used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She knew that she had as well undertake to move the fingers of a hand cast in iron as those upon her throat.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
plural of “age” — how long something has existed
From this reading It required not an instant of time for those thoughts to flash briefly through her head, but the time seemed ages to her strained nerves.
(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 As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It required not an instant of time for those thoughts to flash briefly through her head, but the time seemed ages to her strained nerves.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And life never appears so intensely sweet as when we are looking the loss of it squarely in the face.
third-person singular of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading And life never appears so intensely sweet as when we are looking the loss of it squarely in the face.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading And life never appears so intensely sweet as when we are looking the loss of it squarely in the face.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
brieflyadverbUS /ˈbriːfli/
for a short time
From this reading It required not an instant of time for those thoughts to flash briefly through her head, but the time seemed ages to her strained nerves.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It required not an instant of time for those thoughts to flash briefly through her head, but the time seemed ages to her strained nerves.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
put or send forth
From this reading She knew that she had as well undertake to move the fingers of a hand cast in iron as those upon her throat.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
conceiveverbUS /kənˈsiːv/
have the idea for
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
dependedverbUS /dɪˈpendəd/
past form of “depend” — be contingent upon (something that is elided)
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Yet what was she to do?
endeavoredverbUS /ɪnˈdevərd/
past form of “endeavor” — attempt by employing effort
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading And life never appears so intensely sweet as when we are looking the loss of it squarely in the face.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading She knew that she had as well undertake to move the fingers of a hand cast in iron as those upon her throat.
gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading It required not an instant of time for those thoughts to flash briefly through her head, but the time seemed ages to her strained nerves.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It required not an instant of time for those thoughts to flash briefly through her head, but the time seemed ages to her strained nerves.
frightfuladjectiveUS /ˈfraɪtfəl/
provoking horror
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She knew that she had as well undertake to move the fingers of a hand cast in iron as those upon her throat.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading She knew that she had as well undertake to move the fingers of a hand cast in iron as those upon her throat.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading It required not an instant of time for those thoughts to flash briefly through her head, but the time seemed ages to her strained nerves.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
importnounUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrt/
commodities (goods or services) bought from a foreign country
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And life never appears so intensely sweet as when we are looking the loss of it squarely in the face.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading It required not an instant of time for those thoughts to flash briefly through her head, but the time seemed ages to her strained nerves.
intenselyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈtensli/
to a high degree; extremely; in high concentration or density
From this reading And life never appears so intensely sweet as when we are looking the loss of it squarely in the face.
a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
From this reading She knew that she had as well undertake to move the fingers of a hand cast in iron as those upon her throat.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And life never appears so intensely sweet as when we are looking the loss of it squarely in the face.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading She knew that she had as well undertake to move the fingers of a hand cast in iron as those upon her throat.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
Leonie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading And life never appears so intensely sweet as when we are looking the loss of it squarely in the face.
something that is lost
From this reading And life never appears so intensely sweet as when we are looking the loss of it squarely in the face.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading She knew that she had as well undertake to move the fingers of a hand cast in iron as those upon her throat.
an uneasy psychological state
From this reading It required not an instant of time for those thoughts to flash briefly through her head, but the time seemed ages to her strained nerves.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading And life never appears so intensely sweet as when we are looking the loss of it squarely in the face.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It required not an instant of time for those thoughts to flash briefly through her head, but the time seemed ages to her strained nerves.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
have the will and intention to carry out some action
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
quicknessnounUS /ˈkwɪknəs/
skillful performance or ability without difficulty
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading It required not an instant of time for those thoughts to flash briefly through her head, but the time seemed ages to her strained nerves.
except for; apart from
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It required not an instant of time for those thoughts to flash briefly through her head, but the time seemed ages to her strained nerves.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading And life never appears so intensely sweet as when we are looking the loss of it squarely in the face.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
squarelyadverbUS /ˈskwerli/
directly and without evasion; not roundabout
From this reading And life never appears so intensely sweet as when we are looking the loss of it squarely in the face.
strainedadjectiveUS /streɪnd/
lacking natural ease
From this reading It required not an instant of time for those thoughts to flash briefly through her head, but the time seemed ages to her strained nerves.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading And life never appears so intensely sweet as when we are looking the loss of it squarely in the face.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading She knew that she had as well undertake to move the fingers of a hand cast in iron as those upon her throat.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading It required not an instant of time for those thoughts to flash briefly through her head, but the time seemed ages to her strained nerves.
The passage at the back of the mouth.
From this reading She knew that she had as well undertake to move the fingers of a hand cast in iron as those upon her throat.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading It required not an instant of time for those thoughts to flash briefly through her head, but the time seemed ages to her strained nerves.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It required not an instant of time for those thoughts to flash briefly through her head, but the time seemed ages to her strained nerves.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
undertakeverbUS /ˈʌndərteɪk/
enter upon an activity or enterprise
From this reading She knew that she had as well undertake to move the fingers of a hand cast in iron as those upon her throat.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Yet what was she to do?
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading And life never appears so intensely sweet as when we are looking the loss of it squarely in the face.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading She knew that she had as well undertake to move the fingers of a hand cast in iron as those upon her throat.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Yet what was she to do?
at the time that
From this reading And life never appears so intensely sweet as when we are looking the loss of it squarely in the face.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
in the company of; together with
From this reading As the terrible thought came to Leonie, with all its frightful import, she endeavored to conceive some plan by which she could save herself, knowing that upon the quickness of her action alone depended her chance of life.
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet what was she to do?
