used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Her black eyebrows were drawn down, the cleft between them was deep, like the gash of a knife.
abatedverbUS /əˈbeɪtɪd/
past form of “abate” — make less active or intense
From this reading The spasm of agony abated, and after some minutes she breathed more freely.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Her white hair fell about her head in disorder.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading The spasm of agony abated, and after some minutes she breathed more freely.
Extreme physical or mental suffering; intense anguish.
From this reading The spasm of agony abated, and after some minutes she breathed more freely.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Her black eyebrows were drawn down, the cleft between them was deep, like the gash of a knife.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Her black eyebrows were drawn down, the cleft between them was deep, like the gash of a knife.
uttered without voice
From this reading The spasm of agony abated, and after some minutes she breathed more freely.
the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
cleftnounUS /kleft/
a split or indentation in something (as the palate or chin)
From this reading Her black eyebrows were drawn down, the cleft between them was deep, like the gash of a knife.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
coverlid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading Her black eyebrows were drawn down, the cleft between them was deep, like the gash of a knife.
arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
disordernounUS /dɪˈsɔːrdər/
a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning
From this reading Her white hair fell about her head in disorder.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Her black eyebrows were drawn down, the cleft between them was deep, like the gash of a knife.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading Her black eyebrows were drawn down, the cleft between them was deep, like the gash of a knife.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
eyebrowsnounUS /ˈaɪbraʊz/
plural of “eyebrow” — the arch of hair above each eye
From this reading Her black eyebrows were drawn down, the cleft between them was deep, like the gash of a knife.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading Her white hair fell about her head in disorder.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For some time she was too weak to speak.
in a free manner
From this reading The spasm of agony abated, and after some minutes she breathed more freely.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
gashverbUS /ɡæʃ/
cut open
From this reading Her black eyebrows were drawn down, the cleft between them was deep, like the gash of a knife.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading Her white hair fell about her head in disorder.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Her white hair fell about her head in disorder.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her black eyebrows were drawn down, the cleft between them was deep, like the gash of a knife.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
illuminedverbUS /ˌɪˈluːmənd/
past form of “illumine” — make lighter or brighter
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Her white hair fell about her head in disorder.
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading Her black eyebrows were drawn down, the cleft between them was deep, like the gash of a knife.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Her black eyebrows were drawn down, the cleft between them was deep, like the gash of a knife.
mercilesslyadverbUS /ˈmɜːrsələsli/
without pity; in a merciless manner
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading The spasm of agony abated, and after some minutes she breathed more freely.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The spasm of agony abated, and after some minutes she breathed more freely.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Her black eyebrows were drawn down, the cleft between them was deep, like the gash of a knife.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
raggedadjectiveUS /ˈræɡəd/
being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For some time she was too weak to speak.
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading For some time she was too weak to speak.
spasmnounUS /ˈspæzəm/
a painful and involuntary muscular contraction
From this reading The spasm of agony abated, and after some minutes she breathed more freely.
express in speech
From this reading For some time she was too weak to speak.
a state of acute pain
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Her black eyebrows were drawn down, the cleft between them was deep, like the gash of a knife.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Her black eyebrows were drawn down, the cleft between them was deep, like the gash of a knife.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading For some time she was too weak to speak.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For some time she was too weak to speak.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading For some time she was too weak to speak.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading She drew a ragged coverlid over her chest, as if suffering from the cold, though the sun shone in upon her as she lay and mercilessly illumined her desperate face.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For some time she was too weak to speak.
wanting in physical strength
From this reading For some time she was too weak to speak.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Her black eyebrows were drawn down, the cleft between them was deep, like the gash of a knife.
a Caucasian
From this reading Her white hair fell about her head in disorder.
