used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
separated or at a distance in place or position or time
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
clutchnounUS /klʌtʃ/
the act of grasping
From this reading The restraining clutch seemed to madden her, and she fought wildly, furiously, to free herself.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
opinion or judgment
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
having a face or facing especially of a specified kind or number; often used in combination
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
inflected form of “fight” — be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading The restraining clutch seemed to madden her, and she fought wildly, furiously, to free herself.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading The restraining clutch seemed to madden her, and she fought wildly, furiously, to free herself.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading With a twist and a wrench she tried to withdraw her slender wrist from his grasp.
furiouslyadverbUS /ˈfjʊriəsli/
(of the elements) in a wild and stormy manner
From this reading The restraining clutch seemed to madden her, and she fought wildly, furiously, to free herself.
a long fixed look
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
a young female
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Let go!" she panted.
hold firmly
From this reading With a twist and a wrench she tried to withdraw her slender wrist from his grasp.
gripnounUS /ɡrɪp/
the act of grasping
From this reading He shook his head with a slight movement, and his grip tightened.
HARD-WON
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He shook his head with a slight movement, and his grip tightened.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He shook his head with a slight movement, and his grip tightened.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading The restraining clutch seemed to madden her, and she fought wildly, furiously, to free herself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
Letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "Let go!" she panted.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
maddenverbUS /ˈmædən/
cause to go crazy; cause to lose one's mind
From this reading The restraining clutch seemed to madden her, and she fought wildly, furiously, to free herself.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
the light of the Moon
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading He shook his head with a slight movement, and his grip tightened.
narrowedadjectiveUS /ˈneroʊd/
reduced in size as by squeezing together
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
pantedverbUS /ˈpæntɪd/
past form of “pant” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading "Let go!" she panted.
policemannounUS /pəˈliːsmən/
a member of a police force
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
make a promise or commitment
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
quickenedverbUS /ˈkwɪkənd/
past form of “quicken” — move faster
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
restrainingverbUS /riˈstreɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “restrain” — to close within bounds, or otherwise limit or deprive of free movement
From this reading The restraining clutch seemed to madden her, and she fought wildly, furiously, to free herself.
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The restraining clutch seemed to madden her, and she fought wildly, furiously, to free herself.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading He shook his head with a slight movement, and his grip tightened.
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading With a twist and a wrench she tried to withdraw her slender wrist from his grasp.
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
From this reading He shook his head with a slight movement, and his grip tightened.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
steelyadjectiveUS /ˈstiːli/
resembling steel as in hardness
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
tenselyadverbUS /ˈtensli/
in a tense manner
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
tightenedverbUS /ˈtaɪtənd/
past form of “tighten” — make tight or tighter
From this reading He shook his head with a slight movement, and his grip tightened.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading With a twist and a wrench she tried to withdraw her slender wrist from his grasp.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading With a twist and a wrench she tried to withdraw her slender wrist from his grasp.
twistverbUS /twɪst/
to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling)
From this reading With a twist and a wrench she tried to withdraw her slender wrist from his grasp.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading A HARD-WON PROMISE For two or three seconds the girl and the policeman faced each other tensely in the soft moonlight; and then, as she met his steely gaze, her eyes narrowed, her lips drew apart, her breathing quickened.
wildlyadverbUS /ˈwaɪldli/
to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree
From this reading The restraining clutch seemed to madden her, and she fought wildly, furiously, to free herself.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With a twist and a wrench she tried to withdraw her slender wrist from his grasp.
withdrawverbUS /wɪðˈdrɔː/
pull back or move away or backward
From this reading With a twist and a wrench she tried to withdraw her slender wrist from his grasp.
wrenchverbUS /rentʃ/
twist or pull violently or suddenly, especially so as to remove (something) from that to which it is attached or from where it originates
From this reading With a twist and a wrench she tried to withdraw her slender wrist from his grasp.
wristnounUS /rɪst/
a joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones
From this reading With a twist and a wrench she tried to withdraw her slender wrist from his grasp.
