used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She awoke at length quite fully, quite suddenly, to a sense of appalling loneliness, to a desolation unutterable.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading She only slept and slept and slept in total unconsciousness, wrapt about in the silence of her desert.
(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 THE ANGEL It was many hours before she awoke and in all those hours she never dreamed.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading She opened her eyes wide upon a darkness that could be felt, and almost cried aloud with the terror of it.
using the voice; not silently
From this reading She opened her eyes wide upon a darkness that could be felt, and almost cried aloud with the terror of it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE ANGEL It was many hours before she awoke and in all those hours she never dreamed.
spiritual being attendant upon God
From this reading THE ANGEL It was many hours before she awoke and in all those hours she never dreamed.
appallingnounUS /əˈpɔːlɪŋ/
an experience that appalls
From this reading She awoke at length quite fully, quite suddenly, to a sense of appalling loneliness, to a desolation unutterable.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She awoke at length quite fully, quite suddenly, to a sense of appalling loneliness, to a desolation unutterable.
inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping
From this reading THE ANGEL It was many hours before she awoke and in all those hours she never dreamed.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She opened her eyes wide upon a darkness that could be felt, and almost cried aloud with the terror of it.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading THE ANGEL It was many hours before she awoke and in all those hours she never dreamed.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading For a few palpitating moments it seemed to her that the most dreadful thing that could possibly happen to her had come upon her unawares.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She opened her eyes wide upon a darkness that could be felt, and almost cried aloud with the terror of it.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading She opened her eyes wide upon a darkness that could be felt, and almost cried aloud with the terror of it.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading She opened her eyes wide upon a darkness that could be felt, and almost cried aloud with the terror of it.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading She only slept and slept and slept in total unconsciousness, wrapt about in the silence of her desert.
desolationnounUS /ˌdesəˈleɪʃən/
the state of being decayed or destroyed
From this reading She awoke at length quite fully, quite suddenly, to a sense of appalling loneliness, to a desolation unutterable.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading For a few palpitating moments it seemed to her that the most dreadful thing that could possibly happen to her had come upon her unawares.
conceived of or imagined or hoped for
From this reading THE ANGEL It was many hours before she awoke and in all those hours she never dreamed.
opinion or judgment
From this reading She opened her eyes wide upon a darkness that could be felt, and almost cried aloud with the terror of it.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading She opened her eyes wide upon a darkness that could be felt, and almost cried aloud with the terror of it.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading For a few palpitating moments it seemed to her that the most dreadful thing that could possibly happen to her had come upon her unawares.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a few palpitating moments it seemed to her that the most dreadful thing that could possibly happen to her had come upon her unawares.
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading She awoke at length quite fully, quite suddenly, to a sense of appalling loneliness, to a desolation unutterable.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For a few palpitating moments it seemed to her that the most dreadful thing that could possibly happen to her had come upon her unawares.
come to pass
From this reading For a few palpitating moments it seemed to her that the most dreadful thing that could possibly happen to her had come upon her unawares.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She only slept and slept and slept in total unconsciousness, wrapt about in the silence of her desert.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading THE ANGEL It was many hours before she awoke and in all those hours she never dreamed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE ANGEL It was many hours before she awoke and in all those hours she never dreamed.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE ANGEL It was many hours before she awoke and in all those hours she never dreamed.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading She awoke at length quite fully, quite suddenly, to a sense of appalling loneliness, to a desolation unutterable.
lonelinessnounUS /ˈloʊnlinəs/
the state of being alone in solitary isolation
From this reading She awoke at length quite fully, quite suddenly, to a sense of appalling loneliness, to a desolation unutterable.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading THE ANGEL It was many hours before she awoke and in all those hours she never dreamed.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading For a few palpitating moments it seemed to her that the most dreadful thing that could possibly happen to her had come upon her unawares.
used to form the superlative
From this reading For a few palpitating moments it seemed to her that the most dreadful thing that could possibly happen to her had come upon her unawares.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading THE ANGEL It was many hours before she awoke and in all those hours she never dreamed.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She only slept and slept and slept in total unconsciousness, wrapt about in the silence of her desert.
and nothing more
From this reading She only slept and slept and slept in total unconsciousness, wrapt about in the silence of her desert.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading She opened her eyes wide upon a darkness that could be felt, and almost cried aloud with the terror of it.
palpitatingadjectiveUS /ˈpælpəteɪtɪŋ/
having a slight and rapid trembling motion
From this reading For a few palpitating moments it seemed to her that the most dreadful thing that could possibly happen to her had come upon her unawares.
by chance
From this reading For a few palpitating moments it seemed to her that the most dreadful thing that could possibly happen to her had come upon her unawares.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading She awoke at length quite fully, quite suddenly, to a sense of appalling loneliness, to a desolation unutterable.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading For a few palpitating moments it seemed to her that the most dreadful thing that could possibly happen to her had come upon her unawares.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading She awoke at length quite fully, quite suddenly, to a sense of appalling loneliness, to a desolation unutterable.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE ANGEL It was many hours before she awoke and in all those hours she never dreamed.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading She only slept and slept and slept in total unconsciousness, wrapt about in the silence of her desert.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading She only slept and slept and slept in total unconsciousness, wrapt about in the silence of her desert.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading She awoke at length quite fully, quite suddenly, to a sense of appalling loneliness, to a desolation unutterable.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading She opened her eyes wide upon a darkness that could be felt, and almost cried aloud with the terror of it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She opened her eyes wide upon a darkness that could be felt, and almost cried aloud with the terror of it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE ANGEL It was many hours before she awoke and in all those hours she never dreamed.
a special situation
From this reading For a few palpitating moments it seemed to her that the most dreadful thing that could possibly happen to her had come upon her unawares.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading THE ANGEL It was many hours before she awoke and in all those hours she never dreamed.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She awoke at length quite fully, quite suddenly, to a sense of appalling loneliness, to a desolation unutterable.
totalverbUS /ˈtoʊtəl/
add up in number or quantity
From this reading She only slept and slept and slept in total unconsciousness, wrapt about in the silence of her desert.
unawaresadverbUS /ˌʌnəˈwerz/
without forethought or plan; inadvertently
From this reading For a few palpitating moments it seemed to her that the most dreadful thing that could possibly happen to her had come upon her unawares.
unconsciousnessnounUS /ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəsnɪs/
a state lacking normal awareness of the self or environment
From this reading She only slept and slept and slept in total unconsciousness, wrapt about in the silence of her desert.
unutterableadjective
too sacred to be uttered
From this reading She awoke at length quite fully, quite suddenly, to a sense of appalling loneliness, to a desolation unutterable.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading She opened her eyes wide upon a darkness that could be felt, and almost cried aloud with the terror of it.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE ANGEL It was many hours before she awoke and in all those hours she never dreamed.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading She opened her eyes wide upon a darkness that could be felt, and almost cried aloud with the terror of it.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She opened her eyes wide upon a darkness that could be felt, and almost cried aloud with the terror of it.
wrapt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She only slept and slept and slept in total unconsciousness, wrapt about in the silence of her desert.
