Chapter XXVII

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading There was scarcely a word said after Kirsteen came back.

a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

later than; following

From this reading There was scarcely a word said after Kirsteen came back.

anew

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading There was scarcely a word said after Kirsteen came back.

a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way

From this reading The young women all bent over their sewing, and their needles flew through their work.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading There was scarcely a word said after Kirsteen came back.

lacking in variety and interest

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

steadiness of mind under stress

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

having the physical appearance of death

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Kirsteen did not seclude herself for long.

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne

From this reading The young women all bent over their sewing, and their needles flew through their work.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Kirsteen did not seclude herself for long.

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading Kirsteen did not seclude herself for long.

making a strong or vivid impression

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

plural of “inquiry” — a search for knowledge

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Kirsteen did not seclude herself for long.

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Kirsteen did not seclude herself for long.

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

plural of “needle” — the leaf of a conifer

From this reading The young women all bent over their sewing, and their needles flew through their work.

no person; not anyone

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Kirsteen did not seclude herself for long.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

above and across; more than

From this reading The young women all bent over their sewing, and their needles flew through their work.

pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

the state of being present; current existence

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

the act of rejecting something

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

past form of “resume” — take up or begin anew

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading There was scarcely a word said after Kirsteen came back.

only a very short time before

From this reading There was scarcely a word said after Kirsteen came back.

keep away from others

From this reading Kirsteen did not seclude herself for long.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

joining or attaching by stitches

From this reading The young women all bent over their sewing, and their needles flew through their work.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

marked by absence of sound

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

a fabric made from the fine threads produced by certain insect larvae

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

not in physical motion

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

superlative of “strange” — being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

make a strenuous or labored effort

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The young women all bent over their sewing, and their needles flew through their work.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was scarcely a word said after Kirsteen came back.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading The young women all bent over their sewing, and their needles flew through their work.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

very sad; especially involving grief or death or destruction

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

during the time that

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

a light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading While the girls were still whispering to each other, not without some awe, of the sudden shock which she had evidently received, of her deathlike look, her struggle to maintain her composure, her rejection of all inquiries, she had returned among them, had taken up the silk again, and resumed what she was doing.

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading The young women all bent over their sewing, and their needles flew through their work.

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading There was scarcely a word said after Kirsteen came back.

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading The young women all bent over their sewing, and their needles flew through their work.

covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak

From this reading The presence among them of this one tragic face, perfectly colourless, self-commanded, silent, wrapped in an abstraction which nobody could penetrate, had the strangest impressive effect upon them.

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading The young women all bent over their sewing, and their needles flew through their work.