used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The bear might have been nothing more than a rock to him now, against which she was leaning.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
Baree's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not hear Baree's low growling.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
have
From this reading The bear might have been nothing more than a rock to him now, against which she was leaning.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The bear might have been nothing more than a rock to him now, against which she was leaning.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
a young person of either sex
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
clearnessnounUS /ˈklɪrnəs/
free from obscurity and easy to understand; the comprehensibility of clear expression
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
curlingnounUS /ˈkɜːrlɪŋ/
a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did not hear Baree's low growling.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
intense or sharp
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
having a face or facing especially of a specified kind or number; often used in combination
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
a young female
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
growlingnounUS /ˈɡroʊlɪŋ/
a gruff or angry utterance (suggestive of the growling of an animal)
From this reading He did not hear Baree's low growling.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
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 Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The bear might have been nothing more than a rock to him now, against which she was leaning.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He did not hear Baree's low growling.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading He did not hear Baree's low growling.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
immensitynoun
unusual largeness in size or extent or number
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal
From this reading The bear might have been nothing more than a rock to him now, against which she was leaning.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading He did not hear Baree's low growling.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The bear might have been nothing more than a rock to him now, against which she was leaning.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The bear might have been nothing more than a rock to him now, against which she was leaning.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He did not hear Baree's low growling.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading The bear might have been nothing more than a rock to him now, against which she was leaning.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
by chance
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
protectingadjectiveUS /prəˈtektɪŋ/
shielding (or designed to shield) against harm or discomfort
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
quiveringnounUS /ˈkwɪvərɪŋ/
a shaky motion
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
riotnounUS /ˈraɪət/
a public act of violence by an unruly mob
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The bear might have been nothing more than a rock to him now, against which she was leaning.
savagenessnoun
the property of being untamed and ferocious
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
shortnessnounUS /ˈʃɔːrtnəs/
the property of being of short spatial extent
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
skirtnounUS /skɜːrt/
cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
slimnessnoun
a small margin
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
having great beauty and splendor
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
in a strange manner
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
tangledadjectiveUS /ˈtæŋɡəld/
in a confused mass
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The bear might have been nothing more than a rock to him now, against which she was leaning.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
in or at that place or location
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
tressesnounUS /ˈtresɪz/
plural of “tress” — a hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
unfalteringadjective
marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
precisely as stated
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Perhaps it was the way her hair fell in a tangled riot of curling tresses over her shoulders and breast; the slimness of her; the shortness of her skirt; the unfaltering clearness of the great, blue eyes that were staring at him; and, above all else, the manner in which she had spoken her name.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
but in spite of that
From this reading She was splendid as she stood there, an exquisite human touch in the savageness of the world about her--and yet strangely wild as she faced David, protecting with her own quivering body the great beast behind her.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading To David, in the first immensity of his astonishment, she had seemed to be a woman; but now she looked to him like a child, a very young girl.
