Chapter XX · Chapter 20

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.

something done (usually as opposed to something said)

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

presently existing in fact and not merely potential or possible

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

-ing form of “adjoin” — lie adjacent to another or share a boundary

From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

anew

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

of short duration or distance

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.

past form of “chance” — be the case by chance

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

an enclosed passageway; rooms usually open onto it

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

plural of “dance” — an artistic form of nonverbal communication

From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

plural of “danger” — the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

in a state of mental numbness especially as resulting from shock

From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.

with intention; in an intentional manner

From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

past form of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

make void or empty of contents

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

having escaped, especially from confinement

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)

From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

moving swiftly

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

past form of “fold” — bend or lay so that one part covers the other

From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

past form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.

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 Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

signifying nothing

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella

From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.

lacking spirit or liveliness

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

the sound of laughing

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

in motion

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

To move from a closed position.

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

above and across; more than

From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group

From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole

From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

an announcement of the events that will occur as part of a theatrical or sporting event

From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

past form of “push” — move with force

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

Identical; not different.

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level

From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana

From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

not in physical motion

From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.

in a swift manner

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

causing a surge of emotion or excitement

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

commonly the lowest molding at the base of a column

From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

make physical contact with, come in contact with

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

a shaky motion

From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.

not known

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

at the time that

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.

belonging to which person

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

in the company of; together with

From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.