used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
accursedadjectiveUS /ˌæˈkɜːrst/
under a curse
From this reading May I be accursed for ever and ever if I do!”
anew
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading The chords were hissing upon the coals, where, among the blazing logs, they wriggled and curled like so many living snakes.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
react verbally
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
artsnounUS /ɑːrts/
studies intended to provide general knowledge and intellectual skills (rather than occupational or professional skills)
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
awfuladjectiveUS /ˈɑːfəl/
exceptionally bad or displeasing
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading May I be accursed for ever and ever if I do!”
see with attention
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
blazingadjectiveUS /ˈbleɪzɪŋ/
shining intensely
From this reading The chords were hissing upon the coals, where, among the blazing logs, they wriggled and curled like so many living snakes.
the act of burning something
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
calmnessnounUS /ˈkɑːmnəs/
steadiness of mind under stress
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
chordsnounUS /kɔːrdz/
plural of “chord” — a straight line connecting two points on a curve
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
Circenoun
(Greek mythology) a sorceress who detained Odysseus on her island and turned his men into swine
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
coalsnounUS /koʊlz/
plural of “coal” — fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading The chords were hissing upon the coals, where, among the blazing logs, they wriggled and curled like so many living snakes.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading Samuel suppressed a cry of horror.
curledadjectiveUS /kɜːrld/
(of hair) making curls or having been made to curl
From this reading The chords were hissing upon the coals, where, among the blazing logs, they wriggled and curled like so many living snakes.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading May I be accursed for ever and ever if I do!”
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
at any time
From this reading May I be accursed for ever and ever if I do!”
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
opinion or judgment
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
foamingadjectiveUS /ˈfoʊmɪŋ/
emitting or filled with bubbles as from carbonation or fermentation
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading May I be accursed for ever and ever if I do!”
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
Franz
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
Furies
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
hold firmly
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
any place of pain and turmoil
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
hissingnounUS /ˈhɪsɪŋ/
a fricative sound (especially as an expression of disapproval)
From this reading The chords were hissing upon the coals, where, among the blazing logs, they wriggled and curled like so many living snakes.
intense and profound fear
From this reading Samuel suppressed a cry of horror.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading May I be accursed for ever and ever if I do!”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The chords were hissing upon the coals, where, among the blazing logs, they wriggled and curled like so many living snakes.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading The chords were hissing upon the coals, where, among the blazing logs, they wriggled and curled like so many living snakes.
logsnounUS /lɔːɡz/
plural of “log” — a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches
From this reading The chords were hissing upon the coals, where, among the blazing logs, they wriggled and curled like so many living snakes.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading The chords were hissing upon the coals, where, among the blazing logs, they wriggled and curled like so many living snakes.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading May I be accursed for ever and ever if I do!”
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
PlutonounUS /ˈpluːtoʊ/
a cartoon character created by Walt Disney
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
having great power or force or potency or effect
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
SamuelnounUS /ˈsæmjuːl/
(Old Testament) Hebrew prophet and judge who anointed Saul as king
From this reading Samuel suppressed a cry of horror.
snakesnounUS /sneɪks/
plural of “snake” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading The chords were hissing upon the coals, where, among the blazing logs, they wriggled and curled like so many living snakes.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The chords were hissing upon the coals, where, among the blazing logs, they wriggled and curled like so many living snakes.
a lightweight cord
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
suppressedadjectiveUS /səˈprest/
kept from public knowledge by various means
From this reading Samuel suppressed a cry of horror.
utter obscenities or profanities
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
Thessalynoun
a fertile plain on the Aegean Sea in east central Greece; Thessaly was a former region of ancient Greece
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The chords were hissing upon the coals, where, among the blazing logs, they wriggled and curled like so many living snakes.
an old word for “your”, speaking to one person
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
commonly the lowest molding at the base of a column
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The chords were hissing upon the coals, where, among the blazing logs, they wriggled and curled like so many living snakes.
violinnounUS /vaɪəˈlɪn/
bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The chords were hissing upon the coals, where, among the blazing logs, they wriggled and curled like so many living snakes.
in or at the place that
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
witchesnounUS /ˈwɪtʃəz/
plural of “witch” — a female sorcerer or magician
From this reading “By the witches of Thessaly and the dark arts of Circe!” he exclaimed, with foaming mouth and his eyes burning like coals; “by the Furies of Hell and Pluto himself, I now swear, in thy presence, O Samuel, my master, never to touch a violin again until I can string it with four human chords.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Franz did not answer; but with a calmness awful to behold, he left his place, took down his violin from the wall where it was hanging, and, with one powerful grasp of the chords, he tore them out and flung them into the fire.
wriggled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The chords were hissing upon the coals, where, among the blazing logs, they wriggled and curled like so many living snakes.
