used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The deaf-mute remained motionless, and a great black velvety butterfly alighted on his head.
alighted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The deaf-mute remained motionless, and a great black velvety butterfly alighted on his head.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The deaf-mute remained motionless, and a great black velvety butterfly alighted on his head.
butterflyverbUS /ˈbʌtərflaɪ/
flutter like a butterfly
From this reading The deaf-mute remained motionless, and a great black velvety butterfly alighted on his head.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Like a malign shadow the butterfly opened and shut its wings, while the Tears of the Sun dropped, one by one, into the hand of Hepherion.
a period of 100 years
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
DaphnenounUS /ˈdæfni/
any of several ornamental shrubs with shiny mostly evergreen leaves and clusters of small bell-shaped flowers
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
deaf-mutenoun
a deaf person who is unable to speak
From this reading The deaf-mute remained motionless, and a great black velvety butterfly alighted on his head.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading Louder and louder in the distance rose funereal psalms.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Like a malign shadow the butterfly opened and shut its wings, while the Tears of the Sun dropped, one by one, into the hand of Hepherion.
dropsnounUS /drɑːps/
plural of “drop” — a shape that is spherical and small
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
dyingadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪɪŋ/
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
ErosnounUS /ˈɪrɑːs/
(Greek mythology) god of love; son of Aphrodite; identified with Roman Cupid
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
funerealadjective
suited to or suggestive of a grave or burial
From this reading Louder and louder in the distance rose funereal psalms.
GalileannounUS /ˌɡæləˈliːən/
an inhabitant of Galilee (an epithet of Jesus Christ)
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The deaf-mute remained motionless, and a great black velvety butterfly alighted on his head.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading The deaf-mute remained motionless, and a great black velvety butterfly alighted on his head.
Hepherion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like a malign shadow the butterfly opened and shut its wings, while the Tears of the Sun dropped, one by one, into the hand of Hepherion.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Like a malign shadow the butterfly opened and shut its wings, while the Tears of the Sun dropped, one by one, into the hand of Hepherion.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He neither saw it, nor stirred.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Like a malign shadow the butterfly opened and shut its wings, while the Tears of the Sun dropped, one by one, into the hand of Hepherion.
immediately past
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Like a malign shadow the butterfly opened and shut its wings, while the Tears of the Sun dropped, one by one, into the hand of Hepherion.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
LouderadjectiveUS /ˈlaʊdər/
comparative of “loud” — characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading Louder and louder in the distance rose funereal psalms.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
malignadjectiveUS /məˈlaɪn/
evil or harmful in nature or influence
From this reading Like a malign shadow the butterfly opened and shut its wings, while the Tears of the Sun dropped, one by one, into the hand of Hepherion.
morosenessnoun
a gloomy ill-tempered feeling
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
not in physical motion
From this reading The deaf-mute remained motionless, and a great black velvety butterfly alighted on his head.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
not one and not the other of two
From this reading He neither saw it, nor stirred.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading He neither saw it, nor stirred.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The deaf-mute remained motionless, and a great black velvety butterfly alighted on his head.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Like a malign shadow the butterfly opened and shut its wings, while the Tears of the Sun dropped, one by one, into the hand of Hepherion.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Like a malign shadow the butterfly opened and shut its wings, while the Tears of the Sun dropped, one by one, into the hand of Hepherion.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
psalmsnounUS /sɑːlmz/
an Old Testament book consisting of a collection of 150 Psalms
From this reading Louder and louder in the distance rose funereal psalms.
receivingverbUS /rəˈsiːvɪŋ/
-ing form of “receive” — get something; come into possession of
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading The deaf-mute remained motionless, and a great black velvety butterfly alighted on his head.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Louder and louder in the distance rose funereal psalms.
cut with a saw
From this reading He neither saw it, nor stirred.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading Like a malign shadow the butterfly opened and shut its wings, while the Tears of the Sun dropped, one by one, into the hand of Hepherion.
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading Like a malign shadow the butterfly opened and shut its wings, while the Tears of the Sun dropped, one by one, into the hand of Hepherion.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading He neither saw it, nor stirred.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading Like a malign shadow the butterfly opened and shut its wings, while the Tears of the Sun dropped, one by one, into the hand of Hepherion.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
having passed out of existence
From this reading "He must be Eros, the little god of love, dying in our century of Galilean moroseness, and in his hand receiving the last drops, the last tears of love, tears of the god over Daphne, over the vanished beauty of Daphne!"
velvetyadjectiveUS /ˈvelvəti/
smooth and soft to sight or hearing or touch or taste
From this reading The deaf-mute remained motionless, and a great black velvety butterfly alighted on his head.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Like a malign shadow the butterfly opened and shut its wings, while the Tears of the Sun dropped, one by one, into the hand of Hepherion.
a means of flight or ascent
From this reading Like a malign shadow the butterfly opened and shut its wings, while the Tears of the Sun dropped, one by one, into the hand of Hepherion.
