used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading AN INGENIOUS IDEA AND A WOMAN'S WIT Madame sat down.
(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 There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN INGENIOUS IDEA AND A WOMAN'S WIT Madame sat down.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading AN INGENIOUS IDEA AND A WOMAN'S WIT Madame sat down.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The calm of her voice, though he knew it to be forced, surprised him.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
blurredadjectiveUS /blɜːrd/
indistinct or hazy in outline
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
make calm or still
From this reading The calm of her voice, though he knew it to be forced, surprised him.
candlesnounUS /ˈkændəlz/
plural of “candle” — stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
comprehendedadjectiveUS /ˌkɑːmprɪˈhendɪd/
fully understood or grasped
From this reading Vaguely she comprehended the peril of a confused mind, and strove to draw upon that secret inward strength which discovers itself in crises.
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading Vaguely she comprehended the peril of a confused mind, and strove to draw upon that secret inward strength which discovers itself in crises.
crisesnounUS /ˈkraɪsiz/
plural of “crisis” — an unstable situation of extreme danger or difficulty
From this reading Vaguely she comprehended the peril of a confused mind, and strove to draw upon that secret inward strength which discovers itself in crises.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "How did you obtain that paper, Monsieur?"
discoversverbUS /dɪˈskʌvərz/
third-person singular of “discover” — discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading Vaguely she comprehended the peril of a confused mind, and strove to draw upon that secret inward strength which discovers itself in crises.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading AN INGENIOUS IDEA AND A WOMAN'S WIT Madame sat down.
cause to move by pulling
From this reading Vaguely she comprehended the peril of a confused mind, and strove to draw upon that secret inward strength which discovers itself in crises.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
opinion or judgment
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
fascinatedadjectiveUS /ˈfæsəneɪtəd/
having your attention fixated as though by a spell
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading The calm of her voice, though he knew it to be forced, surprised him.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The calm of her voice, though he knew it to be forced, surprised him.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The calm of her voice, though he knew it to be forced, surprised him.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How did you obtain that paper, Monsieur?"
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading AN INGENIOUS IDEA AND A WOMAN'S WIT Madame sat down.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Vaguely she comprehended the peril of a confused mind, and strove to draw upon that secret inward strength which discovers itself in crises.
indistinctadjectiveUS /ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋkt/
not clearly defined or easy to perceive or understand
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
INGENIOUSadjectiveUS /ɪnˈdʒiː.ni.əs/
Clever, original, and remarkably inventive in design and execution.
From this reading AN INGENIOUS IDEA AND A WOMAN'S WIT Madame sat down.
intervalnounUS /ˈɪntərvəl/
a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
inwardadjectiveUS /ˈɪnwərd/
relating to or existing in the mind or thoughts
From this reading Vaguely she comprehended the peril of a confused mind, and strove to draw upon that secret inward strength which discovers itself in crises.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The calm of her voice, though he knew it to be forced, surprised him.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Vaguely she comprehended the peril of a confused mind, and strove to draw upon that secret inward strength which discovers itself in crises.
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 The calm of her voice, though he knew it to be forced, surprised him.
lidlessadjective
not having or covered with a lid or lids
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading AN INGENIOUS IDEA AND A WOMAN'S WIT Madame sat down.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Vaguely she comprehended the peril of a confused mind, and strove to draw upon that secret inward strength which discovers itself in crises.
used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”
From this reading "How did you obtain that paper, Monsieur?"
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
come into possession of
From this reading "How did you obtain that paper, Monsieur?"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
orbs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading "How did you obtain that paper, Monsieur?"
perilnounUS /ˈperəl/
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading Vaguely she comprehended the peril of a confused mind, and strove to draw upon that secret inward strength which discovers itself in crises.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading AN INGENIOUS IDEA AND A WOMAN'S WIT Madame sat down.
except for; apart from
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading Vaguely she comprehended the peril of a confused mind, and strove to draw upon that secret inward strength which discovers itself in crises.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Vaguely she comprehended the peril of a confused mind, and strove to draw upon that secret inward strength which discovers itself in crises.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
snakenounUS /sneɪk/
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
in a strange manner
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading Vaguely she comprehended the peril of a confused mind, and strove to draw upon that secret inward strength which discovers itself in crises.
stroveverbUS /stroʊv/
inflected form of “strive” — attempt by employing effort
From this reading Vaguely she comprehended the peril of a confused mind, and strove to draw upon that secret inward strength which discovers itself in crises.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading The calm of her voice, though he knew it to be forced, surprised him.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Vaguely she comprehended the peril of a confused mind, and strove to draw upon that secret inward strength which discovers itself in crises.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The calm of her voice, though he knew it to be forced, surprised him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Vaguely she comprehended the peril of a confused mind, and strove to draw upon that secret inward strength which discovers itself in crises.
VaguelyadverbUS /ˈveɪɡli/
in a vague way
From this reading Vaguely she comprehended the peril of a confused mind, and strove to draw upon that secret inward strength which discovers itself in crises.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading The calm of her voice, though he knew it to be forced, surprised him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There was an interval of silence, during which the candles seemed to move strangely from side to side, and the dark face beyond was blurred and indistinct; all save the eyes, which, like the lidless orbs of a snake, held and fascinated her.
a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter
From this reading AN INGENIOUS IDEA AND A WOMAN'S WIT Madame sat down.
WOMAN'SnounUS /ˈwʊmənz/
possessive form of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading AN INGENIOUS IDEA AND A WOMAN'S WIT Madame sat down.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "How did you obtain that paper, Monsieur?"
