used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
experiencing a sudden sense of danger
From this reading She had a quick feeling of thankfulness that Aunt Mary who had always been so careful for her safety, so anxious when she was out alone at night, was where she could not be alarmed; a quick wish that she could call to her.
(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 All the stories of horrors in the night, of hold-ups and bandits and kidnappings came to her mind as she struggled vainly for a moment in that vise-like grip.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading She had a quick feeling of thankfulness that Aunt Mary who had always been so careful for her safety, so anxious when she was out alone at night, was where she could not be alarmed; a quick wish that she could call to her.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading She had a quick feeling of thankfulness that Aunt Mary who had always been so careful for her safety, so anxious when she was out alone at night, was where she could not be alarmed; a quick wish that she could call to her.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
eagerly desirous
From this reading She had a quick feeling of thankfulness that Aunt Mary who had always been so careful for her safety, so anxious when she was out alone at night, was where she could not be alarmed; a quick wish that she could call to her.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading All the stories of horrors in the night, of hold-ups and bandits and kidnappings came to her mind as she struggled vainly for a moment in that vise-like grip.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading She had a quick feeling of thankfulness that Aunt Mary who had always been so careful for her safety, so anxious when she was out alone at night, was where she could not be alarmed; a quick wish that she could call to her.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
banditsnounUS /ˈbændəts/
plural of “bandit” — an armed thief who is (usually) a member of a band
From this reading All the stories of horrors in the night, of hold-ups and bandits and kidnappings came to her mind as she struggled vainly for a moment in that vise-like grip.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading She had a quick feeling of thankfulness that Aunt Mary who had always been so careful for her safety, so anxious when she was out alone at night, was where she could not be alarmed; a quick wish that she could call to her.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading All the stories of horrors in the night, of hold-ups and bandits and kidnappings came to her mind as she struggled vainly for a moment in that vise-like grip.
exercising caution or showing care or attention
From this reading She had a quick feeling of thankfulness that Aunt Mary who had always been so careful for her safety, so anxious when she was out alone at night, was where she could not be alarmed; a quick wish that she could call to her.
past form of “clasp” — hold firmly and tightly
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She had a quick feeling of thankfulness that Aunt Mary who had always been so careful for her safety, so anxious when she was out alone at night, was where she could not be alarmed; a quick wish that she could call to her.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading It was lonely and desolate, and out of the way from the main highway, a quiet remote place for the dead.
desolateadjectiveUS /ˈdesələt/
providing no shelter or sustenance
From this reading It was lonely and desolate, and out of the way from the main highway, a quiet remote place for the dead.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
at any time
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading She had a quick feeling of thankfulness that Aunt Mary who had always been so careful for her safety, so anxious when she was out alone at night, was where she could not be alarmed; a quick wish that she could call to her.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading All the stories of horrors in the night, of hold-ups and bandits and kidnappings came to her mind as she struggled vainly for a moment in that vise-like grip.
made afraid
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
the act of departing
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
gripnounUS /ɡrɪp/
the act of grasping
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
highwaynounUS /ˈhaɪweɪ/
a major road for any form of motor transport
From this reading It was lonely and desolate, and out of the way from the main highway, a quiet remote place for the dead.
hold-ups
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the stories of horrors in the night, of hold-ups and bandits and kidnappings came to her mind as she struggled vainly for a moment in that vise-like grip.
horrorsnounUS /ˈhɔːrərz/
plural of “horror” — intense and profound fear
From this reading All the stories of horrors in the night, of hold-ups and bandits and kidnappings came to her mind as she struggled vainly for a moment in that vise-like grip.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was lonely and desolate, and out of the way from the main highway, a quiet remote place for the dead.
JoycenounUS /dʒɔɪs/
influential Irish writer noted for his many innovations (such as stream of consciousness writing) (1882-1941)
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
kidnappingsnounUS /ˈkɪdnæpɪŋz/
plural of “kidnapping” — (law) the unlawful act of capturing and carrying away a person against their will and holding them in false imprisonment
From this reading All the stories of horrors in the night, of hold-ups and bandits and kidnappings came to her mind as she struggled vainly for a moment in that vise-like grip.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading It was lonely and desolate, and out of the way from the main highway, a quiet remote place for the dead.
most important element
From this reading It was lonely and desolate, and out of the way from the main highway, a quiet remote place for the dead.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading She had a quick feeling of thankfulness that Aunt Mary who had always been so careful for her safety, so anxious when she was out alone at night, was where she could not be alarmed; a quick wish that she could call to her.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading All the stories of horrors in the night, of hold-ups and bandits and kidnappings came to her mind as she struggled vainly for a moment in that vise-like grip.
a particular point in time
From this reading All the stories of horrors in the night, of hold-ups and bandits and kidnappings came to her mind as she struggled vainly for a moment in that vise-like grip.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading All the stories of horrors in the night, of hold-ups and bandits and kidnappings came to her mind as she struggled vainly for a moment in that vise-like grip.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading It was lonely and desolate, and out of the way from the main highway, a quiet remote place for the dead.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading It was lonely and desolate, and out of the way from the main highway, a quiet remote place for the dead.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading She had a quick feeling of thankfulness that Aunt Mary who had always been so careful for her safety, so anxious when she was out alone at night, was where she could not be alarmed; a quick wish that she could call to her.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading It was lonely and desolate, and out of the way from the main highway, a quiet remote place for the dead.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
remoteadjectiveUS /rɪˈmoʊt/
located far away spatially
From this reading It was lonely and desolate, and out of the way from the main highway, a quiet remote place for the dead.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions
From this reading She had a quick feeling of thankfulness that Aunt Mary who had always been so careful for her safety, so anxious when she was out alone at night, was where she could not be alarmed; a quick wish that she could call to her.
screamverbUS /skriːm/
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading She had a quick feeling of thankfulness that Aunt Mary who had always been so careful for her safety, so anxious when she was out alone at night, was where she could not be alarmed; a quick wish that she could call to her.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading All the stories of horrors in the night, of hold-ups and bandits and kidnappings came to her mind as she struggled vainly for a moment in that vise-like grip.
struggledverbUS /ˈstrʌɡəld/
past form of “struggle” — make a strenuous or labored effort
From this reading All the stories of horrors in the night, of hold-ups and bandits and kidnappings came to her mind as she struggled vainly for a moment in that vise-like grip.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
thankfulnessnounUS /ˈθæŋkfəlnes/
warm friendly feelings of gratitude
From this reading She had a quick feeling of thankfulness that Aunt Mary who had always been so careful for her safety, so anxious when she was out alone at night, was where she could not be alarmed; a quick wish that she could call to her.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading All the stories of horrors in the night, of hold-ups and bandits and kidnappings came to her mind as she struggled vainly for a moment in that vise-like grip.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
except if; if not
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
vainlyadverbUS /ˈveɪnli/
to no avail
From this reading All the stories of horrors in the night, of hold-ups and bandits and kidnappings came to her mind as she struggled vainly for a moment in that vise-like grip.
vise-like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the stories of horrors in the night, of hold-ups and bandits and kidnappings came to her mind as she struggled vainly for a moment in that vise-like grip.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading It was lonely and desolate, and out of the way from the main highway, a quiet remote place for the dead.
at the time that
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
in or at the place that
From this reading She had a quick feeling of thankfulness that Aunt Mary who had always been so careful for her safety, so anxious when she was out alone at night, was where she could not be alarmed; a quick wish that she could call to her.
which person or people
From this reading She tried to scream, though she knew she was too far away from houses to reach the ear of any people who lived about unless some one happened to be going along that road; and people did not go along that road at night unless they had to.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading She had a quick feeling of thankfulness that Aunt Mary who had always been so careful for her safety, so anxious when she was out alone at night, was where she could not be alarmed; a quick wish that she could call to her.
wristsnounUS /rɪsts/
plural of “wrist” — a joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones
From this reading When Joyce felt her wrists clasped in that iron grip in the darkness, and felt the hot breath of a man on her face, she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
