used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Pearl's father came the next day, an older man than Hanson had imagined and of a different type.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Pearl's father came the next day, an older man than Hanson had imagined and of a different type.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Pearl's father came the next day, an older man than Hanson had imagined and of a different type.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
beetlingadjective
jutting or overhanging
From this reading He was a saturnine, gnarled old Spaniard with lean jaws and beetling brows.
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
of surpassing excellence
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
browsnounUS /braʊz/
plural of “brow” — the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading He was a saturnine, gnarled old Spaniard with lean jaws and beetling brows.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Pearl's father came the next day, an older man than Hanson had imagined and of a different type.
plural of “cheek” — either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
circusnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəs/
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
clungverbUS /klʌŋ/
inflected form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Pearl's father came the next day, an older man than Hanson had imagined and of a different type.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading Pearl's father came the next day, an older man than Hanson had imagined and of a different type.
emotionaladjectiveUS /ɪˈmoʊʃənəl/
determined or actuated by emotion rather than reason
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
opinion or judgment
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Pearl's father came the next day, an older man than Hanson had imagined and of a different type.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
marked by extreme and violent energy
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
footlightsnounUS /ˈfʊtlaɪts/
theater light at the front of a stage that illuminate the set and actors
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
gnarledadjectiveUS /nɑːrld/
used of old persons or old trees; covered with knobs or knots
From this reading He was a saturnine, gnarled old Spaniard with lean jaws and beetling brows.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Pearl's father came the next day, an older man than Hanson had imagined and of a different type.
Hanson
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pearl's father came the next day, an older man than Hanson had imagined and of a different type.
hawk's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was a saturnine, gnarled old Spaniard with lean jaws and beetling brows.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
an indirect suggestion
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His skin was like parchment.
hollowsnounUS /ˈhɑːloʊz/
plural of “hollow” — a cavity or space in something
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading Pearl's father came the next day, an older man than Hanson had imagined and of a different type.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
inheritancenounUS /ˌɪnˈherətəns/
hereditary succession to a title or an office or property
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
jawsnounUS /dʒɔːz/
plural of “jaw” — the part of the skull of a vertebrate that frames the mouth and holds the teeth
From this reading He was a saturnine, gnarled old Spaniard with lean jaws and beetling brows.
leanverbUS /liːn/
to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading He was a saturnine, gnarled old Spaniard with lean jaws and beetling brows.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading His skin was like parchment.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Pearl's father came the next day, an older man than Hanson had imagined and of a different type.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Pearl's father came the next day, an older man than Hanson had imagined and of a different type.
not any; not one
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Pearl's father came the next day, an older man than Hanson had imagined and of a different type.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading He was a saturnine, gnarled old Spaniard with lean jaws and beetling brows.
olderadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldər/
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading Pearl's father came the next day, an older man than Hanson had imagined and of a different type.
parchmentnounUS /ˈpɑːrtʃ.mənt/
A stiff, flat, thin material made from the prepared skin of an animal, used for writing.
From this reading His skin was like parchment.
Pearl's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pearl's father came the next day, an older man than Hanson had imagined and of a different type.
piercingadjectiveUS /ˈpɪrsɪŋ/
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
saturnineadjective
bitter or scornful
From this reading He was a saturnine, gnarled old Spaniard with lean jaws and beetling brows.
a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch
From this reading His skin was like parchment.
smackverbUS /smæk/
deliver a hard blow to
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
in or characteristic of a region of the United States south of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
SpaniardnounUS /ˈspænjərd/
a native or inhabitant of Spain
From this reading He was a saturnine, gnarled old Spaniard with lean jaws and beetling brows.
required or under orders
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
swaggerverbUS /ˈswæɡər/
to walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
temperamentnounUS /ˈtemprəmənt/
your usual mood
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Pearl's father came the next day, an older man than Hanson had imagined and of a different type.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Pearl's father came the next day, an older man than Hanson had imagined and of a different type.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
a subdivision of a particular kind of thing
From this reading Pearl's father came the next day, an older man than Hanson had imagined and of a different type.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was no smack of the circus ring about him, no swagger of the footlights; nor any hint of the emotional, gay temperament supposed to be the inheritance of southern blood.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He was a saturnine, gnarled old Spaniard with lean jaws and beetling brows.
wrinklesnounUS /ˈrɪŋkəlz/
plural of “wrinkle” — a slight depression or fold in the smoothness of a surface
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading It clung to his bones and fell in heavy wrinkles in the hollows of his cheeks and about his mouth; and his dark eyes, fierce as a wild hawk's, were as brilliant and piercing as in youth.
