used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT "Polly," a muffled voice murmured in so low a tone that the sound was scarcely audible.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Now that she was coming to her senses, she could feel Betty's body straining close up against her own and her lips almost touching her ear.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Now that she was coming to her senses, she could feel Betty's body straining close up against her own and her lips almost touching her ear.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then a cold hand was slid beneath the bed clothes, clasping a warm, relaxed one and pressing it with sudden intensity.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Polly O'Neill inquired, turning over sleepily and trying to pierce the darkness so as to get a view of her companion.
audibleadjectiveUS /ˈɑːdəbəl/
heard or perceptible by the ear
From this reading A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT "Polly," a muffled voice murmured in so low a tone that the sound was scarcely audible.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading Then a cold hand was slid beneath the bed clothes, clasping a warm, relaxed one and pressing it with sudden intensity.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading Then a cold hand was slid beneath the bed clothes, clasping a warm, relaxed one and pressing it with sudden intensity.
Betty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Betty, did you call me?"
Betty's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now that she was coming to her senses, she could feel Betty's body straining close up against her own and her lips almost touching her ear.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading Now that she was coming to her senses, she could feel Betty's body straining close up against her own and her lips almost touching her ear.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "Betty, did you call me?"
clasping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then a cold hand was slid beneath the bed clothes, clasping a warm, relaxed one and pressing it with sudden intensity.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Now that she was coming to her senses, she could feel Betty's body straining close up against her own and her lips almost touching her ear.
clothing in general
From this reading Then a cold hand was slid beneath the bed clothes, clasping a warm, relaxed one and pressing it with sudden intensity.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading Then a cold hand was slid beneath the bed clothes, clasping a warm, relaxed one and pressing it with sudden intensity.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Now that she was coming to her senses, she could feel Betty's body straining close up against her own and her lips almost touching her ear.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading Polly O'Neill inquired, turning over sleepily and trying to pierce the darkness so as to get a view of her companion.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Now that she was coming to her senses, she could feel Betty's body straining close up against her own and her lips almost touching her ear.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Polly O'Neill inquired, turning over sleepily and trying to pierce the darkness so as to get a view of her companion.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Betty, did you call me?"
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading Now that she was coming to her senses, she could feel Betty's body straining close up against her own and her lips almost touching her ear.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading Now that she was coming to her senses, she could feel Betty's body straining close up against her own and her lips almost touching her ear.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT "Polly," a muffled voice murmured in so low a tone that the sound was scarcely audible.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Polly O'Neill inquired, turning over sleepily and trying to pierce the darkness so as to get a view of her companion.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Then a cold hand was slid beneath the bed clothes, clasping a warm, relaxed one and pressing it with sudden intensity.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Polly O'Neill inquired, turning over sleepily and trying to pierce the darkness so as to get a view of her companion.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT "Polly," a muffled voice murmured in so low a tone that the sound was scarcely audible.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading Polly O'Neill inquired, turning over sleepily and trying to pierce the darkness so as to get a view of her companion.
intensitynounUS /ɪnˈtensəti/
the amount of energy transmitted (as by acoustic or electromagnetic radiation)
From this reading Then a cold hand was slid beneath the bed clothes, clasping a warm, relaxed one and pressing it with sudden intensity.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then a cold hand was slid beneath the bed clothes, clasping a warm, relaxed one and pressing it with sudden intensity.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading Now that she was coming to her senses, she could feel Betty's body straining close up against her own and her lips almost touching her ear.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT "Polly," a muffled voice murmured in so low a tone that the sound was scarcely audible.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Betty, did you call me?"
muffledadjectiveUS /ˈmʌfəld/
being or made softer or less loud or clear
From this reading A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT "Polly," a muffled voice murmured in so low a tone that the sound was scarcely audible.
past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly
From this reading A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT "Polly," a muffled voice murmured in so low a tone that the sound was scarcely audible.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT "Polly," a muffled voice murmured in so low a tone that the sound was scarcely audible.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now that she was coming to her senses, she could feel Betty's body straining close up against her own and her lips almost touching her ear.
O'NeillnounUS /oʊˈniːl/
United States playwright (1888-1953)
From this reading Polly O'Neill inquired, turning over sleepily and trying to pierce the darkness so as to get a view of her companion.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Polly O'Neill inquired, turning over sleepily and trying to pierce the darkness so as to get a view of her companion.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Then a cold hand was slid beneath the bed clothes, clasping a warm, relaxed one and pressing it with sudden intensity.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Polly O'Neill inquired, turning over sleepily and trying to pierce the darkness so as to get a view of her companion.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Now that she was coming to her senses, she could feel Betty's body straining close up against her own and her lips almost touching her ear.
pierceverbUS /pɪrs/
cut or make a way through
From this reading Polly O'Neill inquired, turning over sleepily and trying to pierce the darkness so as to get a view of her companion.
Polly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT "Polly," a muffled voice murmured in so low a tone that the sound was scarcely audible.
the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure
From this reading Then a cold hand was slid beneath the bed clothes, clasping a warm, relaxed one and pressing it with sudden intensity.
relaxedadjectiveUS /rɪˈlækst/
without strain or anxiety
From this reading Then a cold hand was slid beneath the bed clothes, clasping a warm, relaxed one and pressing it with sudden intensity.
only a very short time before
From this reading A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT "Polly," a muffled voice murmured in so low a tone that the sound was scarcely audible.
plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana
From this reading Now that she was coming to her senses, she could feel Betty's body straining close up against her own and her lips almost touching her ear.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Now that she was coming to her senses, she could feel Betty's body straining close up against her own and her lips almost touching her ear.
sleepilyadverbUS /ˈsliːpəli/
in a sleepy manner
From this reading Polly O'Neill inquired, turning over sleepily and trying to pierce the darkness so as to get a view of her companion.
slidverbUS /slɪd/
inflected form of “slide” — move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner
From this reading Then a cold hand was slid beneath the bed clothes, clasping a warm, relaxed one and pressing it with sudden intensity.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT "Polly," a muffled voice murmured in so low a tone that the sound was scarcely audible.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT "Polly," a muffled voice murmured in so low a tone that the sound was scarcely audible.
strainingnounUS /ˈstreɪnɪŋ/
an intense or violent exertion
From this reading Now that she was coming to her senses, she could feel Betty's body straining close up against her own and her lips almost touching her ear.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading Then a cold hand was slid beneath the bed clothes, clasping a warm, relaxed one and pressing it with sudden intensity.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT "Polly," a muffled voice murmured in so low a tone that the sound was scarcely audible.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT "Polly," a muffled voice murmured in so low a tone that the sound was scarcely audible.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then a cold hand was slid beneath the bed clothes, clasping a warm, relaxed one and pressing it with sudden intensity.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Polly O'Neill inquired, turning over sleepily and trying to pierce the darkness so as to get a view of her companion.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT "Polly," a muffled voice murmured in so low a tone that the sound was scarcely audible.
arousing affect
From this reading Now that she was coming to her senses, she could feel Betty's body straining close up against her own and her lips almost touching her ear.
hard to endure
From this reading Polly O'Neill inquired, turning over sleepily and trying to pierce the darkness so as to get a view of her companion.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading Polly O'Neill inquired, turning over sleepily and trying to pierce the darkness so as to get a view of her companion.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Now that she was coming to her senses, she could feel Betty's body straining close up against her own and her lips almost touching her ear.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading Polly O'Neill inquired, turning over sleepily and trying to pierce the darkness so as to get a view of her companion.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT "Polly," a muffled voice murmured in so low a tone that the sound was scarcely audible.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading Then a cold hand was slid beneath the bed clothes, clasping a warm, relaxed one and pressing it with sudden intensity.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT "Polly," a muffled voice murmured in so low a tone that the sound was scarcely audible.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Then a cold hand was slid beneath the bed clothes, clasping a warm, relaxed one and pressing it with sudden intensity.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Betty, did you call me?"
