used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
abjectlyadverb
in a hopeless resigned manner
From this reading Even Richard's sister, Maggie, was not so abjectly miserable as Billie.
(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 She tried to explain to herself that it was all because she had been the one to shoot the young man in the arm.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading She tried to explain to herself that it was all because she had been the one to shoot the young man in the arm.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Even Richard's sister, Maggie, was not so abjectly miserable as Billie.
for the reason that
From this reading She tried to explain to herself that it was all because she had been the one to shoot the young man in the arm.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading She tried to explain to herself that it was all because she had been the one to shoot the young man in the arm.
Billie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading "I'd much rather have shot that horrid Lupo," she sobbed under her breath.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
divisible by two
From this reading Even Richard's sister, Maggie, was not so abjectly miserable as Billie.
make plain and comprehensible
From this reading She tried to explain to herself that it was all because she had been the one to shoot the young man in the arm.
opinion or judgment
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading THE MILLS OF GOD.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She tried to explain to herself that it was all because she had been the one to shoot the young man in the arm.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I'd much rather have shot that horrid Lupo," she sobbed under her breath.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She tried to explain to herself that it was all because she had been the one to shoot the young man in the arm.
horridadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːrəd/
exceedingly bad
From this reading "I'd much rather have shot that horrid Lupo," she sobbed under her breath.
I'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'd much rather have shot that horrid Lupo," she sobbed under her breath.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
Lupo
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'd much rather have shot that horrid Lupo," she sobbed under her breath.
Maggie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even Richard's sister, Maggie, was not so abjectly miserable as Billie.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading She tried to explain to herself that it was all because she had been the one to shoot the young man in the arm.
MILLSnounUS /mɪlz/
United States architect who was the presidentially appointed architect of Washington D.C. (1781-1855)
From this reading THE MILLS OF GOD.
very unhappy; full of misery
From this reading Even Richard's sister, Maggie, was not so abjectly miserable as Billie.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "I'd much rather have shot that horrid Lupo," she sobbed under her breath.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
night'snounUS /naɪts/
possessive form of “night” — the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE MILLS OF GOD.
many times at short intervals
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading She tried to explain to herself that it was all because she had been the one to shoot the young man in the arm.
on the contrary
From this reading "I'd much rather have shot that horrid Lupo," she sobbed under her breath.
past form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
Richard'snounUS /ˈrɪtʃərdz/
possessive form of “richards” — English literary critic who collaborated with C. K. Ogden and contributed to the development of Basic English (1893-1979)
From this reading Even Richard's sister, Maggie, was not so abjectly miserable as Billie.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
hit with a missile from a weapon
From this reading She tried to explain to herself that it was all because she had been the one to shoot the young man in the arm.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading "I'd much rather have shot that horrid Lupo," she sobbed under her breath.
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading Even Richard's sister, Maggie, was not so abjectly miserable as Billie.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Even Richard's sister, Maggie, was not so abjectly miserable as Billie.
sobbedverbUS /sɑːbd/
inflected form of “sob” — weep convulsively
From this reading "I'd much rather have shot that horrid Lupo," she sobbed under her breath.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
strainingnounUS /ˈstreɪnɪŋ/
an intense or violent exertion
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MILLS OF GOD.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading She tried to explain to herself that it was all because she had been the one to shoot the young man in the arm.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading "I'd much rather have shot that horrid Lupo," she sobbed under her breath.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was not often that Billie lost a night's rest from anxiety, but that night her eyes refused to close and she lay staring into the darkness, straining her ears for sounds in the forest.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading She tried to explain to herself that it was all because she had been the one to shoot the young man in the arm.
