used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
AbrahamnounUS /ˈeɪbrəhæm/
the first of the Old Testament patriarchs and the father of Isaac; according to Genesis, God promised to give Abraham's family (the Hebrews) the land of Canaan (the Promised Land); God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading A little group of men and women stood round her--the men mostly young, clean-shaven, alert, and capable in expression; the women in the uniform of hospital nurses.
alternatelyadverbUS /ˈɔːltərnətli/
in an alternating sequence or position
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A little group of men and women stood round her--the men mostly young, clean-shaven, alert, and capable in expression; the women in the uniform of hospital nurses.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
(usually followed by “of”) having capacity or ability
From this reading A little group of men and women stood round her--the men mostly young, clean-shaven, alert, and capable in expression; the women in the uniform of hospital nurses.
clean-shavenadjective
closely shaved recently
From this reading A little group of men and women stood round her--the men mostly young, clean-shaven, alert, and capable in expression; the women in the uniform of hospital nurses.
demanding attention
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading A little group of men and women stood round her--the men mostly young, clean-shaven, alert, and capable in expression; the women in the uniform of hospital nurses.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Well, nurse," said the great man, "I must go.
good-byenounUS /ɡɪdˈbaɪ/
a farewell remark
From this reading She was saying good-bye.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading A little group of men and women stood round her--the men mostly young, clean-shaven, alert, and capable in expression; the women in the uniform of hospital nurses.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading A little group of men and women stood round her--the men mostly young, clean-shaven, alert, and capable in expression; the women in the uniform of hospital nurses.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
a health facility where patients receive treatment
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Well, nurse," said the great man, "I must go.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
United States labor leader (born in Ireland) who helped to found the Industrial Workers of the World (1830-1930)
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A little group of men and women stood round her--the men mostly young, clean-shaven, alert, and capable in expression; the women in the uniform of hospital nurses.
Lys
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "Well, nurse," said the great man, "I must go.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
the force of workers available
From this reading A little group of men and women stood round her--the men mostly young, clean-shaven, alert, and capable in expression; the women in the uniform of hospital nurses.
mostlyadverbUS /ˈmoʊstli/
in large part; mainly or chiefly
From this reading A little group of men and women stood round her--the men mostly young, clean-shaven, alert, and capable in expression; the women in the uniform of hospital nurses.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "Well, nurse," said the great man, "I must go.
try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury
From this reading "Well, nurse," said the great man, "I must go.
nursesnounUS /ˈnɜːrsəz/
plural of “nurse” — one skilled in caring for young children or the sick (usually under the supervision of a physician)
From this reading A little group of men and women stood round her--the men mostly young, clean-shaven, alert, and capable in expression; the women in the uniform of hospital nurses.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
pince-neznoun
spectacles clipped to the nose by a spring
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
having a point
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
polishedadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːlɪʃt/
perfected or made shiny and smooth
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
with low volume
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
past form of “reveal” — make visible
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading A little group of men and women stood round her--the men mostly young, clean-shaven, alert, and capable in expression; the women in the uniform of hospital nurses.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Well, nurse," said the great man, "I must go.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading She was saying good-bye.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
term of address for a man
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
surgeonnounUS /ˈsɜːrdʒən/
a physician who specializes in surgery
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
tuggedverbUS /tʌɡd/
inflected form of “tug” — pull hard
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
always the same; showing a single form or character in all occurrences
From this reading A little group of men and women stood round her--the men mostly young, clean-shaven, alert, and capable in expression; the women in the uniform of hospital nurses.
a vivid mental image
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
visitingnounUS /ˈvɪzɪtɪŋ/
the activity of making visits
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was saying good-bye.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Well, nurse," said the great man, "I must go.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Some of the women were crying quietly, and the great visiting surgeon, Sir Abraham Jones himself, alternately tugged at his grey, pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez.
in or at the place that
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading A little group of men and women stood round her--the men mostly young, clean-shaven, alert, and capable in expression; the women in the uniform of hospital nurses.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
a late time of life
From this reading REVEALED IN A VISION Mary Lys stood in the great hall of the East End Hospital, where she had worked for three years.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading A little group of men and women stood round her--the men mostly young, clean-shaven, alert, and capable in expression; the women in the uniform of hospital nurses.
