used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
aimverbUS /eɪm/
point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
in addition
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading So Kate slipped out unobtrusively, and the privilege in question became Nick's.
Angela
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading And to ensure perfection of aim, attention must be concentrated upon the lady's lips as she opened them to receive supplies.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading And to ensure perfection of aim, attention must be concentrated upon the lady's lips as she opened them to receive supplies.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading So Kate slipped out unobtrusively, and the privilege in question became Nick's.
for the reason that
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
make calm or still
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
chickennounUS /ˈtʃɪkən/
the flesh of a chicken used for food
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
a young person of either sex
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
concentratedadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːnsəntreɪtɪd/
gathered together or made less diffuse
From this reading And to ensure perfection of aim, attention must be concentrated upon the lady's lips as she opened them to receive supplies.
without variation or change, in every case
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
deliriousadjectiveUS /dɪˈlɪriəs/
experiencing delirium
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
bring shame or dishonor upon
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
let fall to the ground
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
ensureverbUS /enˈʃʊr/
make certain of
From this reading And to ensure perfection of aim, attention must be concentrated upon the lady's lips as she opened them to receive supplies.
divisible by two
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
fednounUS /fed/
any federal law-enforcement officer
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
a long fixed look
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading So Kate slipped out unobtrusively, and the privilege in question became Nick's.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
Kate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So Kate slipped out unobtrusively, and the privilege in question became Nick's.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
lady'snounUS /ˈleɪdiz/
possessive form of “lady” — a polite name for any woman
From this reading And to ensure perfection of aim, attention must be concentrated upon the lady's lips as she opened them to receive supplies.
lashesnounUS /ˈlæʃɪz/
plural of “lash” — any of the short curved hairs that grow from the edges of the eyelids
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
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 ensure perfection of aim, attention must be concentrated upon the lady's lips as she opened them to receive supplies.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
morselnounUS /ˈmɔːrsəl/
a small quantity of anything
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading And to ensure perfection of aim, attention must be concentrated upon the lady's lips as she opened them to receive supplies.
Nick'snounUS /nɪks/
possessive form of “nick” — an impression in a surface (as made by a blow)
From this reading So Kate slipped out unobtrusively, and the privilege in question became Nick's.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading And to ensure perfection of aim, attention must be concentrated upon the lady's lips as she opened them to receive supplies.
operationnounUS /ˌɑːpərˈeɪʃən/
the state of being in effect or being operative
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
ordealnounUS /ɔːrˈdiːl/
a severe or trying experience
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading So Kate slipped out unobtrusively, and the privilege in question became Nick's.
perfectionnounUS /pərˈfekʃən/
the state of being without a flaw or defect
From this reading And to ensure perfection of aim, attention must be concentrated upon the lady's lips as she opened them to receive supplies.
performancenounUS /pərˈfɔːrməns/
a dramatic or musical entertainment
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
privilegenounUS /ˈprɪvlədʒ/
a special advantage or immunity or benefit not enjoyed by all
From this reading So Kate slipped out unobtrusively, and the privilege in question became Nick's.
profferedverbUS /ˈprɑːfərd/
past form of “proffer” — present for acceptance or rejection
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading So Kate slipped out unobtrusively, and the privilege in question became Nick's.
get something; come into possession of
From this reading And to ensure perfection of aim, attention must be concentrated upon the lady's lips as she opened them to receive supplies.
roguishadjective
playful in an appealingly bold way
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading So Kate slipped out unobtrusively, and the privilege in question became Nick's.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So Kate slipped out unobtrusively, and the privilege in question became Nick's.
soupnounUS /suːp/
liquid food especially of meat or fish or vegetable stock often containing pieces of solid food
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
spoonfulnounUS /ˈspuːnfʊl/
as much as a spoon will hold
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
make steady
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
suppliesnounUS /səˈplaɪz/
plural of “supply” — an amount of something available for use
From this reading And to ensure perfection of aim, attention must be concentrated upon the lady's lips as she opened them to receive supplies.
surgicaladjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrdʒɪkəl/
of or relating to or involving or used in surgery
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading So Kate slipped out unobtrusively, and the privilege in question became Nick's.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading And to ensure perfection of aim, attention must be concentrated upon the lady's lips as she opened them to receive supplies.
a special situation
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
unobtrusivelyadverb
in an unobtrusive manner
From this reading So Kate slipped out unobtrusively, and the privilege in question became Nick's.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading And to ensure perfection of aim, attention must be concentrated upon the lady's lips as she opened them to receive supplies.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a joy, even a delirious joy, but it was also an ordeal; for as he fed her, Angela smiled at him.
at the time that
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Each time that he proffered a spoonful of soup or a morsel of chicken she met his gaze with laughing eyes, roguish, under dark lashes, as the eyes of a child.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
wronglyadverbUS /ˈrɔːŋli/
without justice or fairness
From this reading The difficulty when this happened, as it did constantly, was to keep hands steady and mind calm, as if for the performance of a delicate surgical operation; because to drop a thing, or aim it wrongly, would have been black disgrace.
