used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
(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 And all the while the roar of the on-coming train was growing louder and ever louder.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
the two together, not just one
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading His master said nothing but kept his eye intently fixed on the girl.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
at any time
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
the organ of sight
From this reading His master said nothing but kept his eye intently fixed on the girl.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading His master said nothing but kept his eye intently fixed on the girl.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
forlornadjectiveUS /fərˈlɔːrn/
marked by or showing hopelessness
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
friendlessnessnoun
being without friends
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
made afraid
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
a young female
From this reading His master said nothing but kept his eye intently fixed on the girl.
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading And all the while the roar of the on-coming train was growing louder and ever louder.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His master said nothing but kept his eye intently fixed on the girl.
immensitynoun
unusual largeness in size or extent or number
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
intentlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈtentli/
with strained or eager attention
From this reading His master said nothing but kept his eye intently fixed on the girl.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading His master said nothing but kept his eye intently fixed on the girl.
lampsnounUS /læmps/
plural of “lamp” — an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
provided with artificial light
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
louderadjectiveUS /ˈlaʊdər/
comparative of “loud” — characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading And all the while the roar of the on-coming train was growing louder and ever louder.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading His master said nothing but kept his eye intently fixed on the girl.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
used to form the superlative
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
in motion
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading His master said nothing but kept his eye intently fixed on the girl.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading His master said nothing but kept his eye intently fixed on the girl.
on-coming
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And all the while the roar of the on-coming train was growing louder and ever louder.
on one occasion
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
patchnounUS /pætʃ/
a small contrasting part of something
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
a raised horizontal surface
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles
From this reading And all the while the roar of the on-coming train was growing louder and ever louder.
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading His master said nothing but kept his eye intently fixed on the girl.
only a very short time before
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
shrinkingnounUS /ˈʃrɪŋkɪŋ/
process or result of becoming less or smaller
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
successive (without a break)
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Not another soul was on the platform, and seen in that patch of light against an immensity of dark empty country and black sky, she gave him such an impression of friendlessness that he could scarcely stay in his seat.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading His master said nothing but kept his eye intently fixed on the girl.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading One of the platform lamps lit her plainly, and he thought she looked the most forlorn and moving sight that had ever stirred his heart.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
in the direction of
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
create by training and teaching
From this reading And all the while the roar of the on-coming train was growing louder and ever louder.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
at the time that
From this reading There was something shrinking in her attitude, and when she looked once for a few moments straight towards him, there seemed to be something both sad and frightened in her face.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading And all the while the roar of the on-coming train was growing louder and ever louder.
