used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
adoringadjectiveUS /əˈdɔːrɪŋ/
showing adoration
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading “I am glad to see you, dear child,” said Stargarde, going to meet her and taking her warmly by the hand.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
a room used primarily for sleeping
From this reading “Come into the bedroom and take off your things.”
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
boy'snounUS /bɔɪz/
possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “I am glad to see you, dear child,” said Stargarde, going to meet her and taking her warmly by the hand.
a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
a young person of either sex
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “Come into the bedroom and take off your things.”
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading She had on a ragged, dirty frock, and a dingy plaid shawl covered her shoulders.
curlyadjectiveUS /ˈkɜːrli/
(of hair) having curls or waves
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
dearly loved
From this reading “I am glad to see you, dear child,” said Stargarde, going to meet her and taking her warmly by the hand.
dingyadjectiveUS /ˈdɪndʒi/
thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
From this reading She had on a ragged, dirty frock, and a dingy plaid shawl covered her shoulders.
dirtyadjectiveUS /ˈdɜːrti/
soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime
From this reading She had on a ragged, dirty frock, and a dingy plaid shawl covered her shoulders.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
cause to move by pulling
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
past form of “flash” — gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
frocknounUS /frɑːk/
a long, loose outer garment
From this reading She had on a ragged, dirty frock, and a dingy plaid shawl covered her shoulders.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading “I am glad to see you, dear child,” said Stargarde, going to meet her and taking her warmly by the hand.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
the act of departing
From this reading “I am glad to see you, dear child,” said Stargarde, going to meet her and taking her warmly by the hand.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had on a ragged, dirty frock, and a dingy plaid shawl covered her shoulders.
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 The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading “I am glad to see you, dear child,” said Stargarde, going to meet her and taking her warmly by the hand.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I am glad to see you, dear child,” said Stargarde, going to meet her and taking her warmly by the hand.
with impatience; in an impatient manner
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
located inward
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
inspectingverbUS /ˌɪnˈspektɪŋ/
-ing form of “inspect” — look over carefully
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading “Come into the bedroom and take off your things.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
come together
From this reading “I am glad to see you, dear child,” said Stargarde, going to meet her and taking her warmly by the hand.
miserablyadverbUS /ˈmɪzərəbli/
in a miserable manner
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
narrowlyadverbUS /ˈneroʊli/
in a narrow manner; not allowing for exceptions
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “Come into the bedroom and take off your things.”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She had on a ragged, dirty frock, and a dingy plaid shawl covered her shoulders.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
patchnounUS /pætʃ/
a small contrasting part of something
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
plaidnounUS /plæd/
a cloth having a crisscross design
From this reading She had on a ragged, dirty frock, and a dingy plaid shawl covered her shoulders.
pluckingverbUS /ˈplʌkɪŋ/
-ing form of “pluck” — pull or pull out sharply
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
raggedadjectiveUS /ˈræɡəd/
being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn
From this reading She had on a ragged, dirty frock, and a dingy plaid shawl covered her shoulders.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I am glad to see you, dear child,” said Stargarde, going to meet her and taking her warmly by the hand.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “I am glad to see you, dear child,” said Stargarde, going to meet her and taking her warmly by the hand.
shawlnounUS /ʃɔːl/
cloak consisting of an oblong piece of cloth used to cover the head and shoulders
From this reading She had on a ragged, dirty frock, and a dingy plaid shawl covered her shoulders.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had on a ragged, dirty frock, and a dingy plaid shawl covered her shoulders.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading She had on a ragged, dirty frock, and a dingy plaid shawl covered her shoulders.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
Stargarde
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I am glad to see you, dear child,” said Stargarde, going to meet her and taking her warmly by the hand.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
carry out
From this reading “Come into the bedroom and take off your things.”
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading “I am glad to see you, dear child,” said Stargarde, going to meet her and taking her warmly by the hand.
terriernounUS /ˈteriər/
any of several usually small short-bodied breeds originally trained to hunt animals living underground
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading “Come into the bedroom and take off your things.”
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
very small
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I am glad to see you, dear child,” said Stargarde, going to meet her and taking her warmly by the hand.
displeasing to the senses
From this reading The child picked off the back of her black head a tiny boy’s cap that lay there like an ugly patch, and plucking impatiently at her shawl to draw it from her shoulders, flashed Stargarde an adoring glance and followed her into an inner room.
warmlyadverbUS /ˈwɔːrmli/
in a hearty manner
From this reading “I am glad to see you, dear child,” said Stargarde, going to meet her and taking her warmly by the hand.
wisps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The door swung slowly open and a small, miserably thin child stood narrowly inspecting them through black, curly wisps of hair that hung down over her forehead and made her look like a terrier.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I am glad to see you, dear child,” said Stargarde, going to meet her and taking her warmly by the hand.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Come into the bedroom and take off your things.”
