used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
anew
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading That seemed to touch something in him, so that he suddenly leaned against the wall and, with his head in his arm, began to cry.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading As the sharp night air met him he realised that his clothes were torn apart and that his chest was bare.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading NIGHT OF THE TWENTY-SEVENTH—MARADICK AND MRS.
separated or at a distance in place or position or time
From this reading As the sharp night air met him he realised that his clothes were torn apart and that his chest was bare.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading That seemed to touch something in him, so that he suddenly leaned against the wall and, with his head in his arm, began to cry.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the sharp night air met him he realised that his clothes were torn apart and that his chest was bare.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
completely unclothed
From this reading As the sharp night air met him he realised that his clothes were torn apart and that his chest was bare.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading That seemed to touch something in him, so that he suddenly leaned against the wall and, with his head in his arm, began to cry.
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
brushverbUS /brʌʃ/
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading LESTER But the gods had not yet done with his night.
the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates
From this reading As the sharp night air met him he realised that his clothes were torn apart and that his chest was bare.
clothing in general
From this reading As the sharp night air met him he realised that his clothes were torn apart and that his chest was bare.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading That seemed to touch something in him, so that he suddenly leaned against the wall and, with his head in his arm, began to cry.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading LESTER But the gods had not yet done with his night.
opinion or judgment
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
set up or found
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading LESTER But the gods had not yet done with his night.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading LESTER But the gods had not yet done with his night.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As the sharp night air met him he realised that his clothes were torn apart and that his chest was bare.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading That seemed to touch something in him, so that he suddenly leaned against the wall and, with his head in his arm, began to cry.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading As the sharp night air met him he realised that his clothes were torn apart and that his chest was bare.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading LESTER But the gods had not yet done with his night.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading That seemed to touch something in him, so that he suddenly leaned against the wall and, with his head in his arm, began to cry.
LESTER
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LESTER But the gods had not yet done with his night.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
MARADICK
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading NIGHT OF THE TWENTY-SEVENTH—MARADICK AND MRS.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading As the sharp night air met him he realised that his clothes were torn apart and that his chest was bare.
plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading NIGHT OF THE TWENTY-SEVENTH—MARADICK AND MRS.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading NIGHT OF THE TWENTY-SEVENTH—MARADICK AND MRS.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading LESTER But the gods had not yet done with his night.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading NIGHT OF THE TWENTY-SEVENTH—MARADICK AND MRS.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
realisedadjectiveUS /ˈriːəlaɪzd/
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading As the sharp night air met him he realised that his clothes were torn apart and that his chest was bare.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading That seemed to touch something in him, so that he suddenly leaned against the wall and, with his head in his arm, began to cry.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading As the sharp night air met him he realised that his clothes were torn apart and that his chest was bare.
shirtnounUS /ʃɜːrt/
a garment worn on the upper half of the body
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading That seemed to touch something in him, so that he suddenly leaned against the wall and, with his head in his arm, began to cry.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading That seemed to touch something in him, so that he suddenly leaned against the wall and, with his head in his arm, began to cry.
stupidlyadverbUS /ˈstuːpədli/
in a stupid manner
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading That seemed to touch something in him, so that he suddenly leaned against the wall and, with his head in his arm, began to cry.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading As the sharp night air met him he realised that his clothes were torn apart and that his chest was bare.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading NIGHT OF THE TWENTY-SEVENTH—MARADICK AND MRS.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading That seemed to touch something in him, so that he suddenly leaned against the wall and, with his head in his arm, began to cry.
having edges that are jagged from injury
From this reading As the sharp night air met him he realised that his clothes were torn apart and that his chest was bare.
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading That seemed to touch something in him, so that he suddenly leaned against the wall and, with his head in his arm, began to cry.
tricklingverbUS /ˈtrɪklɪŋ/
-ing form of “trickle” — run or flow slowly, as in drops or in an unsteady stream
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
TWENTY-SEVENTHadjective
coming next after the twenty-sixth in position
From this reading NIGHT OF THE TWENTY-SEVENTH—MARADICK AND MRS.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading That seemed to touch something in him, so that he suddenly leaned against the wall and, with his head in his arm, began to cry.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As the sharp night air met him he realised that his clothes were torn apart and that his chest was bare.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading As the sharp night air met him he realised that his clothes were torn apart and that his chest was bare.
in the company of; together with
From this reading LESTER But the gods had not yet done with his night.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)
From this reading He pulled his shirt about him again, stupidly made movements with his hand as though he would brush back the hair from his eyes, and then found that it was blood that was trickling from a wound in his forehead.
but in spite of that
From this reading LESTER But the gods had not yet done with his night.
