used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But a Chinese woman, coming to them stealthily through the gloaming, spoke as she reached them.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading And almost literally she did take them, one on either side of her, each touched by her hand, impelled by her will.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And almost literally she did take them, one on either side of her, each touched by her hand, impelled by her will.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
blindlyadverbUS /ˈblaɪndli/
without seeing or looking
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But a Chinese woman, coming to them stealthily through the gloaming, spoke as she reached them.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading And almost literally she did take them, one on either side of her, each touched by her hand, impelled by her will.
ChinesenounUS /tʃaɪˈniːz/
any of the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in China; regarded as dialects of a single language (even though they are mutually unintelligible) because they share an ideographic writing system
From this reading But a Chinese woman, coming to them stealthily through the gloaming, spoke as she reached them.
Clome
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Clome, me tlake,” she said.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Neither could speak.
crazilyadverbUS /ˈkreɪzəli/
in an insane manner
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading And almost literally she did take them, one on either side of her, each touched by her hand, impelled by her will.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading And almost literally she did take them, one on either side of her, each touched by her hand, impelled by her will.
one or the other of two
From this reading And almost literally she did take them, one on either side of her, each touched by her hand, impelled by her will.
frenziedadjectiveUS /ˈfrenzid/
affected with or marked by frenzy or mania uncontrolled by reason
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
gloamingnounUS /ˈɡloʊmɪŋ/
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading But a Chinese woman, coming to them stealthily through the gloaming, spoke as she reached them.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading And almost literally she did take them, one on either side of her, each touched by her hand, impelled by her will.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
impelledadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpeld/
urged or forced to action through moral pressure
From this reading And almost literally she did take them, one on either side of her, each touched by her hand, impelled by her will.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
literallyadverbUS /ˈlɪtərəli/
in a literal sense
From this reading And almost literally she did take them, one on either side of her, each touched by her hand, impelled by her will.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Clome, me tlake,” she said.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
in motion
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading Neither could speak.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And almost literally she did take them, one on either side of her, each touched by her hand, impelled by her will.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading And almost literally she did take them, one on either side of her, each touched by her hand, impelled by her will.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading But a Chinese woman, coming to them stealthily through the gloaming, spoke as she reached them.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Clome, me tlake,” she said.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading And almost literally she did take them, one on either side of her, each touched by her hand, impelled by her will.
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
a male human offspring
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
express in speech
From this reading Neither could speak.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading But a Chinese woman, coming to them stealthily through the gloaming, spoke as she reached them.
stealthilyadverb
in a stealthy manner
From this reading But a Chinese woman, coming to them stealthily through the gloaming, spoke as she reached them.
not in physical motion
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
carry out
From this reading And almost literally she did take them, one on either side of her, each touched by her hand, impelled by her will.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading But a Chinese woman, coming to them stealthily through the gloaming, spoke as she reached them.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading But a Chinese woman, coming to them stealthily through the gloaming, spoke as she reached them.
tlake
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Clome, me tlake,” she said.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But a Chinese woman, coming to them stealthily through the gloaming, spoke as she reached them.
having come into contact
From this reading And almost literally she did take them, one on either side of her, each touched by her hand, impelled by her will.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
trussedadjective
bound or secured closely
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
in or at the place that
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading AFTERWARDS As she passed from the house into the garden, moving crazily on--not knowing why, how or where--the frenzied mother met her son coming blindly toward the door, his arms still trussed at his sides.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading And almost literally she did take them, one on either side of her, each touched by her hand, impelled by her will.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading But a Chinese woman, coming to them stealthily through the gloaming, spoke as she reached them.
