aliveadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/
possessing life
From this reading They towered and were alive in the white darkness and seemed to breathe back at her.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
animateverbUS /ˈænəmət/
heighten or intensify
From this reading The unbleached muslin portières on their crazy draw string of twine blew in as if they were animate and wanted to nudge her.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The unbleached muslin portières on their crazy draw string of twine blew in as if they were animate and wanted to nudge her.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They towered and were alive in the white darkness and seemed to breathe back at her.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading They towered and were alive in the white darkness and seemed to breathe back at her.
birthdaynounUS /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/
an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)
From this reading The birthday of the boy!
blanketnounUS /ˈblæŋkət/
bedding that keeps a person warm in bed
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard
From this reading The unbleached muslin portières on their crazy draw string of twine blew in as if they were animate and wanted to nudge her.
a youthful male person
From this reading The birthday of the boy!
breatheverbUS /briːð/
draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs
From this reading They towered and were alive in the white darkness and seemed to breathe back at her.
carpetbagadjective
following the practices or characteristic of carpetbaggers
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
rid of obstructions
From this reading The tears in her heart, like the clink of the clear water in the gutter.
clinkverbUS /klɪŋk/
make a high sound typical of glass
From this reading The tears in her heart, like the clink of the clear water in the gutter.
crazyadjectiveUS /ˈkreɪzi/
affected with madness or insanity
From this reading The unbleached muslin portières on their crazy draw string of twine blew in as if they were animate and wanted to nudge her.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading They towered and were alive in the white darkness and seemed to breathe back at her.
cause to move by pulling
From this reading The unbleached muslin portières on their crazy draw string of twine blew in as if they were animate and wanted to nudge her.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
gutternounUS /ˈɡʌtər/
a channel along the eaves or on the roof; collects and carries away rainwater
From this reading The tears in her heart, like the clink of the clear water in the gutter.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading The tears in her heart, like the clink of the clear water in the gutter.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The unbleached muslin portières on their crazy draw string of twine blew in as if they were animate and wanted to nudge her.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
leathernounUS /ˈleðər/
an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The tears in her heart, like the clink of the clear water in the gutter.
muslinnounUS /ˈmʌzlən/
plain-woven cotton fabric
From this reading The unbleached muslin portières on their crazy draw string of twine blew in as if they were animate and wanted to nudge her.
nudgeverbUS /nʌdʒ/
to push against gently
From this reading The unbleached muslin portières on their crazy draw string of twine blew in as if they were animate and wanted to nudge her.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The birthday of the boy!
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
portières
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The unbleached muslin portières on their crazy draw string of twine blew in as if they were animate and wanted to nudge her.
in the near future
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
move by turning over or rotating
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading They towered and were alive in the white darkness and seemed to breathe back at her.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
a lightweight cord
From this reading The unbleached muslin portières on their crazy draw string of twine blew in as if they were animate and wanted to nudge her.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading The tears in her heart, like the clink of the clear water in the gutter.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The birthday of the boy!
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The unbleached muslin portières on their crazy draw string of twine blew in as if they were animate and wanted to nudge her.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The unbleached muslin portières on their crazy draw string of twine blew in as if they were animate and wanted to nudge her.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The unbleached muslin portières on their crazy draw string of twine blew in as if they were animate and wanted to nudge her.
toweredverbUS /ˈtaʊərd/
past form of “tower” — appear very large or occupy a commanding position
From this reading They towered and were alive in the white darkness and seemed to breathe back at her.
twineverbUS /twaɪn/
spin, wind, or twist together
From this reading The unbleached muslin portières on their crazy draw string of twine blew in as if they were animate and wanted to nudge her.
unbleachedadjective
not artificially colored or bleached
From this reading The unbleached muslin portières on their crazy draw string of twine blew in as if they were animate and wanted to nudge her.
any of various kinds of wheeled vehicles drawn by an animal or a tractor
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading The unbleached muslin portières on their crazy draw string of twine blew in as if they were animate and wanted to nudge her.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading The tears in her heart, like the clink of the clear water in the gutter.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The unbleached muslin portières on their crazy draw string of twine blew in as if they were animate and wanted to nudge her.
a Caucasian
From this reading They towered and were alive in the white darkness and seemed to breathe back at her.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak
From this reading She sat on the edge of her carpetbag, wrapped in the gray blanket that presently she would spread along the leather wagon seat and roll herself into.
