used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “I might have been lost, but not afraid,” answered Mary, in a sad voice; “after this, darkness will be my best friend.”
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading The birds and squirrels are settling down in the leaves; you would have been afraid to go home in the dark.”
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading “I might have been lost, but not afraid,” answered Mary, in a sad voice; “after this, darkness will be my best friend.”
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading “It is almost night, and you have wandered far from the island; see, the woods are already dusky.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading “It is almost night, and you have wandered far from the island; see, the woods are already dusky.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “I might have been lost, but not afraid,” answered Mary, in a sad voice; “after this, darkness will be my best friend.”
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “It is almost night, and you have wandered far from the island; see, the woods are already dusky.
inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “I might have been lost, but not afraid,” answered Mary, in a sad voice; “after this, darkness will be my best friend.”
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The birds and squirrels are settling down in the leaves; you would have been afraid to go home in the dark.”
next to; at the side of
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading “I might have been lost, but not afraid,” answered Mary, in a sad voice; “after this, darkness will be my best friend.”
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading The birds and squirrels are settling down in the leaves; you would have been afraid to go home in the dark.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “I might have been lost, but not afraid,” answered Mary, in a sad voice; “after this, darkness will be my best friend.”
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “Come, my child,” he said, taking Mary by the hand, and leading her up from the ravine.
a young person of either sex
From this reading “Come, my child,” he said, taking Mary by the hand, and leading her up from the ravine.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “Come, my child,” he said, taking Mary by the hand, and leading her up from the ravine.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The birds and squirrels are settling down in the leaves; you would have been afraid to go home in the dark.”
absence of light or illumination
From this reading “I might have been lost, but not afraid,” answered Mary, in a sad voice; “after this, darkness will be my best friend.”
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The birds and squirrels are settling down in the leaves; you would have been afraid to go home in the dark.”
duskyadjective
lighted by or as if by twilight
From this reading “It is almost night, and you have wandered far from the island; see, the woods are already dusky.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading “It is almost night, and you have wandered far from the island; see, the woods are already dusky.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading “I might have been lost, but not afraid,” answered Mary, in a sad voice; “after this, darkness will be my best friend.”
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The birds and squirrels are settling down in the leaves; you would have been afraid to go home in the dark.”
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading “Come, my child,” he said, taking Mary by the hand, and leading her up from the ravine.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “It is almost night, and you have wandered far from the island; see, the woods are already dusky.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “Come, my child,” he said, taking Mary by the hand, and leading her up from the ravine.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading The birds and squirrels are settling down in the leaves; you would have been afraid to go home in the dark.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I might have been lost, but not afraid,” answered Mary, in a sad voice; “after this, darkness will be my best friend.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The birds and squirrels are settling down in the leaves; you would have been afraid to go home in the dark.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “It is almost night, and you have wandered far from the island; see, the woods are already dusky.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading “It is almost night, and you have wandered far from the island; see, the woods are already dusky.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It is almost night, and you have wandered far from the island; see, the woods are already dusky.
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading “Come, my child,” he said, taking Mary by the hand, and leading her up from the ravine.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading The birds and squirrels are settling down in the leaves; you would have been afraid to go home in the dark.”
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading “I might have been lost, but not afraid,” answered Mary, in a sad voice; “after this, darkness will be my best friend.”
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading “I might have been lost, but not afraid,” answered Mary, in a sad voice; “after this, darkness will be my best friend.”
missionarynounUS /ˈmɪʃəneri/
someone who attempts to convert others to a particular doctrine or program
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “Come, my child,” he said, taking Mary by the hand, and leading her up from the ravine.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading “It is almost night, and you have wandered far from the island; see, the woods are already dusky.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “I might have been lost, but not afraid,” answered Mary, in a sad voice; “after this, darkness will be my best friend.”
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
ravinenounUS /rəˈviːn/
a deep narrow steep-sided valley (especially one formed by running water)
From this reading “Come, my child,” he said, taking Mary by the hand, and leading her up from the ravine.
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading “I might have been lost, but not afraid,” answered Mary, in a sad voice; “after this, darkness will be my best friend.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Come, my child,” he said, taking Mary by the hand, and leading her up from the ravine.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “It is almost night, and you have wandered far from the island; see, the woods are already dusky.
settlingnounUS /ˈsetəlɪŋ/
a gradual sinking to a lower level
From this reading The birds and squirrels are settling down in the leaves; you would have been afraid to go home in the dark.”
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
squirrelsnounUS /ˈskwɜːrəlz/
plural of “squirrel” — a kind of arboreal rodent having a long bushy tail
From this reading The birds and squirrels are settling down in the leaves; you would have been afraid to go home in the dark.”
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading “Come, my child,” he said, taking Mary by the hand, and leading her up from the ravine.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “I might have been lost, but not afraid,” answered Mary, in a sad voice; “after this, darkness will be my best friend.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
unconsciouslyadverbUS /ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəsli/
without awareness
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “Come, my child,” he said, taking Mary by the hand, and leading her up from the ravine.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading “I might have been lost, but not afraid,” answered Mary, in a sad voice; “after this, darkness will be my best friend.”
past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading “It is almost night, and you have wandered far from the island; see, the woods are already dusky.
at the time that
From this reading When the missionary arose from his knees—for to that position he had unconsciously fallen—Mary stood beside him, quiet and smiling.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “I might have been lost, but not afraid,” answered Mary, in a sad voice; “after this, darkness will be my best friend.”
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading “It is almost night, and you have wandered far from the island; see, the woods are already dusky.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The birds and squirrels are settling down in the leaves; you would have been afraid to go home in the dark.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “It is almost night, and you have wandered far from the island; see, the woods are already dusky.
