used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
in the past
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
(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 Bertha looked very pale, tired, wasted, grown all at once into an old woman, hopeless and resigned, as though broken under much silent sorrow.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Bertha looked very pale, tired, wasted, grown all at once into an old woman, hopeless and resigned, as though broken under much silent sorrow.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The door opened and Bertha, Louise and Marianne entered.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Bertha looked very pale, tired, wasted, grown all at once into an old woman, hopeless and resigned, as though broken under much silent sorrow.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
Bertha
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The door opened and Bertha, Louise and Marianne entered.
the two together, not just one
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading Bertha looked very pale, tired, wasted, grown all at once into an old woman, hopeless and resigned, as though broken under much silent sorrow.
ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
compassionnounUS /kəmˈpæʃən/
a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
condemnedverbUS /kənˈdemd/
past form of “condemn” — express strong disapproval of
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
ConstancenounUS /ˈkɑːnstəns/
a lake in southeastern Germany on the northern side of the Swiss Alps; forms part of the Rhine River
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
plural of “daughter” — a female human offspring
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The door opened and Bertha, Louise and Marianne entered.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading The door opened and Bertha, Louise and Marianne entered.
apart from; not including
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
funeralnounUS /ˈfjuːnərəl/
a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
(of animals) fully developed
From this reading Bertha looked very pale, tired, wasted, grown all at once into an old woman, hopeless and resigned, as though broken under much silent sorrow.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
happeningnounUS /ˈhæpənɪŋ/
an event that happens
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
hopelessadjectiveUS /ˈhoʊpləs/
without hope because there seems to be no possibility of comfort or success
From this reading Bertha looked very pale, tired, wasted, grown all at once into an old woman, hopeless and resigned, as though broken under much silent sorrow.
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Bertha looked very pale, tired, wasted, grown all at once into an old woman, hopeless and resigned, as though broken under much silent sorrow.
Louise
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The door opened and Bertha, Louise and Marianne entered.
Marianne
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The door opened and Bertha, Louise and Marianne entered.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
mourningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/
state of sorrow over the death or departure of a loved one
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Bertha looked very pale, tired, wasted, grown all at once into an old woman, hopeless and resigned, as though broken under much silent sorrow.
Naghel's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Bertha looked very pale, tired, wasted, grown all at once into an old woman, hopeless and resigned, as though broken under much silent sorrow.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
on one occasion
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
and nothing more
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading The door opened and Bertha, Louise and Marianne entered.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading Bertha looked very pale, tired, wasted, grown all at once into an old woman, hopeless and resigned, as though broken under much silent sorrow.
resignedverbUS /rɪˈzaɪnd/
past form of “resign” — leave (a job, post, or position) voluntarily
From this reading Bertha looked very pale, tired, wasted, grown all at once into an old woman, hopeless and resigned, as though broken under much silent sorrow.
precisely, exactly
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading Bertha looked very pale, tired, wasted, grown all at once into an old woman, hopeless and resigned, as though broken under much silent sorrow.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement
From this reading Bertha looked very pale, tired, wasted, grown all at once into an old woman, hopeless and resigned, as though broken under much silent sorrow.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
surgedverbUS /sɜːrdʒd/
past form of “surge” — rise and move, as in waves or billows
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The door opened and Bertha, Louise and Marianne entered.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading Bertha looked very pale, tired, wasted, grown all at once into an old woman, hopeless and resigned, as though broken under much silent sorrow.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
torrentnounUS /ˈtɔːrənt/
a heavy rain
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Bertha looked very pale, tired, wasted, grown all at once into an old woman, hopeless and resigned, as though broken under much silent sorrow.
any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
precisely as stated
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And they stepped so suddenly right across Constance' thoughts that she was startled at their appearance: mother and daughters in deep mourning.
wastedadjectiveUS /ˈweɪstɪd/
serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being
From this reading Bertha looked very pale, tired, wasted, grown all at once into an old woman, hopeless and resigned, as though broken under much silent sorrow.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading She had not seen Bertha except on that first hurried visit immediately after Van Naghel's death and on the day of the funeral, six weeks ago; and she knew very little of what was happening; she had seen Marianne only once.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading And now that they both stepped right across her thoughts, into that narrow circle--which she condemned, though she herself was unable to move out of it--a great compassion suddenly surged through her, like a torrent.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Bertha looked very pale, tired, wasted, grown all at once into an old woman, hopeless and resigned, as though broken under much silent sorrow.
