used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
abjectadjectiveUS /ˈæbdʒekt/
of the most contemptible kind
From this reading "Lily, Lily!" screamed Ada, throwing herself into her father's arms, while Mrs. Vance fell writhing upon the floor, shrieking in abject terror.
AdanounUS /ˈeɪdə/
an enzyme found in mammals that can catalyze the deamination of adenosine into inosine and ammonia
From this reading "Lily, Lily!" screamed Ada, throwing herself into her father's arms, while Mrs. Vance fell writhing upon the floor, shrieking in abject terror.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading "Lily, Lily!" screamed Ada, throwing herself into her father's arms, while Mrs. Vance fell writhing upon the floor, shrieking in abject terror.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Darkness met him only as he ran excitedly up and down its length.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
awenounUS /ɑː/
an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
blacknessnounUS /ˈblæknəs/
the quality or state of the achromatic color of least lightness (bearing the least resemblance to white)
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
blottedverbUS /ˈblɑːtəd/
inflected form of “blot” — dry (ink) with blotting paper
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
boundedadjectiveUS /ˈbaʊndəd/
having the limits or boundaries established
From this reading Lancelot Darling paused a moment to extricate himself from the clinging hands of the kneeling woman, then bounded out into the hall.
lacking funds
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
clingingverbUS /ˈklɪŋɪŋ/
-ing form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
From this reading Lancelot Darling paused a moment to extricate himself from the clinging hands of the kneeling woman, then bounded out into the hall.
consternationnounUS /ˌkɑːnstərˈneɪʃən/
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
a special loved one
From this reading Lancelot Darling paused a moment to extricate himself from the clinging hands of the kneeling woman, then bounded out into the hall.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Darkness met him only as he ran excitedly up and down its length.
drawing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
excitedlyadverbUS /ɪkˈsaɪtədli/
with excitement; in an excited manner
From this reading Darkness met him only as he ran excitedly up and down its length.
extricateverbUS /ˈekstrəkeɪt/
release from entanglement of difficulty
From this reading Lancelot Darling paused a moment to extricate himself from the clinging hands of the kneeling woman, then bounded out into the hall.
father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading "Lily, Lily!" screamed Ada, throwing herself into her father's arms, while Mrs. Vance fell writhing upon the floor, shrieking in abject terror.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading "Lily, Lily!" screamed Ada, throwing herself into her father's arms, while Mrs. Vance fell writhing upon the floor, shrieking in abject terror.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
floodedadjectiveUS /ˈflʌdəd/
covered with water
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading "Lily, Lily!" screamed Ada, throwing herself into her father's arms, while Mrs. Vance fell writhing upon the floor, shrieking in abject terror.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Lancelot Darling paused a moment to extricate himself from the clinging hands of the kneeling woman, then bounded out into the hall.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading Then the sound of women's screams filled the grand drawing-room.
any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Lancelot Darling paused a moment to extricate himself from the clinging hands of the kneeling woman, then bounded out into the hall.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Darkness met him only as he ran excitedly up and down its length.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "Lily, Lily!" screamed Ada, throwing herself into her father's arms, while Mrs. Vance fell writhing upon the floor, shrieking in abject terror.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading "Lily, Lily!" screamed Ada, throwing herself into her father's arms, while Mrs. Vance fell writhing upon the floor, shrieking in abject terror.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Darkness met him only as he ran excitedly up and down its length.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Lancelot Darling paused a moment to extricate himself from the clinging hands of the kneeling woman, then bounded out into the hall.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "Lily, Lily!" screamed Ada, throwing herself into her father's arms, while Mrs. Vance fell writhing upon the floor, shrieking in abject terror.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Darkness met him only as he ran excitedly up and down its length.
kneelingnounUS /ˈniːlɪŋ/
supporting yourself on your knees
From this reading Lancelot Darling paused a moment to extricate himself from the clinging hands of the kneeling woman, then bounded out into the hall.
LancelotnounUS /ˈlænsəlɑːt/
(Arthurian legend) one of the knights of the Round Table; friend of King Arthur until (according to some versions of the legend) he became the lover of Arthur's wife Guinevere
From this reading Lancelot Darling paused a moment to extricate himself from the clinging hands of the kneeling woman, then bounded out into the hall.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading Darkness met him only as he ran excitedly up and down its length.
LilynounUS /ˈlɪli/
any liliaceous plant of the genus Lilium having showy pendulous flowers
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading Darkness met him only as he ran excitedly up and down its length.
past form of “mingle” — to bring or combine together or with something else
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
a particular point in time
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading "Lily, Lily!" screamed Ada, throwing herself into her father's arms, while Mrs. Vance fell writhing upon the floor, shrieking in abject terror.
obliteratedadjectiveUS /əˈblɪtəreɪtɪd/
reduced to nothingness
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
and nothing more
From this reading Darkness met him only as he ran excitedly up and down its length.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading Lancelot Darling paused a moment to extricate himself from the clinging hands of the kneeling woman, then bounded out into the hall.
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Darkness met him only as he ran excitedly up and down its length.
screamedverbUS /skriːmd/
past form of “scream” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Lily, Lily!" screamed Ada, throwing herself into her father's arms, while Mrs. Vance fell writhing upon the floor, shrieking in abject terror.
screamsnounUS /skriːmz/
plural of “scream” — sharp piercing cry
From this reading Then the sound of women's screams filled the grand drawing-room.
shriekingnounUS /ˈʃriːkɪŋ/
sharp piercing cry
From this reading "Lily, Lily!" screamed Ada, throwing herself into her father's arms, while Mrs. Vance fell writhing upon the floor, shrieking in abject terror.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading "Lily, Lily!" screamed Ada, throwing herself into her father's arms, while Mrs. Vance fell writhing upon the floor, shrieking in abject terror.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then the sound of women's screams filled the grand drawing-room.
-ing form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading "Lily, Lily!" screamed Ada, throwing herself into her father's arms, while Mrs. Vance fell writhing upon the floor, shrieking in abject terror.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Lancelot Darling paused a moment to extricate himself from the clinging hands of the kneeling woman, then bounded out into the hall.
trancenounUS /træns/
a psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Darkness met him only as he ran excitedly up and down its length.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading "Lily, Lily!" screamed Ada, throwing herself into her father's arms, while Mrs. Vance fell writhing upon the floor, shrieking in abject terror.
Vance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Lily, Lily!" screamed Ada, throwing herself into her father's arms, while Mrs. Vance fell writhing upon the floor, shrieking in abject terror.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading "Lily, Lily!" screamed Ada, throwing herself into her father's arms, while Mrs. Vance fell writhing upon the floor, shrieking in abject terror.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Lancelot Darling paused a moment to extricate himself from the clinging hands of the kneeling woman, then bounded out into the hall.
women's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then the sound of women's screams filled the grand drawing-room.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading The group in the drawing-room gazed at Lily for a moment in mingled awe and consternation, but suddenly, before word or sound broke the trance of silence, the beautiful picture was wholly blotted out and obliterated by a blackness of darkness that filled and flooded the wide hall.
writhingadjectiveUS /ˈraɪðɪŋ/
moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion
From this reading "Lily, Lily!" screamed Ada, throwing herself into her father's arms, while Mrs. Vance fell writhing upon the floor, shrieking in abject terror.
