used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But Harriet, with unusual presence of mind, had clutched the little girl's hand with a desperate grip.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading The jolt was so great that it seemed to the two girls as if their arms would be pulled from their sockets.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading PLACING THE BLAME Such screams as rose from over the ledge none of that party ever had heard.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Harriet, it will be remembered, had hold of the little girl's hands, or rather one hand, when Tommy's belt broke.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Tommy thought, too, that she was being hurled to her death when she felt herself falling.
beltnounUS /belt/
endless loop of flexible material between two rotating shafts or pulleys
From this reading Harriet, it will be remembered, had hold of the little girl's hands, or rather one hand, when Tommy's belt broke.
put or pin the blame on
From this reading PLACING THE BLAME Such screams as rose from over the ledge none of that party ever had heard.
lacking funds
From this reading Harriet, it will be remembered, had hold of the little girl's hands, or rather one hand, when Tommy's belt broke.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Harriet, with unusual presence of mind, had clutched the little girl's hand with a desperate grip.
clutchedverbUS /klʌtʃt/
past form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab
From this reading But Harriet, with unusual presence of mind, had clutched the little girl's hand with a desperate grip.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading Tommy thought, too, that she was being hurled to her death when she felt herself falling.
arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope
From this reading But Harriet, with unusual presence of mind, had clutched the little girl's hand with a desperate grip.
at any time
From this reading PLACING THE BLAME Such screams as rose from over the ledge none of that party ever had heard.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading Tommy thought, too, that she was being hurled to her death when she felt herself falling.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Tommy thought, too, that she was being hurled to her death when she felt herself falling.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading PLACING THE BLAME Such screams as rose from over the ledge none of that party ever had heard.
girl'snounUS /ɡɜːrlz/
possessive form of “girl” — a young female
From this reading Harriet, it will be remembered, had hold of the little girl's hands, or rather one hand, when Tommy's belt broke.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading The jolt was so great that it seemed to the two girls as if their arms would be pulled from their sockets.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The jolt was so great that it seemed to the two girls as if their arms would be pulled from their sockets.
gripnounUS /ɡrɪp/
the act of grasping
From this reading But Harriet, with unusual presence of mind, had clutched the little girl's hand with a desperate grip.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading PLACING THE BLAME Such screams as rose from over the ledge none of that party ever had heard.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Harriet, it will be remembered, had hold of the little girl's hands, or rather one hand, when Tommy's belt broke.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Harriet, it will be remembered, had hold of the little girl's hands, or rather one hand, when Tommy's belt broke.
Harriet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Harriet, it will be remembered, had hold of the little girl's hands, or rather one hand, when Tommy's belt broke.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading PLACING THE BLAME Such screams as rose from over the ledge none of that party ever had heard.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Tommy thought, too, that she was being hurled to her death when she felt herself falling.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Tommy thought, too, that she was being hurled to her death when she felt herself falling.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Harriet, it will be remembered, had hold of the little girl's hands, or rather one hand, when Tommy's belt broke.
hurledverbUS /hɜːrld/
past form of “hurl” — throw forcefully
From this reading Tommy thought, too, that she was being hurled to her death when she felt herself falling.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The jolt was so great that it seemed to the two girls as if their arms would be pulled from their sockets.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Harriet, it will be remembered, had hold of the little girl's hands, or rather one hand, when Tommy's belt broke.
joltnounUS /dʒoʊlt/
a sudden jarring impact
From this reading The jolt was so great that it seemed to the two girls as if their arms would be pulled from their sockets.
ledgenounUS /ledʒ/
a projecting ridge on a mountain or submerged under water
From this reading PLACING THE BLAME Such screams as rose from over the ledge none of that party ever had heard.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Harriet, it will be remembered, had hold of the little girl's hands, or rather one hand, when Tommy's belt broke.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading But Harriet, with unusual presence of mind, had clutched the little girl's hand with a desperate grip.
not one, and not any
From this reading PLACING THE BLAME Such screams as rose from over the ledge none of that party ever had heard.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading PLACING THE BLAME Such screams as rose from over the ledge none of that party ever had heard.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Harriet, it will be remembered, had hold of the little girl's hands, or rather one hand, when Tommy's belt broke.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Harriet, it will be remembered, had hold of the little girl's hands, or rather one hand, when Tommy's belt broke.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading PLACING THE BLAME Such screams as rose from over the ledge none of that party ever had heard.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading PLACING THE BLAME Such screams as rose from over the ledge none of that party ever had heard.
PLACINGverbUS /ˈpleɪsɪŋ/
-ing form of “place” — put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading PLACING THE BLAME Such screams as rose from over the ledge none of that party ever had heard.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading But Harriet, with unusual presence of mind, had clutched the little girl's hand with a desperate grip.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading The jolt was so great that it seemed to the two girls as if their arms would be pulled from their sockets.
on the contrary
From this reading Harriet, it will be remembered, had hold of the little girl's hands, or rather one hand, when Tommy's belt broke.
past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading Harriet, it will be remembered, had hold of the little girl's hands, or rather one hand, when Tommy's belt broke.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading PLACING THE BLAME Such screams as rose from over the ledge none of that party ever had heard.
screamsnounUS /skriːmz/
plural of “scream” — sharp piercing cry
From this reading PLACING THE BLAME Such screams as rose from over the ledge none of that party ever had heard.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The jolt was so great that it seemed to the two girls as if their arms would be pulled from their sockets.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Tommy thought, too, that she was being hurled to her death when she felt herself falling.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The jolt was so great that it seemed to the two girls as if their arms would be pulled from their sockets.
socketsnounUS /ˈsɑːkəts/
plural of “socket” — a bony hollow into which a structure fits
From this reading The jolt was so great that it seemed to the two girls as if their arms would be pulled from their sockets.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading PLACING THE BLAME Such screams as rose from over the ledge none of that party ever had heard.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading PLACING THE BLAME Such screams as rose from over the ledge none of that party ever had heard.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading PLACING THE BLAME Such screams as rose from over the ledge none of that party ever had heard.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The jolt was so great that it seemed to the two girls as if their arms would be pulled from their sockets.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Tommy thought, too, that she was being hurled to her death when she felt herself falling.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The jolt was so great that it seemed to the two girls as if their arms would be pulled from their sockets.
Tommy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Tommy thought, too, that she was being hurled to her death when she felt herself falling.
Tommy's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Harriet, it will be remembered, had hold of the little girl's hands, or rather one hand, when Tommy's belt broke.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Tommy thought, too, that she was being hurled to her death when she felt herself falling.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The jolt was so great that it seemed to the two girls as if their arms would be pulled from their sockets.
not usual or common or ordinary
From this reading But Harriet, with unusual presence of mind, had clutched the little girl's hand with a desperate grip.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The jolt was so great that it seemed to the two girls as if their arms would be pulled from their sockets.
at the time that
From this reading Harriet, it will be remembered, had hold of the little girl's hands, or rather one hand, when Tommy's belt broke.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Harriet, it will be remembered, had hold of the little girl's hands, or rather one hand, when Tommy's belt broke.
in the company of; together with
From this reading But Harriet, with unusual presence of mind, had clutched the little girl's hand with a desperate grip.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The jolt was so great that it seemed to the two girls as if their arms would be pulled from their sockets.
