used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading In the late afternoon she brought great armfuls of fresh flowers, heaping them upon the wilted ones.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading Now and then he spoke, just a little homely word of no importance other than the assurance to her that she was not utterly alone.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
react verbally
From this reading Not once did she return an answer or offer a remark.
armfuls
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the late afternoon she brought great armfuls of fresh flowers, heaping them upon the wilted ones.
assurancenounUS /əˈʃʊrəns/
freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
From this reading Now and then he spoke, just a little homely word of no importance other than the assurance to her that she was not utterly alone.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He watched over her while seeming to be busy rifle cleaning or fishing for a trout for luncheon.
bewilderedadjectiveUS /bɪˈwɪldərd/
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
breathlessadjectiveUS /ˈbreθləs/
not breathing or able to breathe except with difficulty
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading In the late afternoon she brought great armfuls of fresh flowers, heaping them upon the wilted ones.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading He watched over her while seeming to be busy rifle cleaning or fishing for a trout for luncheon.
cleaningnounUS /ˈkliːnɪŋ/
the act of making something clean
From this reading He watched over her while seeming to be busy rifle cleaning or fishing for a trout for luncheon.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Not once did she return an answer or offer a remark.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
fishingnounUS /ˈfɪʃɪŋ/
the act of someone who fishes as a diversion
From this reading He watched over her while seeming to be busy rifle cleaning or fishing for a trout for luncheon.
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading In the late afternoon she brought great armfuls of fresh flowers, heaping them upon the wilted ones.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading In the late afternoon she brought great armfuls of fresh flowers, heaping them upon the wilted ones.
a young female
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading In the late afternoon she brought great armfuls of fresh flowers, heaping them upon the wilted ones.
grief-strickenadjective
sorrowful through loss or deprivation
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He watched over her while seeming to be busy rifle cleaning or fishing for a trout for luncheon.
heapingverbUS /ˈhiːpɪŋ/
-ing form of “heap” — bestow in large quantities
From this reading In the late afternoon she brought great armfuls of fresh flowers, heaping them upon the wilted ones.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He watched over her while seeming to be busy rifle cleaning or fishing for a trout for luncheon.
homelyadjectiveUS /ˈhoʊmli/
lacking in physical beauty or proportion
From this reading Now and then he spoke, just a little homely word of no importance other than the assurance to her that she was not utterly alone.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
the quality of being important and worthy of note
From this reading Now and then he spoke, just a little homely word of no importance other than the assurance to her that she was not utterly alone.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the late afternoon she brought great armfuls of fresh flowers, heaping them upon the wilted ones.
and nothing more
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading In the late afternoon she brought great armfuls of fresh flowers, heaping them upon the wilted ones.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Now and then he spoke, just a little homely word of no importance other than the assurance to her that she was not utterly alone.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
luncheonnounUS /ˈlʌntʃən/
a midday meal
From this reading He watched over her while seeming to be busy rifle cleaning or fishing for a trout for luncheon.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
not any; not one
From this reading Now and then he spoke, just a little homely word of no importance other than the assurance to her that she was not utterly alone.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Now and then he spoke, just a little homely word of no importance other than the assurance to her that she was not utterly alone.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now and then he spoke, just a little homely word of no importance other than the assurance to her that she was not utterly alone.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading Not once did she return an answer or offer a remark.
on one occasion
From this reading Not once did she return an answer or offer a remark.
plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
From this reading In the late afternoon she brought great armfuls of fresh flowers, heaping them upon the wilted ones.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He watched over her while seeming to be busy rifle cleaning or fishing for a trout for luncheon.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Now and then he spoke, just a little homely word of no importance other than the assurance to her that she was not utterly alone.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading He watched over her while seeming to be busy rifle cleaning or fishing for a trout for luncheon.
on the contrary
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information
From this reading Not once did she return an answer or offer a remark.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading Not once did she return an answer or offer a remark.
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading He watched over her while seeming to be busy rifle cleaning or fishing for a trout for luncheon.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
seemingadjectiveUS /ˈsiːmɪŋ/
appearing as such but not necessarily so
From this reading He watched over her while seeming to be busy rifle cleaning or fishing for a trout for luncheon.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
Sheldon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading Now and then he spoke, just a little homely word of no importance other than the assurance to her that she was not utterly alone.
stunnedadjectiveUS /stʌnd/
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading In the late afternoon she brought great armfuls of fresh flowers, heaping them upon the wilted ones.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Now and then he spoke, just a little homely word of no importance other than the assurance to her that she was not utterly alone.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He watched over her while seeming to be busy rifle cleaning or fishing for a trout for luncheon.
tragicadjectiveUS /ˈtrædʒɪk/
very sad; especially involving grief or death or destruction
From this reading During that tragic day Sheldon never lost sight of the bewildered girl—she seemed just breathless and stunned rather than grief-stricken—for more than half an hour at a time.
troutnounUS /traʊt/
flesh of any of several primarily freshwater game and food fishes
From this reading He watched over her while seeming to be busy rifle cleaning or fishing for a trout for luncheon.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading In the late afternoon she brought great armfuls of fresh flowers, heaping them upon the wilted ones.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading Now and then he spoke, just a little homely word of no importance other than the assurance to her that she was not utterly alone.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Now and then he spoke, just a little homely word of no importance other than the assurance to her that she was not utterly alone.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading He watched over her while seeming to be busy rifle cleaning or fishing for a trout for luncheon.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading He watched over her while seeming to be busy rifle cleaning or fishing for a trout for luncheon.
wiltedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪltɪd/
(of plants) limp due to heat, loss of water, or disease
From this reading In the late afternoon she brought great armfuls of fresh flowers, heaping them upon the wilted ones.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading Now and then he spoke, just a little homely word of no importance other than the assurance to her that she was not utterly alone.
