used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading I didn’t want to be alone with Walter.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He said: ‘My hand now,’ and took hold of my wrist, and I laughed, and drew my hand away, and I dried it quickly on the towel, and told him to go downstairs, and I would come.
basinnounUS /ˈbeɪsən/
a bowl-shaped vessel; usually used for holding food or liquids
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I didn’t want to be alone with Walter.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Walter was standing behind me; he saw the ring too.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He said: ‘My hand now,’ and took hold of my wrist, and I laughed, and drew my hand away, and I dried it quickly on the towel, and told him to go downstairs, and I would come.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I didn’t want to be alone with Walter.
dining-roomnoun
a room used for dining
From this reading ‘In the dining-room, please.’
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
downstairsadverbUS /ˈdaʊnˈsterz/
on a floor below
From this reading He said: ‘My hand now,’ and took hold of my wrist, and I laughed, and drew my hand away, and I dried it quickly on the towel, and told him to go downstairs, and I would come.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading He said: ‘My hand now,’ and took hold of my wrist, and I laughed, and drew my hand away, and I dried it quickly on the towel, and told him to go downstairs, and I would come.
driedadjectiveUS /draɪd/
not still wet
From this reading He said: ‘My hand now,’ and took hold of my wrist, and I laughed, and drew my hand away, and I dried it quickly on the towel, and told him to go downstairs, and I would come.
feel or handle with the fingers
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He said: ‘My hand now,’ and took hold of my wrist, and I laughed, and drew my hand away, and I dried it quickly on the towel, and told him to go downstairs, and I would come.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Walter was standing behind me; he saw the ring too.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He said: ‘My hand now,’ and took hold of my wrist, and I laughed, and drew my hand away, and I dried it quickly on the towel, and told him to go downstairs, and I would come.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading He said: ‘My hand now,’ and took hold of my wrist, and I laughed, and drew my hand away, and I dried it quickly on the towel, and told him to go downstairs, and I would come.
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 Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I didn’t want to be alone with Walter.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading ‘In the dining-room, please.’
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading He said: ‘My hand now,’ and took hold of my wrist, and I laughed, and drew my hand away, and I dried it quickly on the towel, and told him to go downstairs, and I would come.
a female domestic
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Walter was standing behind me; he saw the ring too.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He said: ‘My hand now,’ and took hold of my wrist, and I laughed, and drew my hand away, and I dried it quickly on the towel, and told him to go downstairs, and I would come.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He said: ‘My hand now,’ and took hold of my wrist, and I laughed, and drew my hand away, and I dried it quickly on the towel, and told him to go downstairs, and I would come.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading ‘In the dining-room, please.’
past form of “pour” — cause to run
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
with speed
From this reading He said: ‘My hand now,’ and took hold of my wrist, and I laughed, and drew my hand away, and I dried it quickly on the towel, and told him to go downstairs, and I would come.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading He said: ‘My hand now,’ and took hold of my wrist, and I laughed, and drew my hand away, and I dried it quickly on the towel, and told him to go downstairs, and I would come.
cut with a saw
From this reading Walter was standing behind me; he saw the ring too.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
soapsudsnoun
the froth produced by soaps or detergents
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
having a supporting base
From this reading Walter was standing behind me; he saw the ring too.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ‘In the dining-room, please.’
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I didn’t want to be alone with Walter.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading He said: ‘My hand now,’ and took hold of my wrist, and I laughed, and drew my hand away, and I dried it quickly on the towel, and told him to go downstairs, and I would come.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Walter was standing behind me; he saw the ring too.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He said: ‘My hand now,’ and took hold of my wrist, and I laughed, and drew my hand away, and I dried it quickly on the towel, and told him to go downstairs, and I would come.
towelnounUS /ˈtaʊəl/
a rectangular piece of absorbent cloth (or paper) for drying or wiping
From this reading He said: ‘My hand now,’ and took hold of my wrist, and I laughed, and drew my hand away, and I dried it quickly on the towel, and told him to go downstairs, and I would come.
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading I didn’t want to be alone with Walter.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading I didn’t want to be alone with Walter.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
clean by virtue of having been washed in water
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
at the time that
From this reading Then she went out, and a maid came in with hot water, and I poured it out and washed; and there was the wedding ring on my finger; I could see it through the water and the soapsuds in the basin, when I held my hand right down.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I didn’t want to be alone with Walter.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He said: ‘My hand now,’ and took hold of my wrist, and I laughed, and drew my hand away, and I dried it quickly on the towel, and told him to go downstairs, and I would come.
wristnounUS /rɪst/
a joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones
From this reading He said: ‘My hand now,’ and took hold of my wrist, and I laughed, and drew my hand away, and I dried it quickly on the towel, and told him to go downstairs, and I would come.
