used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading It was comfort enough just to feel this great embodiment of human sympathy and strength beside her, to know she was no longer alone.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading She dimly wondered what was going to happen, but she did not dare, or care, to ask.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before the house Martha paused a moment.
next to; at the side of
From this reading It was comfort enough just to feel this great embodiment of human sympathy and strength beside her, to know she was no longer alone.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She dimly wondered what was going to happen, but she did not dare, or care, to ask.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading She dimly wondered what was going to happen, but she did not dare, or care, to ask.
a young person of either sex
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
Claire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
clutchingverbUS /ˈklʌtʃɪŋ/
-ing form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain
From this reading It was comfort enough just to feel this great embodiment of human sympathy and strength beside her, to know she was no longer alone.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading She dimly wondered what was going to happen, but she did not dare, or care, to ask.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading She dimly wondered what was going to happen, but she did not dare, or care, to ask.
dimlyadverbUS /ˈdɪmli/
in a dim indistinct manner
From this reading She dimly wondered what was going to happen, but she did not dare, or care, to ask.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
embodimentnounUS /emˈbɑːdimənt/
a new personification of a familiar idea
From this reading It was comfort enough just to feel this great embodiment of human sympathy and strength beside her, to know she was no longer alone.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading It was comfort enough just to feel this great embodiment of human sympathy and strength beside her, to know she was no longer alone.
divisible by two
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading It was comfort enough just to feel this great embodiment of human sympathy and strength beside her, to know she was no longer alone.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
floodedadjectiveUS /ˈflʌdəd/
covered with water
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
the act of departing
From this reading She dimly wondered what was going to happen, but she did not dare, or care, to ask.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading It was comfort enough just to feel this great embodiment of human sympathy and strength beside her, to know she was no longer alone.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
come to pass
From this reading She dimly wondered what was going to happen, but she did not dare, or care, to ask.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Before the house Martha paused a moment.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading It was comfort enough just to feel this great embodiment of human sympathy and strength beside her, to know she was no longer alone.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
and nothing more
From this reading It was comfort enough just to feel this great embodiment of human sympathy and strength beside her, to know she was no longer alone.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading It was comfort enough just to feel this great embodiment of human sympathy and strength beside her, to know she was no longer alone.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
for more time
From this reading It was comfort enough just to feel this great embodiment of human sympathy and strength beside her, to know she was no longer alone.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
Martha
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
a particular point in time
From this reading Before the house Martha paused a moment.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
not any; not one
From this reading It was comfort enough just to feel this great embodiment of human sympathy and strength beside her, to know she was no longer alone.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was comfort enough just to feel this great embodiment of human sympathy and strength beside her, to know she was no longer alone.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading She dimly wondered what was going to happen, but she did not dare, or care, to ask.
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading Before the house Martha paused a moment.
ploddedverbUS /ˈplɑːdɪd/
inflected form of “plod” — walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
pony-trot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She dimly wondered what was going to happen, but she did not dare, or care, to ask.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
skirtsnounUS /skɜːrts/
plural of “skirt” — cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
Slawson
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
make steady
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading It was comfort enough just to feel this great embodiment of human sympathy and strength beside her, to know she was no longer alone.
stridesnounUS /straɪdz/
plural of “stride” — a step in walking or running
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion
From this reading It was comfort enough just to feel this great embodiment of human sympathy and strength beside her, to know she was no longer alone.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They plodded along the flooded street in silence, Claire following after Martha Slawson like a small child, almost clutching at her skirts.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading It was comfort enough just to feel this great embodiment of human sympathy and strength beside her, to know she was no longer alone.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading She dimly wondered what was going to happen, but she did not dare, or care, to ask.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was not easy to keep pace with the long, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast.
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading She dimly wondered what was going to happen, but she did not dare, or care, to ask.
