Chapter IV

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

engaged in or accustomed to close observation

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

possessing life

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

(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 In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

on or to one side

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

the time when something begins (especially life)

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

a state of extreme confusion and disorder

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

morally objectionable behavior

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

any material that fills a space or container

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

obtain

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

a state of high honor

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

the act of grasping

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Nor is it a slow process.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

show to be right by providing justification or proof

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

immediately past

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

something that is lost

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

plural of “lung” — either of two saclike respiratory organs in the chest of vertebrates; serves to remove carbon dioxide and provide oxygen to the blood

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

possessive form of “martin” — French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

not any; not one

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading Nor is it a slow process.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

past form of “overshadow” — be greater in significance than

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

plural of “pang” — a sudden sharp feeling

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

an assumption that is taken for granted

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition

From this reading Nor is it a slow process.

an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

past form of “search” — try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time

From this reading Nor is it a slow process.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

comparatives of “soon” or “early”

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

the taste experience when sugar dissolves in the mouth

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Putting his arm aside I drew level with him, and through the general chaos searched out a something to justify his presumption, a something that overshadowed with its terror the common exalted level of disaster.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

make physical contact with, come in contact with

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

a shaky motion

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

-ing form of “usher” — take (someone) to their seats, as in theaters or auditoriums

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

the process of paying close and continuous attention

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

in or at the place that

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

in the company of; together with

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

possessive form of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading In some the ushering into a life of the knowledge of good and evil comes by way of a woman's kiss, in others the pangs are as keen as those that forerun the first gasped filling of the babe's lungs; but whether by way of sweetness or by way of pain, by the glory of love or by the enfibering dignity of grief, by gain or by loss it comes to all.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading BABETTE To every man they come, sooner or later, these second days of birth in which at last he knows himself to be truly alive and with a purpose in the world.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading In an hour that which was not is, and so, being at last a man, the touch of Martin's hand, the trembling of its grip where no grip should have been, was a sinister alert to watchfulness, and I would not go back.