used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But all she heard was Piet's voice pitched so low that she could not catch a word.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
(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 For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Twice she heard him fling out an emphatic denial.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He seemed to be surprised at something, surprised and indignant.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He seemed to be surprised at something, surprised and indignant.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He seemed to be surprised at something, surprised and indignant.
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 For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But all she heard was Piet's voice pitched so low that she could not catch a word.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Then came Jerry's in sharp, staccato tones.
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading But all she heard was Piet's voice pitched so low that she could not catch a word.
conflictnounUS /ˈkɑːnflɪkt/
an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals)
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading But all she heard was Piet's voice pitched so low that she could not catch a word.
denialnounUS /dɪˈnaɪəl/
the act of refusing to comply (as with a request)
From this reading Twice she heard him fling out an emphatic denial.
the act of departing
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
emphaticadjectiveUS /emˈfætɪk/
spoken with emphasis
From this reading Twice she heard him fling out an emphatic denial.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
flingverbUS /flɪŋ/
throw with force or recklessness
From this reading Twice she heard him fling out an emphatic denial.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading But all she heard was Piet's voice pitched so low that she could not catch a word.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Twice she heard him fling out an emphatic denial.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then came Jerry's in sharp, staccato tones.
indignantadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈdɪɡnənt/
angered at something unjust or wrong
From this reading He seemed to be surprised at something, surprised and indignant.
Jerry'snounUS /ˈdʒeriz/
possessive form of “jerry” — offensive term for a person of German descent
From this reading Then came Jerry's in sharp, staccato tones.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading But all she heard was Piet's voice pitched so low that she could not catch a word.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But all she heard was Piet's voice pitched so low that she could not catch a word.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Twice she heard him fling out an emphatic denial.
Piet's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But all she heard was Piet's voice pitched so low that she could not catch a word.
pitchedadjectiveUS /pɪtʃt/
(of sound) set to a certain pitch or key; usually used as a combining form
From this reading But all she heard was Piet's voice pitched so low that she could not catch a word.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
secondsnounUS /ˈsekəndz/
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading He seemed to be surprised at something, surprised and indignant.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading Then came Jerry's in sharp, staccato tones.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But all she heard was Piet's voice pitched so low that she could not catch a word.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading He seemed to be surprised at something, surprised and indignant.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
staccatoadjectiveUS /stəˈkɑːtoʊ/
(music) marked by or composed of disconnected parts or sounds; cut short crisply
From this reading Then came Jerry's in sharp, staccato tones.
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading He seemed to be surprised at something, surprised and indignant.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then came Jerry's in sharp, staccato tones.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading Then came Jerry's in sharp, staccato tones.
two times
From this reading Twice she heard him fling out an emphatic denial.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading But all she heard was Piet's voice pitched so low that she could not catch a word.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But all she heard was Piet's voice pitched so low that she could not catch a word.
in the company of; together with
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading For many, many seconds after his departure she lay without breathing, exactly as he had left her, listening, listening with all the strength that remained to her for the sounds of conflict.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading But all she heard was Piet's voice pitched so low that she could not catch a word.
