used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
anew
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
alternatelyadverbUS /ˈɔːltərnətli/
in an alternating sequence or position
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
a feeling of delight at being entertained
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
appreciativeadjectiveUS /əˈpriːʃieɪtɪv/
feeling or expressive of gratitude
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
the act of overcoming or outdoing
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
clewnoun
a ball of yarn or cord or thread
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
clusterverbUS /ˈklʌstər/
come together as in a cluster or flock
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists
From this reading * * * * * Purdee found it possible to survive the destruction of illusions.
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
dramaticallyadverbUS /drəˈmætɪkli/
in a very impressive manner
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
entertainedadjectiveUS /ˌentərˈteɪnd/
pleasantly occupied
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
the organ of sight
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
fillingnounUS /ˈfɪlɪŋ/
any material that fills a space or container
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
set up or found
From this reading * * * * * Purdee found it possible to survive the destruction of illusions.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
gesturesnounUS /ˈdʒestʃərz/
plural of “gesture” — motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading He took no heed of his gestures, of which, indeed, he was unconscious.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
grotesquelyadverbUS /ɡroʊˈteskli/
in a grotesque manner
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He took no heed of his gestures, of which, indeed, he was unconscious.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
heednounUS /hiːd/
paying particular notice (as to children or helpless people)
From this reading He took no heed of his gestures, of which, indeed, he was unconscious.
the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
hilariousadjectiveUS /hɪˈleriəs/
marked by or causing boisterous merriment or convulsive laughter
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He took no heed of his gestures, of which, indeed, he was unconscious.
hoveringverbUS /ˈhʌvərɪŋ/
-ing form of “hover” — be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
illusionsnounUS /ˌɪˈluːʒənz/
plural of “illusion” — an erroneous mental representation
From this reading * * * * * Purdee found it possible to survive the destruction of illusions.
deeply or markedly affected or influenced
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading He took no heed of his gestures, of which, indeed, he was unconscious.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading * * * * * Purdee found it possible to survive the destruction of illusions.
jeeringnounUS /ˈdʒiːrɪŋ/
showing your contempt by derision
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
leered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
the force of workers available
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
not any; not one
From this reading He took no heed of his gestures, of which, indeed, he was unconscious.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He took no heed of his gestures, of which, indeed, he was unconscious.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
ponderingadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːndərɪŋ/
deeply or seriously thoughtful
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading * * * * * Purdee found it possible to survive the destruction of illusions.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
Purdee
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading * * * * * Purdee found it possible to survive the destruction of illusions.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
satiricaladjectiveUS /səˈtɪrəkəl/
exposing human folly to ridicule
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
diligent and thorough in inquiry or investigation
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
strainsnounUS /streɪnz/
plural of “strain” — (physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
in a strange manner
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
strickenadjectiveUS /ˈstrɪkən/
grievously affected especially by disease
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
strivingnounUS /ˈstraɪvɪŋ/
an effortful attempt to attain a goal
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
stuntedadjectiveUS /ˈstʌntɪd/
inferior in size or quality
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
surviveverbUS /sərˈvaɪv/
continue to live and avoid dying
From this reading * * * * * Purdee found it possible to survive the destruction of illusions.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
push forcefully
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
tonguesnounUS /tʌŋz/
plural of “tongue” — a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He took no heed of his gestures, of which, indeed, he was unconscious.
a shaky motion
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead
From this reading He took no heed of his gestures, of which, indeed, he was unconscious.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
violinnounUS /vaɪəˈlɪn/
bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He took no heed of his gestures, of which, indeed, he was unconscious.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He took no heed of his gestures, of which, indeed, he was unconscious.
which person or people
From this reading They might have impressed a more appreciative audience, but not one more entertained than the cluster of men who looked and paused and leered in amusement at one another, and thrust out satirical tongues.
in the company of; together with
From this reading They were fine dramatically, and of great power, as he alternately rose to his full height, beating his breast in despair, and again sank upon his knees, with a pondering brow and a searching eye, and a hovering, trembling hand, striving to find the clew he had lost.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading Long after they had disappeared, the strains of the violin could be heard, filling the solemn, stricken, strangely stunted woods with a grotesquely merry presence, hilarious and jeering.
