used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
(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 Colonel Crayfield stood silent, motionless, until all sound of Philip Flint's exit had ceased.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She held her breath, half expecting him to kill her there and then.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
bewilderedadjectiveUS /bɪˈwɪldərd/
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading Passing through the hall, she encountered Philip's old servant; he looked harassed, bewildered, as he salaamed.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading She held her breath, half expecting him to kill her there and then.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading Colonel Crayfield stood silent, motionless, until all sound of Philip Flint's exit had ceased.
a young person of either sex
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
ChinesenounUS /tʃaɪˈniːz/
any of the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in China; regarded as dialects of a single language (even though they are mutually unintelligible) because they share an ideographic writing system
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading Colonel Crayfield stood silent, motionless, until all sound of Philip Flint's exit had ceased.
Crayfield
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Colonel Crayfield stood silent, motionless, until all sound of Philip Flint's exit had ceased.
dazedadjectiveUS /deɪzd/
in a state of mental numbness especially as resulting from shock
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
depictedadjectiveUS /dɪˈpɪktəd/
represented graphically by sketch or design or lines
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
dimlyadverbUS /ˈdɪmli/
in a dim indistinct manner
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
dumbadjectiveUS /dʌm/
slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
encounteredverbUS /ɪnˈkaʊntərd/
past form of “encounter” — come together
From this reading Passing through the hall, she encountered Philip's old servant; he looked harassed, bewildered, as he salaamed.
exitnounUS /ˈeɡzɪt/
an opening that permits escape or release
From this reading Colonel Crayfield stood silent, motionless, until all sound of Philip Flint's exit had ceased.
-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading She held her breath, half expecting him to kill her there and then.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
Flint'snounUS /flɪnts/
possessive form of “flint” — a hard kind of stone; a form of silica more opaque than chalcedony
From this reading Colonel Crayfield stood silent, motionless, until all sound of Philip Flint's exit had ceased.
grimlyadverbUS /ˈɡrɪmli/
in a grim implacable manner
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Colonel Crayfield stood silent, motionless, until all sound of Philip Flint's exit had ceased.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading She held her breath, half expecting him to kill her there and then.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading Passing through the hall, she encountered Philip's old servant; he looked harassed, bewildered, as he salaamed.
harassedadjectiveUS /hərˈæst/
troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
From this reading Passing through the hall, she encountered Philip's old servant; he looked harassed, bewildered, as he salaamed.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading She held her breath, half expecting him to kill her there and then.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She held her breath, half expecting him to kill her there and then.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading She held her breath, half expecting him to kill her there and then.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
and nothing more
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
monsternounUS /ˈmɑːnstər/
an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
not in physical motion
From this reading Colonel Crayfield stood silent, motionless, until all sound of Philip Flint's exit had ceased.
obediencenounUS /oʊˈbiːdiəns/
the act of obeying; dutiful or submissive behavior with respect to another person
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Colonel Crayfield stood silent, motionless, until all sound of Philip Flint's exit had ceased.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Passing through the hall, she encountered Philip's old servant; he looked harassed, bewildered, as he salaamed.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading Passing through the hall, she encountered Philip's old servant; he looked harassed, bewildered, as he salaamed.
Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)
From this reading Colonel Crayfield stood silent, motionless, until all sound of Philip Flint's exit had ceased.
Philip'snounUS /ˈfɪləps/
possessive form of “philip” — Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)
From this reading Passing through the hall, she encountered Philip's old servant; he looked harassed, bewildered, as he salaamed.
past form of “remind” — put in the mind of someone
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
salaamed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Passing through the hall, she encountered Philip's old servant; he looked harassed, bewildered, as he salaamed.
screennounUS /skriːn/
a white or silvered surface where pictures can be projected for viewing
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading Passing through the hall, she encountered Philip's old servant; he looked harassed, bewildered, as he salaamed.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She held her breath, half expecting him to kill her there and then.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading Colonel Crayfield stood silent, motionless, until all sound of Philip Flint's exit had ceased.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Colonel Crayfield stood silent, motionless, until all sound of Philip Flint's exit had ceased.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
StellanounUS /ˈstelə/
United States minimalist painter (born in 1936)
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Colonel Crayfield stood silent, motionless, until all sound of Philip Flint's exit had ceased.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Passing through the hall, she encountered Philip's old servant; he looked harassed, bewildered, as he salaamed.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading She held her breath, half expecting him to kill her there and then.
in or at that place or location
From this reading She held her breath, half expecting him to kill her there and then.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Passing through the hall, she encountered Philip's old servant; he looked harassed, bewildered, as he salaamed.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She held her breath, half expecting him to kill her there and then.
unrulyadjectiveUS /ənˈruːli/
noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Colonel Crayfield stood silent, motionless, until all sound of Philip Flint's exit had ceased.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading Instead, to her amazement, he merely spoke to her as he might have spoken to an unruly child caught in some act of mischief, ordered her to her room, watched her grimly as she rose in dumb obedience.
at the time that
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
in the company of; together with
From this reading When, with a dazed effort, Stella looked up at her husband, his face reminded her dimly of some monster depicted on a Chinese screen.
