used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
anew
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
in the past
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
(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 Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
animositynounUS /ˌænəˈmɑːsəti/
a feeling of ill will arousing active hostility
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He was burning to mar this marriage, had one pretext, at least, on his side.
balancedadjectiveUS /ˈbælənst/
being in a state of proper equilibrium
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
completely unclothed
From this reading And to Roman’s brother he could scarcely open his lips for bare business.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading And to Roman’s brother he could scarcely open his lips for bare business.
the act of burning something
From this reading He was burning to mar this marriage, had one pretext, at least, on his side.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading And to Roman’s brother he could scarcely open his lips for bare business.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
comfortingadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmfərtɪŋ/
providing freedom from worry
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading And to Roman’s brother he could scarcely open his lips for bare business.
cursingverbUS /ˈkɜːrsɪŋ/
-ing form of “curse” — utter obscenities or profanities
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
true confidential information
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
discussverbUS /dɪˈskʌs/
to consider or examine in speech or writing
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
plural of “fear” — an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
the trait of acting stupidly or rashly
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
yet to be or coming
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
plural of “hope” — a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
inspectedverbUS /ˌɪnˈspektɪd/
past form of “inspect” — look over carefully
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
immediately past
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading He was burning to mar this marriage, had one pretext, at least, on his side.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading And to Roman’s brother he could scarcely open his lips for bare business.
lossesnounUS /ˈlɔːsəz/
something lost (especially money lost at gambling)
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
marverbUS /mɑːr/
make imperfect
From this reading He was burning to mar this marriage, had one pretext, at least, on his side.
the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)
From this reading He was burning to mar this marriage, had one pretext, at least, on his side.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He was burning to mar this marriage, had one pretext, at least, on his side.
and nothing more
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading And to Roman’s brother he could scarcely open his lips for bare business.
palmnounUS /pɑːm/
the inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
paper-knife
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
possibilitiesnounUS /ˌpɑːsəˈbɪlətiz/
plural of “possibility” — a future prospect or potential
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
pretextnounUS /ˈpriːtekst/
something serving to conceal plans; a fictitious reason that is concocted in order to conceal the real reason
From this reading He was burning to mar this marriage, had one pretext, at least, on his side.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
RomanadjectiveUS /ˈroʊmən/
relating to or characteristic of people of Rome
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
Roman'snounUS /ˈroʊmənz/
possessive form of “roman” — a resident of modern Rome
From this reading And to Roman’s brother he could scarcely open his lips for bare business.
only a very short time before
From this reading And to Roman’s brother he could scarcely open his lips for bare business.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading He was burning to mar this marriage, had one pretext, at least, on his side.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
that is looked for
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
express in words
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He was burning to mar this marriage, had one pretext, at least, on his side.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It had been so easy and so comforting to talk to Roman last night, to tell details of his losses, discuss possibilities, hopes and fears for the future.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
Vanda's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
the words that are spoken
From this reading He took up a paper-knife, inspected it, balanced it on the palm of his hand, put it down again, and sought his words.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Not only did his animosity grow with every thought; but all the while he was cursing his folly, and Vanda’s words of an hour ago, her: "Why do you step in _now_?" rang in his ears.
