used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At first, it was only a spider thread of sound.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Tender and soothing as a wind-wafted melody in the first hush of evening, his grateful mind whispered.
asteroidnounUS /ˈæstərɔɪd/
any of numerous small celestial bodies composed of rock and metal that move around the sun (mainly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter)
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At first, it was only a spider thread of sound.
ballsnounUS /bɔːlz/
plural of “ball” — round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
blamedadjectiveUS /bleɪmd/
expletives used informally as intensifiers
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
bleakadjectiveUS /bliːk/
offering little or no hope
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
boilverbUS /bɔɪl/
come to the boiling point and change from a liquid to vapor
From this reading It was so soft, so caressing that it was like some healing unguent to the throbbing, burning boil that was Kent Knight's brain.
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading It was so soft, so caressing that it was like some healing unguent to the throbbing, burning boil that was Kent Knight's brain.
the act of burning something
From this reading It was so soft, so caressing that it was like some healing unguent to the throbbing, burning boil that was Kent Knight's brain.
caressingnounUS /kərˈesɪŋ/
affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs)
From this reading It was so soft, so caressing that it was like some healing unguent to the throbbing, burning boil that was Kent Knight's brain.
clawedadjectiveUS /klɔːd/
having or resembling a claw or claws; often used as a combining form
From this reading Then his mind was screaming as the spider thread grew jagged edges that clawed open the first pain wounds and tore them wider.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
edgesnounUS /ˈedʒəz/
plural of “edge” — the boundary of a surface
From this reading Then his mind was screaming as the spider thread grew jagged edges that clawed open the first pain wounds and tore them wider.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading Tender and soothing as a wind-wafted melody in the first hush of evening, his grateful mind whispered.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading At first, it was only a spider thread of sound.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
forlornadjectiveUS /fərˈlɔːrn/
marked by or showing hopelessness
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
the dressed hairy coat of a mammal
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
feeling or showing gratitude
From this reading Tender and soothing as a wind-wafted melody in the first hush of evening, his grateful mind whispered.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading Then his mind was screaming as the spider thread grew jagged edges that clawed open the first pain wounds and tore them wider.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
healingnounUS /ˈhiːlɪŋ/
the natural process by which the body repairs itself
From this reading It was so soft, so caressing that it was like some healing unguent to the throbbing, burning boil that was Kent Knight's brain.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Tender and soothing as a wind-wafted melody in the first hush of evening, his grateful mind whispered.
become quiet or still; fall silent
From this reading Tender and soothing as a wind-wafted melody in the first hush of evening, his grateful mind whispered.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Tender and soothing as a wind-wafted melody in the first hush of evening, his grateful mind whispered.
incongruousadjectiveUS /ˌɪŋˈkɔːŋruːəs/
lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading At first, it was only a spider thread of sound.
jaggedadjectiveUS /ˈdʒæɡəd/
having a sharply uneven surface or outline
From this reading Then his mind was screaming as the spider thread grew jagged edges that clawed open the first pain wounds and tore them wider.
KentnounUS /kent/
a county in southeastern England on the English Channel; formerly an Anglo-Saxon kingdom, it was the first to be colonized by the Romans
From this reading It was so soft, so caressing that it was like some healing unguent to the throbbing, burning boil that was Kent Knight's brain.
Knight'snounUS /naɪts/
possessive form of “knight” — originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit
From this reading It was so soft, so caressing that it was like some healing unguent to the throbbing, burning boil that was Kent Knight's brain.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It was so soft, so caressing that it was like some healing unguent to the throbbing, burning boil that was Kent Knight's brain.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
LovableadjectiveUS /ˈlʌvəbəl/
having characteristics that attract love or affection
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
melodynounUS /ˈmelədi/
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading Tender and soothing as a wind-wafted melody in the first hush of evening, his grateful mind whispered.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Tender and soothing as a wind-wafted melody in the first hush of evening, his grateful mind whispered.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
and nothing more
From this reading At first, it was only a spider thread of sound.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Then his mind was screaming as the spider thread grew jagged edges that clawed open the first pain wounds and tore them wider.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder
From this reading Then his mind was screaming as the spider thread grew jagged edges that clawed open the first pain wounds and tore them wider.
pickingnounUS /ˈpɪkɪŋ/
the quantity of a crop that is harvested
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
screamingadjectiveUS /ˈskriːmɪŋ/
so extremely intense as to evoke screams
From this reading Then his mind was screaming as the spider thread grew jagged edges that clawed open the first pain wounds and tore them wider.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It was so soft, so caressing that it was like some healing unguent to the throbbing, burning boil that was Kent Knight's brain.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading It was so soft, so caressing that it was like some healing unguent to the throbbing, burning boil that was Kent Knight's brain.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading It was so soft, so caressing that it was like some healing unguent to the throbbing, burning boil that was Kent Knight's brain.
soothingadjectiveUS /ˈsuːðɪŋ/
affording physical relief
From this reading Tender and soothing as a wind-wafted melody in the first hush of evening, his grateful mind whispered.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading At first, it was only a spider thread of sound.
spidernounUS /ˈspaɪdər/
predatory arachnid with eight legs, two poison fangs, two feelers, and usually two silk-spinning organs at the back end of the body; they spin silk to make cocoons for eggs or traps for prey
From this reading At first, it was only a spider thread of sound.
carry out
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading Tender and soothing as a wind-wafted melody in the first hush of evening, his grateful mind whispered.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was so soft, so caressing that it was like some healing unguent to the throbbing, burning boil that was Kent Knight's brain.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was so soft, so caressing that it was like some healing unguent to the throbbing, burning boil that was Kent Knight's brain.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Then his mind was screaming as the spider thread grew jagged edges that clawed open the first pain wounds and tore them wider.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then his mind was screaming as the spider thread grew jagged edges that clawed open the first pain wounds and tore them wider.
thereafteradverbUS /ðeˈræftər/
from that time on
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
threadverbUS /θred/
to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course
From this reading At first, it was only a spider thread of sound.
throbbingnounUS /ˈθrɑːbɪŋ/
an instance of rapid strong pulsation (of the heart)
From this reading It was so soft, so caressing that it was like some healing unguent to the throbbing, burning boil that was Kent Knight's brain.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
commonly the lowest molding at the base of a column
From this reading Then his mind was screaming as the spider thread grew jagged edges that clawed open the first pain wounds and tore them wider.
unguentnoun
semisolid preparation (usually containing a medicine) applied externally as a remedy or for soothing an irritation
From this reading It was so soft, so caressing that it was like some healing unguent to the throbbing, burning boil that was Kent Knight's brain.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At first, it was only a spider thread of sound.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading Tender and soothing as a wind-wafted melody in the first hush of evening, his grateful mind whispered.
which person or people
From this reading Lovable little balls of fur, incongruous on this bleak asteroid, forlorn and lonely ... who could be blamed for picking one up to take along--or for what happened thereafter?
wideradjectiveUS /ˈwaɪdər/
comparative of “wide” — having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Then his mind was screaming as the spider thread grew jagged edges that clawed open the first pain wounds and tore them wider.
wind-wafted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Tender and soothing as a wind-wafted melody in the first hush of evening, his grateful mind whispered.
woundsnounUS /wuːndz/
plural of “wound” — an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)
From this reading Then his mind was screaming as the spider thread grew jagged edges that clawed open the first pain wounds and tore them wider.
