used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The fire was dully drowsing on the hearth; a lamp on the desk burned dimly with the wick turned low.
agitationnounUS /ˌædʒəˈteɪʃən/
a mental state of extreme emotional disturbance
From this reading His sensibilities, despite his vigor and youth, had felt the inroads of all the agitation to which the household had been subjected.
aglowadjectiveUS /əˈɡloʊ/
softly bright or radiant
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
(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 His sensibilities, despite his vigor and youth, had felt the inroads of all the agitation to which the household had been subjected.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading His sensibilities, despite his vigor and youth, had felt the inroads of all the agitation to which the household had been subjected.
To consume or be consumed by fire.
From this reading We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point
From this reading The fire was dully drowsing on the hearth; a lamp on the desk burned dimly with the wick turned low.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
give encouragement to
From this reading The renewed cheer of the room dispensed, however, its cordial influence.
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 We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
cordialadjectiveUS /ˈkɔːrdʒəl/
diffusing warmth and friendliness
From this reading The renewed cheer of the room dispensed, however, its cordial influence.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading The fire was dully drowsing on the hearth; a lamp on the desk burned dimly with the wick turned low.
Desmond
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
although something is true; in spite of
From this reading His sensibilities, despite his vigor and youth, had felt the inroads of all the agitation to which the household had been subjected.
dimlyadverbUS /ˈdɪmli/
in a dim indistinct manner
From this reading The fire was dully drowsing on the hearth; a lamp on the desk burned dimly with the wick turned low.
dispensedadjectiveUS /dɪˈspenst/
distributed or weighted out in carefully determined portions
From this reading The renewed cheer of the room dispensed, however, its cordial influence.
drowsingadjective
half asleep
From this reading The fire was dully drowsing on the hearth; a lamp on the desk burned dimly with the wick turned low.
dullyadverb
without liveliness
From this reading The fire was dully drowsing on the hearth; a lamp on the desk burned dimly with the wick turned low.
embersnounUS /ˈembərz/
plural of “ember” — a hot fragment of wood or coal that is left from a fire and is glowing or smoldering
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading His sensibilities, despite his vigor and youth, had felt the inroads of all the agitation to which the household had been subjected.
start firing a weapon
From this reading The fire was dully drowsing on the hearth; a lamp on the desk burned dimly with the wick turned low.
plural of “flame” — the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
hearthnounUS /hɑːrθ/
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading The fire was dully drowsing on the hearth; a lamp on the desk burned dimly with the wick turned low.
a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
From this reading We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His sensibilities, despite his vigor and youth, had felt the inroads of all the agitation to which the household had been subjected.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
a social unit living together
From this reading His sensibilities, despite his vigor and youth, had felt the inroads of all the agitation to which the household had been subjected.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading The renewed cheer of the room dispensed, however, its cordial influence.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc
From this reading The renewed cheer of the room dispensed, however, its cordial influence.
inroadsnounUS /ˈɪnroʊdz/
plural of “inroad” — an encroachment or intrusion
From this reading His sensibilities, despite his vigor and youth, had felt the inroads of all the agitation to which the household had been subjected.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The renewed cheer of the room dispensed, however, its cordial influence.
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading The fire was dully drowsing on the hearth; a lamp on the desk burned dimly with the wick turned low.
immediately past
From this reading We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The fire was dully drowsing on the hearth; a lamp on the desk burned dimly with the wick turned low.
mechanismnounUS /ˈmekənɪzəm/
the atomic process that occurs during a chemical reaction
From this reading We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
in such a manner as could not be otherwise
From this reading We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
easily agitated
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The fire was dully drowsing on the hearth; a lamp on the desk burned dimly with the wick turned low.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
renewedadjectiveUS /rɪˈnuːd/
restored to a new condition
From this reading The renewed cheer of the room dispensed, however, its cordial influence.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The renewed cheer of the room dispensed, however, its cordial influence.
sensibilitiesnounUS /ˌsensɪˈbɪlɪtiz/
plural of “sensibility” — mental responsiveness and awareness
From this reading His sensibilities, despite his vigor and youth, had felt the inroads of all the agitation to which the household had been subjected.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
shiververbUS /ˈʃɪvər/
tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement
From this reading We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
put, fix, force, or implant
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
subjectedverbUS /səbˈdʒektɪd/
past form of “subject” — cause to experience or suffer or make liable or vulnerable to
From this reading His sensibilities, despite his vigor and youth, had felt the inroads of all the agitation to which the household had been subjected.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The fire was dully drowsing on the hearth; a lamp on the desk burned dimly with the wick turned low.
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading His sensibilities, despite his vigor and youth, had felt the inroads of all the agitation to which the household had been subjected.
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading The fire was dully drowsing on the hearth; a lamp on the desk burned dimly with the wick turned low.
vigornounUS /ˈvɪɡər/
forceful exertion
From this reading His sensibilities, despite his vigor and youth, had felt the inroads of all the agitation to which the household had been subjected.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The fire was dully drowsing on the hearth; a lamp on the desk burned dimly with the wick turned low.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We are at last but animal mechanism, and must needs shiver with cold, and burn with heat, and gloom in darkness, and hope in the glad light.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading His sensibilities, despite his vigor and youth, had felt the inroads of all the agitation to which the household had been subjected.
wicknounUS /wɪk/
any piece of cord that conveys liquid by capillary action
From this reading The fire was dully drowsing on the hearth; a lamp on the desk burned dimly with the wick turned low.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The fire was dully drowsing on the hearth; a lamp on the desk burned dimly with the wick turned low.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading Desmond had a quick, nervous touch as he stirred the embers into flames, threw on a fresh stick of wood, and set the lamp aglow.
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading His sensibilities, despite his vigor and youth, had felt the inroads of all the agitation to which the household had been subjected.
