Chapter XVI

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading How soon before all would be about her again?

anew

From this reading How soon before all would be about her again?

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading “How did you learn where I am?” she asked automatically.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading “How did you learn where I am?” she asked automatically.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

in a reflex manner

From this reading “How did you learn where I am?” she asked automatically.

getting two things to correspond

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading How soon before all would be about her again?

the past participle of “be”

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading How soon before all would be about her again?

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

gathered together or made less diffuse

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles

From this reading She took it up, and to her dismay the voice that greeted her over the wire was the voice of Jack’s father.

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading She took it up, and to her dismay the voice that greeted her over the wire was the voice of Jack’s father.

the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

destroyed or killed

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

past form of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone

From this reading She took it up, and to her dismay the voice that greeted her over the wire was the voice of Jack’s father.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading How soon before all would be about her again?

characteristic of humanity

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading “How did you learn where I am?” she asked automatically.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading She took it up, and to her dismay the voice that greeted her over the wire was the voice of Jack’s father.

possessive form of “jack” — a small worthless amount

From this reading She took it up, and to her dismay the voice that greeted her over the wire was the voice of Jack’s father.

gain knowledge or skills

From this reading “How did you learn where I am?” she asked automatically.

having or showing profound knowledge

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

not any; not one

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

above and across; more than

From this reading She took it up, and to her dismay the voice that greeted her over the wire was the voice of Jack’s father.

plural of “person” — a human being

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

the possibility of future success

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

the quality of being secluded from the presence or view of others

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She took it up, and to her dismay the voice that greeted her over the wire was the voice of Jack’s father.

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

in the near future

From this reading How soon before all would be about her again?

that is looked for

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

the section of an orchestra that plays stringed instruments

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading She took it up, and to her dismay the voice that greeted her over the wire was the voice of Jack’s father.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading She took it up, and to her dismay the voice that greeted her over the wire was the voice of Jack’s father.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading She took it up, and to her dismay the voice that greeted her over the wire was the voice of Jack’s father.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

at the time that

From this reading THE STRINGS OF HUMAN NATURE Loveman had been gone no more than fifteen minutes, and Mary was thinking upon her plans, balancing this prospect against that danger, when her telephone began to ring.

in or at the place that

From this reading “How did you learn where I am?” she asked automatically.

the general location where something is

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

ligament made of metal and used to fasten things or make cages or fences etc

From this reading She took it up, and to her dismay the voice that greeted her over the wire was the voice of Jack’s father.

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

the words that are spoken

From this reading His first words she did not hear at all--her senses were almost wholly concentrated in dismay that two of the persons from whom she had sought seclusion had within a single hour learned of her whereabouts!

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading How soon before all would be about her again?

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “How did you learn where I am?” she asked automatically.