used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A howl of pain uprose, which the honeyed words of Mustafa, spoken soothingly in a loud and whining voice, were powerless to abate.
abateverbUS /əˈbeɪt/
make less active or intense
From this reading A howl of pain uprose, which the honeyed words of Mustafa, spoken soothingly in a loud and whining voice, were powerless to abate.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Presently the girl returned, followed closely by an old woman, who seemed a servant.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A howl of pain uprose, which the honeyed words of Mustafa, spoken soothingly in a loud and whining voice, were powerless to abate.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading Mustafa kissed her lily hand repeatedly, while the old serving-woman took the baby in her arms and strove to quiet it.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The old beggar stooped down as if to fondle the little child, but in reality to pinch him spitefully.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading With a smile which caught at Saïd’s breath she put some money in the old man’s palm and bade him go in peace.
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading Mustafa kissed her lily hand repeatedly, while the old serving-woman took the baby in her arms and strove to quiet it.
a Chadic language spoken in northern Nigeria
From this reading With a smile which caught at Saïd’s breath she put some money in the old man’s palm and bade him go in peace.
beggarnounUS /ˈbeɡər/
a pauper who lives by begging
From this reading The old beggar stooped down as if to fondle the little child, but in reality to pinch him spitefully.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading With a smile which caught at Saïd’s breath she put some money in the old man’s palm and bade him go in peace.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The old beggar stooped down as if to fondle the little child, but in reality to pinch him spitefully.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Presently the girl returned, followed closely by an old woman, who seemed a servant.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading With a smile which caught at Saïd’s breath she put some money in the old man’s palm and bade him go in peace.
a young person of either sex
From this reading The old beggar stooped down as if to fondle the little child, but in reality to pinch him spitefully.
in a close relation or position in time or space
From this reading Presently the girl returned, followed closely by an old woman, who seemed a servant.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The old beggar stooped down as if to fondle the little child, but in reality to pinch him spitefully.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading Presently the girl returned, followed closely by an old woman, who seemed a servant.
fondleverbUS /ˈfɔːndəl/
touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner
From this reading The old beggar stooped down as if to fondle the little child, but in reality to pinch him spitefully.
a young female
From this reading Presently the girl returned, followed closely by an old woman, who seemed a servant.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading With a smile which caught at Saïd’s breath she put some money in the old man’s palm and bade him go in peace.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Mustafa kissed her lily hand repeatedly, while the old serving-woman took the baby in her arms and strove to quiet it.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mustafa kissed her lily hand repeatedly, while the old serving-woman took the baby in her arms and strove to quiet it.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The old beggar stooped down as if to fondle the little child, but in reality to pinch him spitefully.
honeyedadjective
with honey added
From this reading A howl of pain uprose, which the honeyed words of Mustafa, spoken soothingly in a loud and whining voice, were powerless to abate.
howlverbUS /haʊl/
emit long loud cries
From this reading A howl of pain uprose, which the honeyed words of Mustafa, spoken soothingly in a loud and whining voice, were powerless to abate.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The old beggar stooped down as if to fondle the little child, but in reality to pinch him spitefully.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The old beggar stooped down as if to fondle the little child, but in reality to pinch him spitefully.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Mustafa kissed her lily hand repeatedly, while the old serving-woman took the baby in her arms and strove to quiet it.
past form of “kiss” — touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.
From this reading Mustafa kissed her lily hand repeatedly, while the old serving-woman took the baby in her arms and strove to quiet it.
lilynounUS /ˈlɪli/
any liliaceous plant of the genus Lilium having showy pendulous flowers
From this reading Mustafa kissed her lily hand repeatedly, while the old serving-woman took the baby in her arms and strove to quiet it.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The old beggar stooped down as if to fondle the little child, but in reality to pinch him spitefully.
characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading A howl of pain uprose, which the honeyed words of Mustafa, spoken soothingly in a loud and whining voice, were powerless to abate.
man'snounUS /mænz/
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading With a smile which caught at Saïd’s breath she put some money in the old man’s palm and bade him go in peace.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading With a smile which caught at Saïd’s breath she put some money in the old man’s palm and bade him go in peace.
Mustafa
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A howl of pain uprose, which the honeyed words of Mustafa, spoken soothingly in a loud and whining voice, were powerless to abate.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A howl of pain uprose, which the honeyed words of Mustafa, spoken soothingly in a loud and whining voice, were powerless to abate.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The old beggar stooped down as if to fondle the little child, but in reality to pinch him spitefully.
a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder
From this reading A howl of pain uprose, which the honeyed words of Mustafa, spoken soothingly in a loud and whining voice, were powerless to abate.
palmnounUS /pɑːm/
the inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers
From this reading With a smile which caught at Saïd’s breath she put some money in the old man’s palm and bade him go in peace.
the state prevailing during the absence of war
From this reading With a smile which caught at Saïd’s breath she put some money in the old man’s palm and bade him go in peace.
pinchverbUS /pɪntʃ/
squeeze tightly between the fingers
From this reading The old beggar stooped down as if to fondle the little child, but in reality to pinch him spitefully.
powerlessadjectiveUS /ˈpaʊərləs/
lacking power
From this reading A howl of pain uprose, which the honeyed words of Mustafa, spoken soothingly in a loud and whining voice, were powerless to abate.
in the near future
From this reading Presently the girl returned, followed closely by an old woman, who seemed a servant.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading With a smile which caught at Saïd’s breath she put some money in the old man’s palm and bade him go in peace.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading Mustafa kissed her lily hand repeatedly, while the old serving-woman took the baby in her arms and strove to quiet it.
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading The old beggar stooped down as if to fondle the little child, but in reality to pinch him spitefully.
repeatedlyadverbUS /rɪˈpiːtɪdli/
several time
From this reading Mustafa kissed her lily hand repeatedly, while the old serving-woman took the baby in her arms and strove to quiet it.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading Presently the girl returned, followed closely by an old woman, who seemed a servant.
Saïd's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With a smile which caught at Saïd’s breath she put some money in the old man’s palm and bade him go in peace.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Presently the girl returned, followed closely by an old woman, who seemed a servant.
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading Presently the girl returned, followed closely by an old woman, who seemed a servant.
serving-woman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mustafa kissed her lily hand repeatedly, while the old serving-woman took the baby in her arms and strove to quiet it.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading With a smile which caught at Saïd’s breath she put some money in the old man’s palm and bade him go in peace.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading With a smile which caught at Saïd’s breath she put some money in the old man’s palm and bade him go in peace.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading With a smile which caught at Saïd’s breath she put some money in the old man’s palm and bade him go in peace.
soothinglyadverbUS /ˈsuːðɪŋli/
in a soothing manner
From this reading A howl of pain uprose, which the honeyed words of Mustafa, spoken soothingly in a loud and whining voice, were powerless to abate.
spitefullyadverb
in a maliciously spiteful manner
From this reading The old beggar stooped down as if to fondle the little child, but in reality to pinch him spitefully.
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading A howl of pain uprose, which the honeyed words of Mustafa, spoken soothingly in a loud and whining voice, were powerless to abate.
stoopedadjectiveUS /stuːpt/
having the back and shoulders rounded; not erect
From this reading The old beggar stooped down as if to fondle the little child, but in reality to pinch him spitefully.
stroveverbUS /stroʊv/
inflected form of “strive” — attempt by employing effort
From this reading Mustafa kissed her lily hand repeatedly, while the old serving-woman took the baby in her arms and strove to quiet it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The old beggar stooped down as if to fondle the little child, but in reality to pinch him spitefully.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The old beggar stooped down as if to fondle the little child, but in reality to pinch him spitefully.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Mustafa kissed her lily hand repeatedly, while the old serving-woman took the baby in her arms and strove to quiet it.
uprose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A howl of pain uprose, which the honeyed words of Mustafa, spoken soothingly in a loud and whining voice, were powerless to abate.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading A howl of pain uprose, which the honeyed words of Mustafa, spoken soothingly in a loud and whining voice, were powerless to abate.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A howl of pain uprose, which the honeyed words of Mustafa, spoken soothingly in a loud and whining voice, were powerless to abate.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading A howl of pain uprose, which the honeyed words of Mustafa, spoken soothingly in a loud and whining voice, were powerless to abate.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Mustafa kissed her lily hand repeatedly, while the old serving-woman took the baby in her arms and strove to quiet it.
whiningverbUS /ˈwaɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “whine” — move with a whining sound
From this reading A howl of pain uprose, which the honeyed words of Mustafa, spoken soothingly in a loud and whining voice, were powerless to abate.
which person or people
From this reading Presently the girl returned, followed closely by an old woman, who seemed a servant.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With a smile which caught at Saïd’s breath she put some money in the old man’s palm and bade him go in peace.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Presently the girl returned, followed closely by an old woman, who seemed a servant.
the words that are spoken
From this reading A howl of pain uprose, which the honeyed words of Mustafa, spoken soothingly in a loud and whining voice, were powerless to abate.
