used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
(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 BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
ambrosialadjectiveUS /æmˈbroʊʒəl/
extremely pleasing to the taste; sweet and fragrant
From this reading There was Olympian superiority upon their brows and their flowing locks were surely ambrosial.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
from appearances alone
From this reading The one relief was that to them, apparently, I did not exist, though some younger sprites in shorter skirts giggled embarrassingly when I tripped over a chair.
assemblynounUS /əˈsembli/
a group of machine parts that fit together to form a self-contained unit
From this reading I wondered how he would dare to conjure lightly before an assembly of so many incarnations of Minerva.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
awkwardadjectiveUS /ˈɑːkwərd/
causing inconvenience
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading I wondered how he would dare to conjure lightly before an assembly of so many incarnations of Minerva.
beingsnounUS /ˈbiːɪŋz/
plural of “being” — the state or fact of existing
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
financial assistance in time of need
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
browsnounUS /braʊz/
plural of “brow” — the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading There was Olympian superiority upon their brows and their flowing locks were surely ambrosial.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading The one relief was that to them, apparently, I did not exist, though some younger sprites in shorter skirts giggled embarrassingly when I tripped over a chair.
conjureverbUS /ˈkɑːndʒər/
summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic
From this reading I wondered how he would dare to conjure lightly before an assembly of so many incarnations of Minerva.
conjurernounUS /ˈkɑːndʒərʌr/
someone who performs magic tricks to amuse an audience
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
cousinsnounUS /ˈkʌzənz/
plural of “cousin” — the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading I wondered how he would dare to conjure lightly before an assembly of so many incarnations of Minerva.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The one relief was that to them, apparently, I did not exist, though some younger sprites in shorter skirts giggled embarrassingly when I tripped over a chair.
embarrassinglyadverbUS /ɪmˈberəsɪŋli/
causing embarrassment
From this reading The one relief was that to them, apparently, I did not exist, though some younger sprites in shorter skirts giggled embarrassingly when I tripped over a chair.
entertainmentnounUS /ˌentərˈteɪnmənt/
an activity that is diverting and that holds the attention
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
existverbUS /ɪɡˈzɪst/
have an existence, be extant
From this reading The one relief was that to them, apparently, I did not exist, though some younger sprites in shorter skirts giggled embarrassingly when I tripped over a chair.
having a face or facing especially of a specified kind or number; often used in combination
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
flowingnounUS /ˈfloʊɪŋ/
the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)
From this reading There was Olympian superiority upon their brows and their flowing locks were surely ambrosial.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
giggledverbUS /ˈɡɪɡəld/
past form of “giggle” — laugh nervously
From this reading The one relief was that to them, apparently, I did not exist, though some younger sprites in shorter skirts giggled embarrassingly when I tripped over a chair.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I wondered how he would dare to conjure lightly before an assembly of so many incarnations of Minerva.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I wondered how he would dare to conjure lightly before an assembly of so many incarnations of Minerva.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The one relief was that to them, apparently, I did not exist, though some younger sprites in shorter skirts giggled embarrassingly when I tripped over a chair.
incarnationsnounUS /ˌɪnkɑːrˈneɪʃənz/
plural of “incarnation” — a new personification of a familiar idea
From this reading I wondered how he would dare to conjure lightly before an assembly of so many incarnations of Minerva.
in the recent past
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
without good reason
From this reading I wondered how he would dare to conjure lightly before an assembly of so many incarnations of Minerva.
locksnounUS /lɑːks/
plural of “lock” — a fastener fitted to a door or drawer to keep it firmly closed
From this reading There was Olympian superiority upon their brows and their flowing locks were surely ambrosial.
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 I wondered how he would dare to conjure lightly before an assembly of so many incarnations of Minerva.
matureadjectiveUS /məˈtʃʊr/
characteristic of maturity
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
MinervanounUS /məˈnɜːrvə/
(Roman mythology) goddess of wisdom; counterpart of Greek Athena
From this reading I wondered how he would dare to conjure lightly before an assembly of so many incarnations of Minerva.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The one relief was that to them, apparently, I did not exist, though some younger sprites in shorter skirts giggled embarrassingly when I tripped over a chair.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
OlympianadjectiveUS /oʊˈlɪmpiən/
of the region of Olympia in Greece or its inhabitants
From this reading There was Olympian superiority upon their brows and their flowing locks were surely ambrosial.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The one relief was that to them, apparently, I did not exist, though some younger sprites in shorter skirts giggled embarrassingly when I tripped over a chair.
the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
From this reading The one relief was that to them, apparently, I did not exist, though some younger sprites in shorter skirts giggled embarrassingly when I tripped over a chair.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
an educational institution
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
shorteradjectiveUS /ˈʃɔːrtər/
comparative of “short” — primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading The one relief was that to them, apparently, I did not exist, though some younger sprites in shorter skirts giggled embarrassingly when I tripped over a chair.
skirtsnounUS /skɜːrts/
plural of “skirt” — cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading The one relief was that to them, apparently, I did not exist, though some younger sprites in shorter skirts giggled embarrassingly when I tripped over a chair.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I wondered how he would dare to conjure lightly before an assembly of so many incarnations of Minerva.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The one relief was that to them, apparently, I did not exist, though some younger sprites in shorter skirts giggled embarrassingly when I tripped over a chair.
spritesnoun
atmospheric electricity (lasting 10 msec) appearing as globular flashes of red (pink to blood-red) light rising to heights of 60 miles (sometimes seen together with elves)
From this reading The one relief was that to them, apparently, I did not exist, though some younger sprites in shorter skirts giggled embarrassingly when I tripped over a chair.
statelyadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪtli/
impressive in appearance
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
summonedverbUS /ˈsʌmənd/
past form of “summon” — call in an official matter, such as to attend court
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
superioritynounUS /ˌsuːpɪriˈɔːrɪti/
the quality of being superior
From this reading There was Olympian superiority upon their brows and their flowing locks were surely ambrosial.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading There was Olympian superiority upon their brows and their flowing locks were surely ambrosial.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The one relief was that to them, apparently, I did not exist, though some younger sprites in shorter skirts giggled embarrassingly when I tripped over a chair.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading There was Olympian superiority upon their brows and their flowing locks were surely ambrosial.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was Olympian superiority upon their brows and their flowing locks were surely ambrosial.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The one relief was that to them, apparently, I did not exist, though some younger sprites in shorter skirts giggled embarrassingly when I tripped over a chair.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
trippedverbUS /trɪpt/
inflected form of “trip” — miss a step and fall or nearly fall
From this reading The one relief was that to them, apparently, I did not exist, though some younger sprites in shorter skirts giggled embarrassingly when I tripped over a chair.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading There was Olympian superiority upon their brows and their flowing locks were surely ambrosial.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There was Olympian superiority upon their brows and their flowing locks were surely ambrosial.
at the time that
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
belonging to which person
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Never shall I forget the awkward fear with which I faced a room full of mature and stately beings for whose benefit the conjurer had been summoned.
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading I wondered how he would dare to conjure lightly before an assembly of so many incarnations of Minerva.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I wondered how he would dare to conjure lightly before an assembly of so many incarnations of Minerva.
a late time of life
From this reading BIG GIRLS When I was about nine years old my cousins took me to an entertainment at the girls’ school which all but one of them had lately left.
used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father
From this reading The one relief was that to them, apparently, I did not exist, though some younger sprites in shorter skirts giggled embarrassingly when I tripped over a chair.
