃuːəl/
common to or shared by two or more parties
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
not any; not one
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading As they did not exchange a word, their embarrassment increased.
obstaclenounUS /ˈɑːbstəkəl/
something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They had reached the landing on the first floor--as large as an ordinary room.
a judge of a probate court
From this reading They had reached the landing on the first floor--as large as an ordinary room.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Hastily, to escape the constraint each imposed upon the other, she ran to the door at the right and entered.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Hastily, to escape the constraint each imposed upon the other, she ran to the door at the right and entered.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading They had reached the landing on the first floor--as large as an ordinary room.
Renaud
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
elude, especially in a baffling way
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Hastily, to escape the constraint each imposed upon the other, she ran to the door at the right and entered.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading They had reached the landing on the first floor--as large as an ordinary room.
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
separatelyadverbUS /ˈsepərətli/
apart from others
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement but without being abundant
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That force was the witchery at work.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They had reached the landing on the first floor--as large as an ordinary room.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading As they did not exchange a word, their embarrassment increased.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had reached the landing on the first floor--as large as an ordinary room.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Hastily, to escape the constraint each imposed upon the other, she ran to the door at the right and entered.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
witcherynoun
the art of sorcery
From this reading That force was the witchery at work.
in the company of; together with
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading As they did not exchange a word, their embarrassment increased.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading That force was the witchery at work.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading At the last step, Renaud, almost lifting Livette to the landing, tried to draw her to him, but she was seized with an impulse to resist, and he with a sudden impulse to resist himself; separately, the two impulses would have had no effect; but combined, they exerted sufficient force to place an obstacle between them, as if by mutual consent.
