used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain 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 But, for all the close secrecy of that screen, I knew her at once.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I paused in surprise; and in another minute the woman, for a woman it was, had hurried to where I stood, and stopped.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading I paused in surprise; and in another minute the woman, for a woman it was, had hurried to where I stood, and stopped.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading She was very thin, and dowdy in appearance, and had on a thick grey veil, pulled down over her face.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But, for all the close secrecy of that screen, I knew her at once.
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading She was panting heavily, and she put a hand on her breast as if forcibly to control its spasms.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But, for all the close secrecy of that screen, I knew her at once.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading But, for all the close secrecy of that screen, I knew her at once.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
power to direct or determine
From this reading She was panting heavily, and she put a hand on her breast as if forcibly to control its spasms.
detainverbUS /dɪˈteɪn/
deprive of freedom; take into confinement
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
dowdynounUS /ˈdaʊdi/
British marshal of the RAF who commanded the British air defense forces that defeated the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain (1882-1970)
From this reading She was very thin, and dowdy in appearance, and had on a thick grey veil, pulled down over her face.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading She was very thin, and dowdy in appearance, and had on a thick grey veil, pulled down over her face.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading She was very thin, and dowdy in appearance, and had on a thick grey veil, pulled down over her face.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I paused in surprise; and in another minute the woman, for a woman it was, had hurried to where I stood, and stopped.
forciblyadverbUS /ˈfɔːrsəbli/
in a forcible manner
From this reading She was panting heavily, and she put a hand on her breast as if forcibly to control its spasms.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
GrazingnounUS /ˈɡreɪzɪŋ/
the act of grazing
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading She was very thin, and dowdy in appearance, and had on a thick grey veil, pulled down over her face.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I paused in surprise; and in another minute the woman, for a woman it was, had hurried to where I stood, and stopped.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading She was panting heavily, and she put a hand on her breast as if forcibly to control its spasms.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
to a considerable degree
From this reading She was panting heavily, and she put a hand on her breast as if forcibly to control its spasms.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She was panting heavily, and she put a hand on her breast as if forcibly to control its spasms.
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste
From this reading I paused in surprise; and in another minute the woman, for a woman it was, had hurried to where I stood, and stopped.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I paused in surprise; and in another minute the woman, for a woman it was, had hurried to where I stood, and stopped.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading She was panting heavily, and she put a hand on her breast as if forcibly to control its spasms.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading But, for all the close secrecy of that screen, I knew her at once.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading I paused in surprise; and in another minute the woman, for a woman it was, had hurried to where I stood, and stopped.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But, for all the close secrecy of that screen, I knew her at once.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She was panting heavily, and she put a hand on her breast as if forcibly to control its spasms.
on one occasion
From this reading But, for all the close secrecy of that screen, I knew her at once.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading She was very thin, and dowdy in appearance, and had on a thick grey veil, pulled down over her face.
pantingnounUS /ˈpæntɪŋ/
breathing heavily (as after exertion)
From this reading She was panting heavily, and she put a hand on her breast as if forcibly to control its spasms.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading I paused in surprise; and in another minute the woman, for a woman it was, had hurried to where I stood, and stopped.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading She was very thin, and dowdy in appearance, and had on a thick grey veil, pulled down over her face.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading She was panting heavily, and she put a hand on her breast as if forcibly to control its spasms.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
screennounUS /skriːn/
a white or silvered surface where pictures can be projected for viewing
From this reading But, for all the close secrecy of that screen, I knew her at once.
secrecynounUS /ˈsiːkrəsi/
the trait of keeping things secret
From this reading But, for all the close secrecy of that screen, I knew her at once.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was panting heavily, and she put a hand on her breast as if forcibly to control its spasms.
spasmsnounUS /ˈspæzəmz/
plural of “spasm” — a painful and involuntary muscular contraction
From this reading She was panting heavily, and she put a hand on her breast as if forcibly to control its spasms.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading I paused in surprise; and in another minute the woman, for a woman it was, had hurried to where I stood, and stopped.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading I paused in surprise; and in another minute the woman, for a woman it was, had hurried to where I stood, and stopped.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading I paused in surprise; and in another minute the woman, for a woman it was, had hurried to where I stood, and stopped.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But, for all the close secrecy of that screen, I knew her at once.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading She was very thin, and dowdy in appearance, and had on a thick grey veil, pulled down over her face.
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading She was very thin, and dowdy in appearance, and had on a thick grey veil, pulled down over her face.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading As I turned to go in by the gate, a figure, coming hastily up the road from Market Grazing, made a gesture as if to detain me.
a garment that covers the head and face
From this reading She was very thin, and dowdy in appearance, and had on a thick grey veil, pulled down over her face.
precisely as stated
From this reading She was very thin, and dowdy in appearance, and had on a thick grey veil, pulled down over her face.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I paused in surprise; and in another minute the woman, for a woman it was, had hurried to where I stood, and stopped.
in or at the place that
From this reading I paused in surprise; and in another minute the woman, for a woman it was, had hurried to where I stood, and stopped.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading I paused in surprise; and in another minute the woman, for a woman it was, had hurried to where I stood, and stopped.
