used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She could have made him so comfortable at home.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
climaxnounUS /ˈklaɪmæks/
the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)
From this reading She could have made him so comfortable at home.
complicatedadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmpləkeɪtəd/
difficult to analyze or understand
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
unvarying in nature
From this reading Had Patty been free to keep a constant watch upon him, it was her opinion that she could have prevented his continual escape into the night.
continualadjectiveUS /kənˈtɪnjuːəl/
recurring regularly or frequently in a prolonged and closely spaced series
From this reading Had Patty been free to keep a constant watch upon him, it was her opinion that she could have prevented his continual escape into the night.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Had Patty been free to keep a constant watch upon him, it was her opinion that she could have prevented his continual escape into the night.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading By moments she had visions of what she could do to reclaim her husband and satisfy him, if the dreadful restraint of the old man and his nightly game were withdrawn.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading By moments she had visions of what she could do to reclaim her husband and satisfy him, if the dreadful restraint of the old man and his nightly game were withdrawn.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading Had Patty been free to keep a constant watch upon him, it was her opinion that she could have prevented his continual escape into the night.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading Had Patty been free to keep a constant watch upon him, it was her opinion that she could have prevented his continual escape into the night.
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading By moments she had visions of what she could do to reclaim her husband and satisfy him, if the dreadful restraint of the old man and his nightly game were withdrawn.
Gervase's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
destroyed or killed
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Had Patty been free to keep a constant watch upon him, it was her opinion that she could have prevented his continual escape into the night.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Had Patty been free to keep a constant watch upon him, it was her opinion that she could have prevented his continual escape into the night.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading She could have made him so comfortable at home.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
humiliationnounUS /hjuːˌmɪliˈeɪʃən/
state of disgrace or loss of self-respect
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading By moments she had visions of what she could do to reclaim her husband and satisfy him, if the dreadful restraint of the old man and his nightly game were withdrawn.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading By moments she had visions of what she could do to reclaim her husband and satisfy him, if the dreadful restraint of the old man and his nightly game were withdrawn.
a single distinct event
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
indoorsadverbUS /ˈɪndɔːrz/
within a building
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Had Patty been free to keep a constant watch upon him, it was her opinion that she could have prevented his continual escape into the night.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Had Patty been free to keep a constant watch upon him, it was her opinion that she could have prevented his continual escape into the night.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading She could have made him so comfortable at home.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading By moments she had visions of what she could do to reclaim her husband and satisfy him, if the dreadful restraint of the old man and his nightly game were withdrawn.
joined in matrimony
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading By moments she had visions of what she could do to reclaim her husband and satisfy him, if the dreadful restraint of the old man and his nightly game were withdrawn.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Had Patty been free to keep a constant watch upon him, it was her opinion that she could have prevented his continual escape into the night.
nightlyadjectiveUS /ˈnaɪtli/
happening every night
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading By moments she had visions of what she could do to reclaim her husband and satisfy him, if the dreadful restraint of the old man and his nightly game were withdrawn.
and nothing more
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty
From this reading Had Patty been free to keep a constant watch upon him, it was her opinion that she could have prevented his continual escape into the night.
PattynounUS /ˈpæti/
small flat mass of chopped food
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
an amount of time
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
preventedverbUS /prɪˈventɪd/
past form of “prevent” — keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading Had Patty been free to keep a constant watch upon him, it was her opinion that she could have prevented his continual escape into the night.
rainsnounUS /reɪnz/
plural of “rain” — water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
rarelyadverbUS /ˈrerli/
not often
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
reclaimverbUS /riˈkleɪm/
claim back
From this reading By moments she had visions of what she could do to reclaim her husband and satisfy him, if the dreadful restraint of the old man and his nightly game were withdrawn.
restraintnounUS /rɪˈstreɪnt/
the act of controlling by restraining someone or something
From this reading By moments she had visions of what she could do to reclaim her husband and satisfy him, if the dreadful restraint of the old man and his nightly game were withdrawn.
satisfyverbUS /ˈsætəsfaɪ/
meet the requirements or expectations of
From this reading By moments she had visions of what she could do to reclaim her husband and satisfy him, if the dreadful restraint of the old man and his nightly game were withdrawn.
a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Had Patty been free to keep a constant watch upon him, it was her opinion that she could have prevented his continual escape into the night.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading She could have made him so comfortable at home.
stormsnounUS /stɔːrmz/
plural of “storm” — a violent weather condition with winds 64-72 knots (11 on the Beaufort scale) and precipitation and thunder and lightning
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
ThornsnounUS /θɔːrnz/
plural of “thorn” — something that causes irritation and annoyance
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
a successful ending of a struggle or contest
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
a source of difficulty
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Had Patty been free to keep a constant watch upon him, it was her opinion that she could have prevented his continual escape into the night.
visionsnounUS /ˈvɪʒənz/
plural of “vision” — a vivid mental image
From this reading By moments she had visions of what she could do to reclaim her husband and satisfy him, if the dreadful restraint of the old man and his nightly game were withdrawn.
visitsnounUS /ˈvɪzɪts/
plural of “visit” — the act of going to see some person or place or thing for a short time
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Had Patty been free to keep a constant watch upon him, it was her opinion that she could have prevented his continual escape into the night.
look attentively
From this reading Had Patty been free to keep a constant watch upon him, it was her opinion that she could have prevented his continual escape into the night.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading By moments she had visions of what she could do to reclaim her husband and satisfy him, if the dreadful restraint of the old man and his nightly game were withdrawn.
at the time that
From this reading Patty had been married only about four months, when an incident happened that brought this period of humiliation and trouble after her triumph to a climax.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading The summer had gone, the dark days and long nights of early winter had come back, and Gervase’s almost nightly visits to the Seven Thorns were complicated by the storms and rains of the season, which, however, were rarely bad enough to keep him indoors.
withdrawnadjectiveUS /wɪθˈdrɔːn/
withdrawn from society; seeking solitude
From this reading By moments she had visions of what she could do to reclaim her husband and satisfy him, if the dreadful restraint of the old man and his nightly game were withdrawn.
