AdeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading AS A BIRD OUT OF A SNARE Sylvia dressed for dinner literally like one in a dream.
althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was nothing like so exciting as people said, to get engaged, she thought as she brushed out her hair and put it up in a big, gleaming knot.
ASconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading AS A BIRD OUT OF A SNARE Sylvia dressed for dinner literally like one in a dream.
astonishedadjectiveUS /əˈstɑːnɪʃt/
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Here she had been engaged for a whole hour and a half, and was getting calmer every minute, instead of the reverse.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was nothing like so exciting as people said, to get engaged, she thought as she brushed out her hair and put it up in a big, gleaming knot.
BIRDnounUS /bɜːrd/
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading AS A BIRD OUT OF A SNARE Sylvia dressed for dinner literally like one in a dream.
brainnounUS /breɪn/
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 She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
brushedadjectiveUS /brʌʃt/
touched lightly in passing; grazed against
From this reading It was nothing like so exciting as people said, to get engaged, she thought as she brushed out her hair and put it up in a big, gleaming knot.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
calmverbUS /kɑːm/
make calm or still
From this reading Outwardly she was so calm that she thought she was so inwardly.
calmeradjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmər/
comparative of “calm” — not agitated; without losing self-possession
From this reading Here she had been engaged for a whole hour and a half, and was getting calmer every minute, instead of the reverse.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading AS A BIRD OUT OF A SNARE Sylvia dressed for dinner literally like one in a dream.
doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
dreamnounUS /driːm/
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading AS A BIRD OUT OF A SNARE Sylvia dressed for dinner literally like one in a dream.
dressedadjectiveUS /drest/
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading AS A BIRD OUT OF A SNARE Sylvia dressed for dinner literally like one in a dream.
engagedadjectiveUS /enˈɡeɪdʒd/
having ones attention or mind or energy engaged
From this reading It was nothing like so exciting as people said, to get engaged, she thought as she brushed out her hair and put it up in a big, gleaming knot.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Here she had been engaged for a whole hour and a half, and was getting calmer every minute, instead of the reverse.
excitingadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ/
creating or arousing excitement
From this reading It was nothing like so exciting as people said, to get engaged, she thought as she brushed out her hair and put it up in a big, gleaming knot.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading AS A BIRD OUT OF A SNARE Sylvia dressed for dinner literally like one in a dream.
getverbUS /ɡet/
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading It was nothing like so exciting as people said, to get engaged, she thought as she brushed out her hair and put it up in a big, gleaming knot.
gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/
the act of acquiring something
From this reading Here she had been engaged for a whole hour and a half, and was getting calmer every minute, instead of the reverse.
gleamingnounUS /ˈɡliːmɪŋ/
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading It was nothing like so exciting as people said, to get engaged, she thought as she brushed out her hair and put it up in a big, gleaming knot.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Here she had been engaged for a whole hour and a half, and was getting calmer every minute, instead of the reverse.
hairnounUS /her/
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading It was nothing like so exciting as people said, to get engaged, she thought as she brushed out her hair and put it up in a big, gleaming knot.
halfadjectiveUS /hæf/
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Here she had been engaged for a whole hour and a half, and was getting calmer every minute, instead of the reverse.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It was nothing like so exciting as people said, to get engaged, she thought as she brushed out her hair and put it up in a big, gleaming knot.
HereadverbUS /hiːr/
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here she had been engaged for a whole hour and a half, and was getting calmer every minute, instead of the reverse.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
hournounUS /ˈaʊər/
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Here she had been engaged for a whole hour and a half, and was getting calmer every minute, instead of the reverse.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading AS A BIRD OUT OF A SNARE Sylvia dressed for dinner literally like one in a dream.
insteadadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsted/
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading Here she had been engaged for a whole hour and a half, and was getting calmer every minute, instead of the reverse.
inwardlyadverbUS /ˈɪnwərdli/
with respect to private feelings
From this reading Outwardly she was so calm that she thought she was so inwardly.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was nothing like so exciting as people said, to get engaged, she thought as she brushed out her hair and put it up in a big, gleaming knot.
knotnounUS /nɑːt/
a tight cluster of people or things
From this reading It was nothing like so exciting as people said, to get engaged, she thought as she brushed out her hair and put it up in a big, gleaming knot.
lacunae
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
likeverbUS /laɪk/
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading AS A BIRD OUT OF A SNARE Sylvia dressed for dinner literally like one in a dream.
literallyadverbUS /ˈlɪtərəli/
in a literal sense
From this reading AS A BIRD OUT OF A SNARE Sylvia dressed for dinner literally like one in a dream.
luciditynounUS /luːˈsɪdɪti/
free from obscurity and easy to understand; the comprehensibility of clear expression
From this reading She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
minutenounUS /ˈmɪnət/
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading Here she had been engaged for a whole hour and a half, and was getting calmer every minute, instead of the reverse.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading It was nothing like so exciting as people said, to get engaged, she thought as she brushed out her hair and put it up in a big, gleaming knot.
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AS A BIRD OUT OF A SNARE Sylvia dressed for dinner literally like one in a dream.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading AS A BIRD OUT OF A SNARE Sylvia dressed for dinner literally like one in a dream.
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/
and nothing more
From this reading She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
OUTadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading AS A BIRD OUT OF A SNARE Sylvia dressed for dinner literally like one in a dream.
OutwardlyadverbUS /ˈaʊtwərdli/
with respect to the outside
From this reading Outwardly she was so calm that she thought she was so inwardly.
peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading It was nothing like so exciting as people said, to get engaged, she thought as she brushed out her hair and put it up in a big, gleaming knot.
putverbUS /pʊt/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It was nothing like so exciting as people said, to get engaged, she thought as she brushed out her hair and put it up in a big, gleaming knot.
reverseverbUS /rɪˈvɜːrs/
change to the contrary
From this reading Here she had been engaged for a whole hour and a half, and was getting calmer every minute, instead of the reverse.
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading It was nothing like so exciting as people said, to get engaged, she thought as she brushed out her hair and put it up in a big, gleaming knot.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Outwardly she was so calm that she thought she was so inwardly.
SNAREnounUS /sner/
something (often something deceptively attractive) that catches you unawares
From this reading AS A BIRD OUT OF A SNARE Sylvia dressed for dinner literally like one in a dream.
snatchesnounUS /ˈsnætʃɪz/
plural of “snatch” — a small fragment
From this reading She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Outwardly she was so calm that she thought she was so inwardly.
Sylvia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AS A BIRD OUT OF A SNARE Sylvia dressed for dinner literally like one in a dream.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Outwardly she was so calm that she thought she was so inwardly.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Here she had been engaged for a whole hour and a half, and was getting calmer every minute, instead of the reverse.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Outwardly she was so calm that she thought she was so inwardly.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was nothing like so exciting as people said, to get engaged, she thought as she brushed out her hair and put it up in a big, gleaming knot.
toldverbUS /toʊld/
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading It was nothing like so exciting as people said, to get engaged, she thought as she brushed out her hair and put it up in a big, gleaming knot.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Outwardly she was so calm that she thought she was so inwardly.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading Here she had been engaged for a whole hour and a half, and was getting calmer every minute, instead of the reverse.
workedverbUS /wɜːrkt/
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading She astonished herself by the lucidity of her brain, although it only worked by snatches--there being lacunae when she could not have told what she was doing.
