used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
alacritynounUS /əˈlækrəti/
liveliness and eagerness
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
(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 All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading We two were left alone.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
amazedadjectiveUS /əˈmeɪzd/
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
the verbal act of requesting
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
blackeradjectiveUS /ˈblækər/
comparative of “black” — 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 child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
a young person of either sex
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
commissionnounUS /kəˈmɪʃən/
a special group delegated to consider some matter
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
Dr
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
something many people believe that is false
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
inventedverbUS /ˌɪnˈventəd/
past form of “invent” — come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
issuedverbUS /ˈɪʃuːd/
past form of “issue” — prepare and issue for public distribution or sale
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
large or big relative to something else
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading I took up some work that lay on the table.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading We two were left alone.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
a particular point in time
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
no person; not anyone
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
past form of “obey” — be obedient to
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
peremptoryadjectiveUS /pərˈemptəri/
offensively self-assured or given to exercising usually unwarranted power
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
To recall to mind.
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
RobertsnounUS /ˈrɑːbərts/
United States biochemist (born in England) honored for his discovery that some genes contain introns (born in 1943)
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
Sara
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
cut with a saw
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
spurnounUS /spɜːr/
a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading I took up some work that lay on the table.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I took up some work that lay on the table.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
in or at that place or location
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading I took up some work that lay on the table.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading We two were left alone.
uncomprehension
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
the cognitive condition of someone who understands
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We two were left alone.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We two were left alone.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
at the time that
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
at any time that; every time that
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading All in haste, and in a peremptory tone, to which nobody could be less used to than she was, I had sent little Sara away on some commission, invented on the spur of the moment, when the door closed on Dr. Roberts.
wilfuladjective
done by design
From this reading But Sara had understanding in her, wilful as she was; she saw there was occasion for it, though she could not understand how; and whenever her first surprise was over, she went off and obeyed me with an alacrity which I shall always remember.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The child looked up in my face with an amazed uncomprehension of any order issued to her; I fancy I can see her great eyes growing larger and blacker as she turned, asking what I meant.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading I took up some work that lay on the table.
