adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Her arms fell to her side; she made a little gesture with one limp hand.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Her lips parted in an imperceptible sigh of relief; the pallor of weariness returned.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then she turned, mounting the steps, pensively; and, in the doorway, paused an instant, looking back at him over her shoulder.
armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/
weapons considered collectively
From this reading Her arms fell to her side; she made a little gesture with one limp hand.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "I have been upon your business, Sir George," she said, looking down at her mud-stained garments.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Then she turned, mounting the steps, pensively; and, in the doorway, paused an instant, looking back at him over her shoulder.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "I have been upon your business, Sir George," she said, looking down at her mud-stained garments.
businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading "I have been upon your business, Sir George," she said, looking down at her mud-stained garments.
doorwaynounUS /ˈdɔːrweɪ/
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading Then she turned, mounting the steps, pensively; and, in the doorway, paused an instant, looking back at him over her shoulder.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "I have been upon your business, Sir George," she said, looking down at her mud-stained garments.
fellverbUS /fel/
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading Her arms fell to her side; she made a little gesture with one limp hand.
garmentsnounUS /ˈɡɑːrmənts/
plural of “garment” — an article of clothing
From this reading "I have been upon your business, Sir George," she said, looking down at her mud-stained garments.
GeorgenounUS /dʒɔːrdʒ/
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading "I have been upon your business, Sir George," she said, looking down at her mud-stained garments.
gesturenounUS /ˈdʒestʃər/
motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading Her arms fell to her side; she made a little gesture with one limp hand.
handnounUS /hænd/
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Her arms fell to her side; she made a little gesture with one limp hand.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I have been upon your business, Sir George," she said, looking down at her mud-stained garments.
HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her lips parted in an imperceptible sigh of relief; the pallor of weariness returned.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then she turned, mounting the steps, pensively; and, in the doorway, paused an instant, looking back at him over her shoulder.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I have been upon your business, Sir George," she said, looking down at her mud-stained garments.
imperceptibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪmpərˈseptɪbəl/
impossible or difficult to perceive by the mind or senses
From this reading Her lips parted in an imperceptible sigh of relief; the pallor of weariness returned.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Her lips parted in an imperceptible sigh of relief; the pallor of weariness returned.
instantnounUS /ˈɪnstənt/
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading Then she turned, mounting the steps, pensively; and, in the doorway, paused an instant, looking back at him over her shoulder.
limpverbUS /lɪmp/
walk impeded by some physical limitation or injury
From this reading Her arms fell to her side; she made a little gesture with one limp hand.
lipsnounUS /lɪps/
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading Her lips parted in an imperceptible sigh of relief; the pallor of weariness returned.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Her arms fell to her side; she made a little gesture with one limp hand.
lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading "I have been upon your business, Sir George," she said, looking down at her mud-stained garments.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Her arms fell to her side; she made a little gesture with one limp hand.
mountingnounUS /ˈmaʊntɪŋ/
an event that involves rising to a higher point (as in altitude or temperature or intensity etc.)
From this reading Then she turned, mounting the steps, pensively; and, in the doorway, paused an instant, looking back at him over her shoulder.
mud-stained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I have been upon your business, Sir George," she said, looking down at her mud-stained garments.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Her lips parted in an imperceptible sigh of relief; the pallor of weariness returned.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Her arms fell to her side; she made a little gesture with one limp hand.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Then she turned, mounting the steps, pensively; and, in the doorway, paused an instant, looking back at him over her shoulder.
pallornoun
unnatural lack of color in the skin (as from bruising or sickness or emotional distress)
From this reading Her lips parted in an imperceptible sigh of relief; the pallor of weariness returned.
partedadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːrtɪd/
having a margin incised almost to the base so as to create distinct divisions or lobes
From this reading Her lips parted in an imperceptible sigh of relief; the pallor of weariness returned.
pausedverbUS /pɔːzd/
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading Then she turned, mounting the steps, pensively; and, in the doorway, paused an instant, looking back at him over her shoulder.
pensivelyadverb
in a pensive manner
From this reading Then she turned, mounting the steps, pensively; and, in the doorway, paused an instant, looking back at him over her shoulder.
promisedverbUS /ˈprɑːməst/
past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment
From this reading "You see," she said, "I promised you."
reliefnounUS /rɪˈliːf/
the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
From this reading Her lips parted in an imperceptible sigh of relief; the pallor of weariness returned.
returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading Her lips parted in an imperceptible sigh of relief; the pallor of weariness returned.
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I have been upon your business, Sir George," she said, looking down at her mud-stained garments.
seeverbUS /siː/
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "You see," she said, "I promised you."
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I have been upon your business, Sir George," she said, looking down at her mud-stained garments.
shoulderverbUS /ˈʃoʊldər/
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading Then she turned, mounting the steps, pensively; and, in the doorway, paused an instant, looking back at him over her shoulder.
sidenounUS /saɪd/
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Her arms fell to her side; she made a little gesture with one limp hand.
sighverbUS /saɪ/
heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading Her lips parted in an imperceptible sigh of relief; the pallor of weariness returned.
SirnounUS /sɜːr/
term of address for a man
From this reading "I have been upon your business, Sir George," she said, looking down at her mud-stained garments.
stepsnounUS /steps/
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading Then she turned, mounting the steps, pensively; and, in the doorway, paused an instant, looking back at him over her shoulder.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Her lips parted in an imperceptible sigh of relief; the pallor of weariness returned.
ThenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then she turned, mounting the steps, pensively; and, in the doorway, paused an instant, looking back at him over her shoulder.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Her arms fell to her side; she made a little gesture with one limp hand.
turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Then she turned, mounting the steps, pensively; and, in the doorway, paused an instant, looking back at him over her shoulder.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading "I have been upon your business, Sir George," she said, looking down at her mud-stained garments.
wearinessnounUS /ˈwɪrinəs/
temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work
From this reading Her lips parted in an imperceptible sigh of relief; the pallor of weariness returned.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Her arms fell to her side; she made a little gesture with one limp hand.
YoupronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You see," she said, "I promised you."
yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I have been upon your business, Sir George," she said, looking down at her mud-stained garments.
