used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He opened them and for a time was blinded by a narrow shaft, of sunlight resting on his face.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading This time his eyes remained open, staring about him, dilating with a wilder fright than he had experienced in the dark mazes of his nightmare adventure.
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
From this reading This time his eyes remained open, staring about him, dilating with a wilder fright than he had experienced in the dark mazes of his nightmare adventure.
anew
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He opened them and for a time was blinded by a narrow shaft, of sunlight resting on his face.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading Subtle curiosity forced its way into his sick brain and stung him wide awake.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
blindedadjectiveUS /ˈblaɪndɪd/
deprived of sight
From this reading He opened them and for a time was blinded by a narrow shaft, of sunlight resting on his face.
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading Subtle curiosity forced its way into his sick brain and stung him wide awake.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He opened them and for a time was blinded by a narrow shaft, of sunlight resting on his face.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
power to direct or determine
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading Subtle curiosity forced its way into his sick brain and stung him wide awake.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading This time his eyes remained open, staring about him, dilating with a wilder fright than he had experienced in the dark mazes of his nightmare adventure.
dilating
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This time his eyes remained open, staring about him, dilating with a wilder fright than he had experienced in the dark mazes of his nightmare adventure.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
having experience; having knowledge or skill from observation or participation
From this reading This time his eyes remained open, staring about him, dilating with a wilder fright than he had experienced in the dark mazes of his nightmare adventure.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Something hurt his eyes.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading He opened them and for a time was blinded by a narrow shaft, of sunlight resting on his face.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He opened them and for a time was blinded by a narrow shaft, of sunlight resting on his face.
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading Subtle curiosity forced its way into his sick brain and stung him wide awake.
frightnounUS /fraɪt/
an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading This time his eyes remained open, staring about him, dilating with a wilder fright than he had experienced in the dark mazes of his nightmare adventure.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He opened them and for a time was blinded by a narrow shaft, of sunlight resting on his face.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
any place of pain and turmoil
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Subtle curiosity forced its way into his sick brain and stung him wide awake.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Something hurt his eyes.
be the source of pain
From this reading Something hurt his eyes.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading This time his eyes remained open, staring about him, dilating with a wilder fright than he had experienced in the dark mazes of his nightmare adventure.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Subtle curiosity forced its way into his sick brain and stung him wide awake.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Subtle curiosity forced its way into his sick brain and stung him wide awake.
mazesnounUS /ˈmeɪzɪz/
plural of “maze” — complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost
From this reading This time his eyes remained open, staring about him, dilating with a wilder fright than he had experienced in the dark mazes of his nightmare adventure.
and nothing more
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading He opened them and for a time was blinded by a narrow shaft, of sunlight resting on his face.
nightmarenounUS /ˈnaɪt.mɛr/
A terrifying or distressing dream.
From this reading This time his eyes remained open, staring about him, dilating with a wilder fright than he had experienced in the dark mazes of his nightmare adventure.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He opened them and for a time was blinded by a narrow shaft, of sunlight resting on his face.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He opened them and for a time was blinded by a narrow shaft, of sunlight resting on his face.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading This time his eyes remained open, staring about him, dilating with a wilder fright than he had experienced in the dark mazes of his nightmare adventure.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading He opened them and for a time was blinded by a narrow shaft, of sunlight resting on his face.
involving the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading This time his eyes remained open, staring about him, dilating with a wilder fright than he had experienced in the dark mazes of his nightmare adventure.
-ing form of “rest” — not move; be in a resting position
From this reading He opened them and for a time was blinded by a narrow shaft, of sunlight resting on his face.
sensationsnounUS /senˈseɪʃənz/
plural of “sensation” — an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
shaftnounUS /ʃæft/
a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer
From this reading He opened them and for a time was blinded by a narrow shaft, of sunlight resting on his face.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading Subtle curiosity forced its way into his sick brain and stung him wide awake.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Something hurt his eyes.
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading This time his eyes remained open, staring about him, dilating with a wilder fright than he had experienced in the dark mazes of his nightmare adventure.
stungadjectiveUS /stʌŋ/
aroused to impatience or anger
From this reading Subtle curiosity forced its way into his sick brain and stung him wide awake.
SubtleadjectiveUS /ˈsʌtəl/
difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
From this reading Subtle curiosity forced its way into his sick brain and stung him wide awake.
the rays of the sun
From this reading He opened them and for a time was blinded by a narrow shaft, of sunlight resting on his face.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading This time his eyes remained open, staring about him, dilating with a wilder fright than he had experienced in the dark mazes of his nightmare adventure.
thankfuladjectiveUS /ˈθæŋkfəl/
feeling or showing gratitude
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading He opened them and for a time was blinded by a narrow shaft, of sunlight resting on his face.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This time his eyes remained open, staring about him, dilating with a wilder fright than he had experienced in the dark mazes of his nightmare adventure.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading He opened them and for a time was blinded by a narrow shaft, of sunlight resting on his face.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
hard to endure
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He opened them and for a time was blinded by a narrow shaft, of sunlight resting on his face.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Subtle curiosity forced its way into his sick brain and stung him wide awake.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Subtle curiosity forced its way into his sick brain and stung him wide awake.
wildernounUS /ˈwaɪldər/
United States writer and dramatist (1897-1975)
From this reading This time his eyes remained open, staring about him, dilating with a wilder fright than he had experienced in the dark mazes of his nightmare adventure.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With an effort he moved his head to one side and closed his eyes again, at first merely thankful that he had escaped from the black hell, trying to control his sensations of physical evil.
