used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She was waiting for Oswald; waiting, not impatiently, but with a certain forlorn wistfulness.
(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 "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
AMATEURnounUS /ˈæmətɜːr/
someone who pursues a study or sport as a pastime
From this reading AMATEUR CRITICISM.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
barriersnounUS /ˈbæriərz/
plural of “barrier” — a structure or object that impedes free movement
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading She was waiting for Oswald; waiting, not impatiently, but with a certain forlorn wistfulness.
cracksnounUS /kræks/
plural of “crack” — a long narrow opening
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
cranniesnounUS /ˈkræniz/
plural of “cranny” — a long narrow depression in a surface
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
CRITICISMnounUS /ˈkrɪtɪsɪzəm/
disapproval expressed by pointing out faults or shortcomings
From this reading AMATEUR CRITICISM.
dexterousadjective
skillful in physical movements; especially of the hands
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
discoursenounUS /ˈdɪskɔːrs/
extended verbal expression in speech or writing
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
put on clothes
From this reading JEAN, in her neat grey dress, and grey hat with grey ostrich feathers, sat near the window of the dull sitting-room, looking into the dull street.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading JEAN, in her neat grey dress, and grey hat with grey ostrich feathers, sat near the window of the dull sitting-room, looking into the dull street.
feathersnounUS /ˈfeðərz/
plural of “feather” — the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds
From this reading JEAN, in her neat grey dress, and grey hat with grey ostrich feathers, sat near the window of the dull sitting-room, looking into the dull street.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She was waiting for Oswald; waiting, not impatiently, but with a certain forlorn wistfulness.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
forlornadjectiveUS /fərˈlɔːrn/
marked by or showing hopelessness
From this reading She was waiting for Oswald; waiting, not impatiently, but with a certain forlorn wistfulness.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading JEAN, in her neat grey dress, and grey hat with grey ostrich feathers, sat near the window of the dull sitting-room, looking into the dull street.
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading JEAN, in her neat grey dress, and grey hat with grey ostrich feathers, sat near the window of the dull sitting-room, looking into the dull street.
heednounUS /hiːd/
paying particular notice (as to children or helpless people)
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading JEAN, in her neat grey dress, and grey hat with grey ostrich feathers, sat near the window of the dull sitting-room, looking into the dull street.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
with impatience; in an impatient manner
From this reading She was waiting for Oswald; waiting, not impatiently, but with a certain forlorn wistfulness.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading JEAN, in her neat grey dress, and grey hat with grey ostrich feathers, sat near the window of the dull sitting-room, looking into the dull street.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading JEAN, in her neat grey dress, and grey hat with grey ostrich feathers, sat near the window of the dull sitting-room, looking into the dull street.
JANE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading JANE TAYLOR.
a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric
From this reading JEAN, in her neat grey dress, and grey hat with grey ostrich feathers, sat near the window of the dull sitting-room, looking into the dull street.
the first of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures comprising the first five books of the Hebrew Bible considered as a unit
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading JEAN, in her neat grey dress, and grey hat with grey ostrich feathers, sat near the window of the dull sitting-room, looking into the dull street.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading JEAN, in her neat grey dress, and grey hat with grey ostrich feathers, sat near the window of the dull sitting-room, looking into the dull street.
neatadjectiveUS /niːt/
clean or organized
From this reading JEAN, in her neat grey dress, and grey hat with grey ostrich feathers, sat near the window of the dull sitting-room, looking into the dull street.
not any; not one
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She was waiting for Oswald; waiting, not impatiently, but with a certain forlorn wistfulness.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
ostrichnounUS /ˈɔːstrɪtʃ/
a person who refuses to face reality or recognize the truth (a reference to the popular notion that the ostrich hides from danger by burying its head in the sand)
From this reading JEAN, in her neat grey dress, and grey hat with grey ostrich feathers, sat near the window of the dull sitting-room, looking into the dull street.
OswaldnounUS /ˈɔːzwɔːld/
United States assassin of President John F. Kennedy (1939-1963)
From this reading She was waiting for Oswald; waiting, not impatiently, but with a certain forlorn wistfulness.
penetrateverbUS /ˈpenətreɪt/
pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
pronounsnounUS /ˈproʊnaʊnz/
plural of “pronoun” — a function word that is used in place of a noun or noun phrase
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
revereverbUS /rɪˈvɪr/
love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess; venerate as an idol
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading JEAN, in her neat grey dress, and grey hat with grey ostrich feathers, sat near the window of the dull sitting-room, looking into the dull street.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was waiting for Oswald; waiting, not impatiently, but with a certain forlorn wistfulness.
sitting-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading JEAN, in her neat grey dress, and grey hat with grey ostrich feathers, sat near the window of the dull sitting-room, looking into the dull street.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading JEAN, in her neat grey dress, and grey hat with grey ostrich feathers, sat near the window of the dull sitting-room, looking into the dull street.
subtleadjectiveUS /ˈsʌtəl/
difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
TAYLORnounUS /ˈteɪlər/
United States composer and music critic (1885-1966)
From this reading JANE TAYLOR.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
not expected or anticipated
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
Unsoughtadjective
not desired
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading She was waiting for Oswald; waiting, not impatiently, but with a certain forlorn wistfulness.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was waiting for Oswald; waiting, not impatiently, but with a certain forlorn wistfulness.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading JEAN, in her neat grey dress, and grey hat with grey ostrich feathers, sat near the window of the dull sitting-room, looking into the dull street.
wistfulnessnounUS /ˈwɪstfəlnəs/
a sadly pensive longing
From this reading She was waiting for Oswald; waiting, not impatiently, but with a certain forlorn wistfulness.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Those busy subtle pronouns, I and Me, Unsought and unexpected they appear; No barriers heed they, and no laws revere; But wind and penetrate, with dexterous force, Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse."
