used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
the performance of a part or role in a drama
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading For a time she had sped along the road, looking this way and that, expecting at each turn to discover a house, a light, the help she sought.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Sophia had bidden her run, the moment the man's back was turned.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
Betty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
BETTY'S
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading She had slipped behind the man's back, passed between the houses, and escaped into the open, unseen, as she fancied.
biddenverbUS /ˈbɪdɪn/
inflected form of “bid” — propose a payment
From this reading Sophia had bidden her run, the moment the man's back was turned.
bodicenounUS /ˈbɑːdɪs/
part of a dress above the waist
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
bravelyadverbUS /ˈbreɪvli/
in a courageous manner
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
burstingverbUS /ˈbɜːrstɪŋ/
-ing form of “burst” — come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
child'snounUS /tʃaɪldz/
possessive form of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
diamondsnounUS /ˈdaɪməndz/
plural of “diamond” — a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading For a time she had sped along the road, looking this way and that, expecting at each turn to discover a house, a light, the help she sought.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading For a time she had sped along the road, looking this way and that, expecting at each turn to discover a house, a light, the help she sought.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading She had slipped behind the man's back, passed between the houses, and escaped into the open, unseen, as she fancied.
-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading For a time she had sped along the road, looking this way and that, expecting at each turn to discover a house, a light, the help she sought.
formed or conceived by the imagination
From this reading She had slipped behind the man's back, passed between the houses, and escaped into the open, unseen, as she fancied.
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
inflected form of “flee” — run away quickly
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a time she had sped along the road, looking this way and that, expecting at each turn to discover a house, a light, the help she sought.
gaspsnounUS /ɡæsps/
plural of “gasp” — a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading She had slipped behind the man's back, passed between the houses, and escaped into the open, unseen, as she fancied.
imminencenounUS /ˈɪmənəns/
the state of being imminent and liable to happen soon
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
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 LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading For a time she had sped along the road, looking this way and that, expecting at each turn to discover a house, a light, the help she sought.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading For a time she had sped along the road, looking this way and that, expecting at each turn to discover a house, a light, the help she sought.
man'snounUS /mænz/
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Sophia had bidden her run, the moment the man's back was turned.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
a particular point in time
From this reading Sophia had bidden her run, the moment the man's back was turned.
moonbeamsnounUS /ˈmuːnbiːmz/
plural of “moonbeam” — a ray of moonlight
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
obediencenounUS /oʊˈbiːdiəns/
the act of obeying; dutiful or submissive behavior with respect to another person
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading She had slipped behind the man's back, passed between the houses, and escaped into the open, unseen, as she fancied.
pantedverbUS /ˈpæntɪd/
past form of “pant” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading She had slipped behind the man's back, passed between the houses, and escaped into the open, unseen, as she fancied.
perilnounUS /ˈperəl/
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
promptverbUS /prɑːmpt/
give an incentive for action
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Sophia had bidden her run, the moment the man's back was turned.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading She had slipped behind the man's back, passed between the houses, and escaped into the open, unseen, as she fancied.
Sophia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sophia had bidden her run, the moment the man's back was turned.
that is looked for
From this reading For a time she had sped along the road, looking this way and that, expecting at each turn to discover a house, a light, the help she sought.
spedverbUS /sped/
inflected form of “speed” — move hurridly
From this reading For a time she had sped along the road, looking this way and that, expecting at each turn to discover a house, a light, the help she sought.
not in physical motion
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
teachesnounUS /ˈtiːtʃəz/
plural of “teach” — an English pirate who operated in the Caribbean and off the Atlantic coast of North America (died in 1718)
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading For a time she had sped along the road, looking this way and that, expecting at each turn to discover a house, a light, the help she sought.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
push forcefully
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading For a time she had sped along the road, looking this way and that, expecting at each turn to discover a house, a light, the help she sought.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading For a time she had sped along the road, looking this way and that, expecting at each turn to discover a house, a light, the help she sought.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Sophia had bidden her run, the moment the man's back was turned.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
unquestioningadjectiveUS /ənˈkwestʃənɪŋ/
not inclined to ask questions
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
unseenadjectiveUS /ənˈsiːn/
not seen or perceived
From this reading She had slipped behind the man's back, passed between the houses, and escaped into the open, unseen, as she fancied.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Sophia had bidden her run, the moment the man's back was turned.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading For a time she had sped along the road, looking this way and that, expecting at each turn to discover a house, a light, the help she sought.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
a Caucasian
From this reading LADY BETTY'S FATE Lady Betty had left the house on the hill a mile behind, her breath came in heavy gasps, her heart seemed to be bursting through her bodice; still she panted bravely along the road that stretched before her, white under the moonbeams.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading "Give the alarm, get help," she had whispered as she thrust the diamonds into the child's hand; and acting on that instinct of obedience, prompt and unquestioning, which the imminence of peril teaches, Betty had fled on the word.
