used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE HEART OF A WOMAN For an instant there was a blank silence.
abackadverbUS /əˈbæk/
having the wind against the forward side of the sails
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading The Judge sat as if stunned, one hand across his lips, the other clenched on his knee.
(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 He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading THE HEART OF A WOMAN For an instant there was a blank silence.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
separated or at a distance in place or position or time
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The Judge sat as if stunned, one hand across his lips, the other clenched on his knee.
blankadjectiveUS /blæŋk/
(of a surface) not written or printed on
From this reading THE HEART OF A WOMAN For an instant there was a blank silence.
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
brinknounUS /brɪŋk/
a region marking a boundary
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading An irrepressible exclamation burst from his lips.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
clenchedadjectiveUS /klentʃt/
closed or squeezed together tightly
From this reading The Judge sat as if stunned, one hand across his lips, the other clenched on his knee.
confoundedadjectiveUS /kənˈfaʊndɪd/
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
intentionally conceived
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
dispersedadjectiveUS /dɪˈspɜːrst/
distributed or spread over a considerable extent
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
dissipatesverbUS /ˈdɪsəpeɪts/
third-person singular of “dissipate” — to cause to separate and go in different directions
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
exclamationnounUS /ˌekskləˈmeɪʃən/
an abrupt excited utterance
From this reading An irrepressible exclamation burst from his lips.
explosionnounUS /ɪkˈsploʊʒən/
a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
opinion or judgment
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
start firing a weapon
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE HEART OF A WOMAN For an instant there was a blank silence.
inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading The Judge sat as if stunned, one hand across his lips, the other clenched on his knee.
Harry's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading THE HEART OF A WOMAN For an instant there was a blank silence.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The Judge sat as if stunned, one hand across his lips, the other clenched on his knee.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The Judge sat as if stunned, one hand across his lips, the other clenched on his knee.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading THE HEART OF A WOMAN For an instant there was a blank silence.
irrepressibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪrəˈpresəbəl/
impossible to repress or control
From this reading An irrepressible exclamation burst from his lips.
determine the result of (a competition)
From this reading The Judge sat as if stunned, one hand across his lips, the other clenched on his knee.
hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading The Judge sat as if stunned, one hand across his lips, the other clenched on his knee.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading The Judge sat as if stunned, one hand across his lips, the other clenched on his knee.
held dear
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE HEART OF A WOMAN For an instant there was a blank silence.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The Judge sat as if stunned, one hand across his lips, the other clenched on his knee.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The Judge sat as if stunned, one hand across his lips, the other clenched on his knee.
and nothing more
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The Judge sat as if stunned, one hand across his lips, the other clenched on his knee.
pedestriansnounUS /pəˈdestriənz/
plural of “pedestrian” — a person who travels by foot
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading The Judge sat as if stunned, one hand across his lips, the other clenched on his knee.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
shockedadjectiveUS /ʃɑːkt/
struck with fear, dread, or consternation
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading THE HEART OF A WOMAN For an instant there was a blank silence.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
stunnedadjectiveUS /stʌnd/
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading The Judge sat as if stunned, one hand across his lips, the other clenched on his knee.
surgeverbUS /sɜːrdʒ/
rise and move, as in waves or billows
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE HEART OF A WOMAN For an instant there was a blank silence.
in or at that place or location
From this reading THE HEART OF A WOMAN For an instant there was a blank silence.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
The passage at the back of the mouth.
From this reading Harry's breath had caught in his throat; he stood taken aback and confounded, his thought shocked apart and dispersed as a street explosion dissipates a crowd of pedestrians.
unspottedadjective
without soil or spot or stain
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE HEART OF A WOMAN For an instant there was a blank silence.
a Caucasian
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
belonging to which person
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading THE HEART OF A WOMAN For an instant there was a blank silence.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading He forgot all else, was conscious only of the deep fire of her eyes and the white surge of her breast, only that he loved her and that she stood on the brink of ruin--she whose name was unspotted from the world!
