used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
react verbally
From this reading Several of the party failed to answer to their names when the roll was called.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Milk, for whom any sort of excitement was bad, was keeping her room.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As for Light, she had been on bad terms with Night since the world began; and Fire, as a relation, shared her dislike.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading Milk, for whom any sort of excitement was bad, was keeping her room.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading As for Light, she had been on bad terms with Night since the world began; and Fire, as a relation, shared her dislike.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading As for Light, she had been on bad terms with Night since the world began; and Fire, as a relation, shared her dislike.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Several of the party failed to answer to their names when the roll was called.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
the first light of day
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
dislikenounUS /dɪˈslaɪk/
an inclination to withhold approval from some person or group
From this reading As for Light, she had been on bad terms with Night since the world began; and Fire, as a relation, shared her dislike.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading Milk, for whom any sort of excitement was bad, was keeping her room.
accept an excuse for
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading Several of the party failed to answer to their names when the roll was called.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
fatiguenounUS /fəˈtiːɡ/
temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
start firing a weapon
From this reading As for Light, she had been on bad terms with Night since the world began; and Fire, as a relation, shared her dislike.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Milk, for whom any sort of excitement was bad, was keeping her room.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading As for Light, she had been on bad terms with Night since the world began; and Fire, as a relation, shared her dislike.
half-dead
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Milk, for whom any sort of excitement was bad, was keeping her room.
past form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
conformity or harmony
From this reading Milk, for whom any sort of excitement was bad, was keeping her room.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading As for Light, she had been on bad terms with Night since the world began; and Fire, as a relation, shared her dislike.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
a white nutritious liquid secreted by mammals and used as food by human beings
From this reading Milk, for whom any sort of excitement was bad, was keeping her room.
mossnounUS /mɔːs/
tiny leafy-stemmed flowerless plants
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
verbal abuse; a crude substitute for argument
From this reading Several of the party failed to answer to their names when the roll was called.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading As for Light, she had been on bad terms with Night since the world began; and Fire, as a relation, shared her dislike.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading Several of the party failed to answer to their names when the roll was called.
an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of two entities or parts together
From this reading As for Light, she had been on bad terms with Night since the world began; and Fire, as a relation, shared her dislike.
move by turning over or rotating
From this reading Several of the party failed to answer to their names when the roll was called.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Milk, for whom any sort of excitement was bad, was keeping her room.
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Several of the party failed to answer to their names when the roll was called.
sharedadjectiveUS /ʃerd/
have in common; held or experienced in common
From this reading As for Light, she had been on bad terms with Night since the world began; and Fire, as a relation, shared her dislike.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading As for Light, she had been on bad terms with Night since the world began; and Fire, as a relation, shared her dislike.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading Milk, for whom any sort of excitement was bad, was keeping her room.
status with respect to the relations between people or groups
From this reading As for Light, she had been on bad terms with Night since the world began; and Fire, as a relation, shared her dislike.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Several of the party failed to answer to their names when the roll was called.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
at the time that
From this reading Several of the party failed to answer to their names when the roll was called.
in or at the place that
From this reading THE PALACE OF NIGHT Some time after, the Children and their friends met at the first dawn to go to the Palace of Night, where they hoped to find the Blue Bird.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Milk, for whom any sort of excitement was bad, was keeping her room.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Water sent an excuse: she was accustomed always to travel in a bed of moss, was already half-dead with fatigue and was afraid of falling ill.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading As for Light, she had been on bad terms with Night since the world began; and Fire, as a relation, shared her dislike.
