used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Her face dropped a little to hide the warm flush that rose over it as she stammered in desperate confusion:
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "Well, dear?" he asked, thinking that she was about to change her mind and say she would have the new dress.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Last night I--I--told an untruth when I said I had a headache and could not sing.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She put her small hand in his, and he felt the fingers curl around his own, gently detaining him.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading She put her small hand in his, and he felt the fingers curl around his own, gently detaining him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Her face dropped a little to hide the warm flush that rose over it as she stammered in desperate confusion:
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Well, dear?" he asked, thinking that she was about to change her mind and say she would have the new dress.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "Before you--go--I must make a confession.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading "Well, dear?" he asked, thinking that she was about to change her mind and say she would have the new dress.
confessionnounUS /kənˈfeʃən/
an admission of misdeeds or faults
From this reading "Before you--go--I must make a confession.
disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably
From this reading Her face dropped a little to hide the warm flush that rose over it as she stammered in desperate confusion:
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Last night I--I--told an untruth when I said I had a headache and could not sing.
curlverbUS /kɜːrl/
form a curl, curve, or kink
From this reading She put her small hand in his, and he felt the fingers curl around his own, gently detaining him.
dearly loved
From this reading "Well, dear?" he asked, thinking that she was about to change her mind and say she would have the new dress.
arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope
From this reading Her face dropped a little to hide the warm flush that rose over it as she stammered in desperate confusion:
detainingverbUS /dɪˈteɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “detain” — deprive of freedom; take into confinement
From this reading She put her small hand in his, and he felt the fingers curl around his own, gently detaining him.
put on clothes
From this reading "Well, dear?" he asked, thinking that she was about to change her mind and say she would have the new dress.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Her face dropped a little to hide the warm flush that rose over it as she stammered in desperate confusion:
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Her face dropped a little to hide the warm flush that rose over it as she stammered in desperate confusion:
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading She put her small hand in his, and he felt the fingers curl around his own, gently detaining him.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading She put her small hand in his, and he felt the fingers curl around his own, gently detaining him.
flushnounUS /flʌʃ/
the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
From this reading Her face dropped a little to hide the warm flush that rose over it as she stammered in desperate confusion:
in a gradual manner
From this reading She put her small hand in his, and he felt the fingers curl around his own, gently detaining him.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Before you--go--I must make a confession.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Last night I--I--told an untruth when I said I had a headache and could not sing.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading She put her small hand in his, and he felt the fingers curl around his own, gently detaining him.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Well, dear?" he asked, thinking that she was about to change her mind and say she would have the new dress.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She put her small hand in his, and he felt the fingers curl around his own, gently detaining him.
headachenounUS /ˈhedeɪk/
something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness
From this reading Last night I--I--told an untruth when I said I had a headache and could not sing.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She put her small hand in his, and he felt the fingers curl around his own, gently detaining him.
prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading Her face dropped a little to hide the warm flush that rose over it as she stammered in desperate confusion:
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She put her small hand in his, and he felt the fingers curl around his own, gently detaining him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading She put her small hand in his, and he felt the fingers curl around his own, gently detaining him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Before you--go--I must make a confession.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She put her small hand in his, and he felt the fingers curl around his own, gently detaining him.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Her face dropped a little to hide the warm flush that rose over it as she stammered in desperate confusion:
immediately past
From this reading Last night I--I--told an untruth when I said I had a headache and could not sing.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Her face dropped a little to hide the warm flush that rose over it as she stammered in desperate confusion:
engage in
From this reading "Before you--go--I must make a confession.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading "Well, dear?" he asked, thinking that she was about to change her mind and say she would have the new dress.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "Before you--go--I must make a confession.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading "Well, dear?" he asked, thinking that she was about to change her mind and say she would have the new dress.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Last night I--I--told an untruth when I said I had a headache and could not sing.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Last night I--I--told an untruth when I said I had a headache and could not sing.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Her face dropped a little to hide the warm flush that rose over it as she stammered in desperate confusion:
have ownership or possession of
From this reading She put her small hand in his, and he felt the fingers curl around his own, gently detaining him.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading She put her small hand in his, and he felt the fingers curl around his own, gently detaining him.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Her face dropped a little to hide the warm flush that rose over it as she stammered in desperate confusion:
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Last night I--I--told an untruth when I said I had a headache and could not sing.
express in words
From this reading "Well, dear?" he asked, thinking that she was about to change her mind and say she would have the new dress.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She put her small hand in his, and he felt the fingers curl around his own, gently detaining him.
deliver by singing
From this reading Last night I--I--told an untruth when I said I had a headache and could not sing.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading She put her small hand in his, and he felt the fingers curl around his own, gently detaining him.
stammered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her face dropped a little to hide the warm flush that rose over it as she stammered in desperate confusion:
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Well, dear?" he asked, thinking that she was about to change her mind and say she would have the new dress.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She put her small hand in his, and he felt the fingers curl around his own, gently detaining him.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading "Well, dear?" he asked, thinking that she was about to change her mind and say she would have the new dress.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Well, dear?" he asked, thinking that she was about to change her mind and say she would have the new dress.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading Last night I--I--told an untruth when I said I had a headache and could not sing.
untruthnounUS /ənˈtruːθ/
a false statement
From this reading Last night I--I--told an untruth when I said I had a headache and could not sing.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading Her face dropped a little to hide the warm flush that rose over it as she stammered in desperate confusion:
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Well, dear?" he asked, thinking that she was about to change her mind and say she would have the new dress.
(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 "Well, dear?" he asked, thinking that she was about to change her mind and say she would have the new dress.
at the time that
From this reading Last night I--I--told an untruth when I said I had a headache and could not sing.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "Well, dear?" he asked, thinking that she was about to change her mind and say she would have the new dress.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Before you--go--I must make a confession.
