used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
in addition
From this reading But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The great lonely eyes and wide scarlet mouth were far more lovely than any human's.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading From the misty center of the pool rose a vast but beautiful head.
black-emerald
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
lacking funds
From this reading But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
cavernsnounUS /ˈkævərnz/
plural of “cavern” — any large dark enclosed space
From this reading [Sidenote: Deep within her caverns the great mer-woman longed for death to end her loneliness.
centernounUS /ˈsɛn.tər/
The middle point or core of an area.
From this reading From the misty center of the pool rose a vast but beautiful head.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading [Sidenote: Deep within her caverns the great mer-woman longed for death to end her loneliness.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading [Sidenote: Deep within her caverns the great mer-woman longed for death to end her loneliness.
drippingnounUS /ˈdrɪpɪŋ/
a liquid (as water) that flows in drops (as from the eaves of house)
From this reading The long dripping hair was not hair, but had a rippling life of its own.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading [Sidenote: Deep within her caverns the great mer-woman longed for death to end her loneliness.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The great lonely eyes and wide scarlet mouth were far more lovely than any human's.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The great lonely eyes and wide scarlet mouth were far more lovely than any human's.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading [Sidenote: Deep within her caverns the great mer-woman longed for death to end her loneliness.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
gleamings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading [Sidenote: Deep within her caverns the great mer-woman longed for death to end her loneliness.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The long dripping hair was not hair, but had a rippling life of its own.
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 The long dripping hair was not hair, but had a rippling life of its own.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading From the misty center of the pool rose a vast but beautiful head.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading [Sidenote: Deep within her caverns the great mer-woman longed for death to end her loneliness.
human'snounUS /ˈhjuːmənz/
possessive form of “human” — any living or extinct member of the family Hominidae characterized by superior intelligence, articulate speech, and erect carriage
From this reading The great lonely eyes and wide scarlet mouth were far more lovely than any human's.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The long dripping hair was not hair, but had a rippling life of its own.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The long dripping hair was not hair, but had a rippling life of its own.
lonelinessnounUS /ˈloʊnlinəs/
the state of being alone in solitary isolation
From this reading [Sidenote: Deep within her caverns the great mer-woman longed for death to end her loneliness.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
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 long dripping hair was not hair, but had a rippling life of its own.
longedverbUS /lɔːŋd/
past form of “long” — desire strongly or persistently
From this reading [Sidenote: Deep within her caverns the great mer-woman longed for death to end her loneliness.
appealing to the emotions as well as the eye
From this reading The great lonely eyes and wide scarlet mouth were far more lovely than any human's.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
mer-woman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [Sidenote: Deep within her caverns the great mer-woman longed for death to end her loneliness.
mistyadjectiveUS /ˈmɪsti/
filled or abounding with fog or mist
From this reading From the misty center of the pool rose a vast but beautiful head.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The great lonely eyes and wide scarlet mouth were far more lovely than any human's.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading The great lonely eyes and wide scarlet mouth were far more lovely than any human's.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The long dripping hair was not hair, but had a rippling life of its own.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading From the misty center of the pool rose a vast but beautiful head.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading The long dripping hair was not hair, but had a rippling life of its own.
poolnounUS /puːl/
an excavation that is (usually) filled with water
From this reading From the misty center of the pool rose a vast but beautiful head.
ripplingnounUS /ˈrɪpəlɪŋ/
a small wave on the surface of a liquid
From this reading The long dripping hair was not hair, but had a rippling life of its own.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading From the misty center of the pool rose a vast but beautiful head.
scarletnounUS /ˈskɑːrlət/
a variable color that is vivid red but sometimes with an orange tinge
From this reading The great lonely eyes and wide scarlet mouth were far more lovely than any human's.
Sidenote
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [Sidenote: Deep within her caverns the great mer-woman longed for death to end her loneliness.
a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography
From this reading But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
swirledverbUS /swɜːrld/
past form of “swirl” — turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The great lonely eyes and wide scarlet mouth were far more lovely than any human's.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading [Sidenote: Deep within her caverns the great mer-woman longed for death to end her loneliness.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading [Sidenote: Deep within her caverns the great mer-woman longed for death to end her loneliness.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading From the misty center of the pool rose a vast but beautiful head.
voyagernounUS /ˈvɔɪədʒər/
a traveler to a distant land (especially one who travels by sea)
From this reading But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The long dripping hair was not hair, but had a rippling life of its own.
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 But then came a voyager from space--a man--also lonely....] The black-emerald water swirled and broke in many silver gleamings.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The great lonely eyes and wide scarlet mouth were far more lovely than any human's.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading The great lonely eyes and wide scarlet mouth were far more lovely than any human's.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading [Sidenote: Deep within her caverns the great mer-woman longed for death to end her loneliness.
