used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
(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 When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
alluringadjectiveUS /əˈlʊrɪŋ/
highly attractive and able to arouse hope or desire
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
of surpassing excellence
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
buoyance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She hoped he would kiss her; but he did not.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading "He thinks me cold!
collapsedverbUS /kəˈlæpst/
past form of “collapse” — break down, literally or metaphorically
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
placed crosswise
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading She hoped he would kiss her; but he did not.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
echoverbUS /ˈekoʊ/
to say again or imitate
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
plural of “fear” — an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
forcefullyadverbUS /ˈfɔːrsfəli/
with full force
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
plural of “garden” — a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She hoped he would kiss her; but he did not.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
hedgeverbUS /hedʒ/
avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She hoped he would kiss her; but he did not.
not accessible to view
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
past form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading She hoped he would kiss her; but he did not.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
interpretverbUS /ˌɪnˈtɜːrprət/
make sense of; assign a meaning to
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)
From this reading She hoped he would kiss her; but he did not.
immediately past
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
lawnsnounUS /lɔːnz/
plural of “lawn” — a field of cultivated and mowed grass
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
lingeringnounUS /ˈlɪŋɡərɪŋ/
the act of tarrying
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
longingsnounUS /ˈlɔːŋɪŋz/
plural of “longing” — prolonged unfulfilled desire or need
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "He thinks me cold!
not in physical motion
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She hoped he would kiss her; but he did not.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
releasedverbUS /riˈliːst/
past form of “release” — release, as from one's grip
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
reluctantlyadverbUS /rɪˈlʌktəntli/
with reluctance
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
rightlyadverbUS /ˈraɪtli/
with honesty
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She hoped he would kiss her; but he did not.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
a tendency to express warm and affectionate feeling
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
tensenounUS /tens/
a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
plural of “think” — an instance of deliberate thinking
From this reading "He thinks me cold!
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
vanitynounUS /ˈvænəti/
feelings of excessive pride
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading She stood motionless and tense, watching his big form, his strong shoulders and forcefully set head as he crossed the gardens, went down the walk and through the gate, to be hidden by the hedge between the lawns and the street.
at the time that
From this reading When the last echo of his firm step had ceased in her ears, she collapsed into the chair in which he had sat, and was all passion and tenderness and tears and longings and fears.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He reluctantly released her hand, gave her a lingering look which she had not the vanity or the buoyance rightly to interpret, then gazed slowly round the gardens, brilliant, alluring, warm.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She hoped he would kiss her; but he did not.
