used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading But there wasn’t anything trembly about the thinking part of me.
(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 XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
any thing at all
From this reading But there wasn’t anything trembly about the thinking part of me.
baby'snounUS /ˈbeɪbiz/
possessive form of “baby” — a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It seemed to be made of steel springs going swift and sure like an engine that went independent of the rest of my machinery.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading That was working better than it had ever worked before.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading That was working better than it had ever worked before.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But there wasn’t anything trembly about the thinking part of me.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
dampadjectiveUS /dæmp/
slightly wet
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading And, thank God, it did work that way, for it had thought of something!
dressingnounUS /ˈdresɪŋ/
savory dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading It seemed to be made of steel springs going swift and sure like an engine that went independent of the rest of my machinery.
at any time
From this reading That was working better than it had ever worked before.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And, thank God, it did work that way, for it had thought of something!
a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
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 And, thank God, it did work that way, for it had thought of something!
the act of departing
From this reading It seemed to be made of steel springs going swift and sure like an engine that went independent of the rest of my machinery.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading That was working better than it had ever worked before.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
independentadjectiveUS /ˌɪndɪˈpendənt/
free from external control and constraint
From this reading It seemed to be made of steel springs going swift and sure like an engine that went independent of the rest of my machinery.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading That was working better than it had ever worked before.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
machinerynounUS /məˈʃiːnəri/
machines or machine systems collectively
From this reading It seemed to be made of steel springs going swift and sure like an engine that went independent of the rest of my machinery.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading It seemed to be made of steel springs going swift and sure like an engine that went independent of the rest of my machinery.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But there wasn’t anything trembly about the thinking part of me.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But there wasn’t anything trembly about the thinking part of me.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading But there wasn’t anything trembly about the thinking part of me.
pinchedadjectiveUS /pɪntʃt/
sounding as if the nose were pinched
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
To recall to mind.
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading It seemed to be made of steel springs going swift and sure like an engine that went independent of the rest of my machinery.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It seemed to be made of steel springs going swift and sure like an engine that went independent of the rest of my machinery.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading And, thank God, it did work that way, for it had thought of something!
springsnounUS /sprɪŋz/
plural of “spring” — the season of growth
From this reading It seemed to be made of steel springs going swift and sure like an engine that went independent of the rest of my machinery.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading It seemed to be made of steel springs going swift and sure like an engine that went independent of the rest of my machinery.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading It seemed to be made of steel springs going swift and sure like an engine that went independent of the rest of my machinery.
moving very fast
From this reading It seemed to be made of steel springs going swift and sure like an engine that went independent of the rest of my machinery.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading That was working better than it had ever worked before.
express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading And, thank God, it did work that way, for it had thought of something!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That was working better than it had ever worked before.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
in or at that place or location
From this reading But there wasn’t anything trembly about the thinking part of me.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading But there wasn’t anything trembly about the thinking part of me.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading And, thank God, it did work that way, for it had thought of something!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It seemed to be made of steel springs going swift and sure like an engine that went independent of the rest of my machinery.
trembly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That was working better than it had ever worked before.
wasn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But there wasn’t anything trembly about the thinking part of me.
one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading And, thank God, it did work that way, for it had thought of something!
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading It seemed to be made of steel springs going swift and sure like an engine that went independent of the rest of my machinery.
a Caucasian
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
in the company of; together with
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading And, thank God, it did work that way, for it had thought of something!
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading That was working better than it had ever worked before.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading That was working better than it had ever worked before.
XInounUS /ʃiː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and one
From this reading XI Looking back now I can remember dressing the next morning, all trembly and with my hands damp, and my face in the glass, white and pinched like an East Side baby’s in a hot wave.
