used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A hand of ice lay on his forehead.
abjectadjectiveUS /ˈæbdʒekt/
of the most contemptible kind
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Cold puffs of air buffeted his trembling face.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading And he would have welcomed any human help now—any human companionship.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
buffetedadjectiveUS /bəˈfeɪd/
pounded or hit repeatedly by storms or adversities
From this reading Cold puffs of air buffeted his trembling face.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
without doubt or question
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
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 Cold puffs of air buffeted his trembling face.
companionshipnounUS /kəmˈpænjənʃɪp/
the state of being with someone
From this reading And he would have welcomed any human help now—any human companionship.
dimlyadverbUS /ˈdɪmli/
in a dim indistinct manner
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
apart from; not including
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Cold puffs of air buffeted his trembling face.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading A hand of ice lay on his forehead.
gripnounUS /ɡrɪp/
the act of grasping
From this reading The wretched man sat helpless in the grip of his terror.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading A hand of ice lay on his forehead.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading And he would have welcomed any human help now—any human companionship.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
lacking in or deprived of strength or power
From this reading The wretched man sat helpless in the grip of his terror.
inflected form of “hide” — prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The wretched man sat helpless in the grip of his terror.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading And he would have welcomed any human help now—any human companionship.
water frozen in the solid state
From this reading A hand of ice lay on his forehead.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The wretched man sat helpless in the grip of his terror.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading A hand of ice lay on his forehead.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The wretched man sat helpless in the grip of his terror.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The wretched man sat helpless in the grip of his terror.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A hand of ice lay on his forehead.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
puffsnounUS /pʌfs/
plural of “puff” — a short light gust of air
From this reading Cold puffs of air buffeted his trembling face.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading The wretched man sat helpless in the grip of his terror.
cut with a saw
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
sensedadjectiveUS /senst/
detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading The wretched man sat helpless in the grip of his terror.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The wretched man sat helpless in the grip of his terror.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
a shaky motion
From this reading Cold puffs of air buffeted his trembling face.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
welcomedverbUS /ˈwelkəmd/
past form of “welcome” — accept gladly
From this reading And he would have welcomed any human help now—any human companionship.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Afraid of what he almost saw dimly, and clearly sensed now, he hid his face in his hands and waited, unable to move, except as his own abject fear shook him, unable to call for help.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading And he would have welcomed any human help now—any human companionship.
of very poor quality or condition
From this reading The wretched man sat helpless in the grip of his terror.
