used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading ----"Trifles, light as air, Are to the jealous confirmation strong As proofs of holy writ.--OTHELLO.
(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 Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading But she appeared calm.
Areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading ----"Trifles, light as air, Are to the jealous confirmation strong As proofs of holy writ.--OTHELLO.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading ----"Trifles, light as air, Are to the jealous confirmation strong As proofs of holy writ.--OTHELLO.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But she appeared calm.
make calm or still
From this reading But she appeared calm.
calmnessnounUS /ˈkɑːmnəs/
steadiness of mind under stress
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
confirmationnounUS /ˌkɑːnfərˈmeɪʃən/
additional proof that something that was believed (some fact or hypothesis or theory) is correct
From this reading ----"Trifles, light as air, Are to the jealous confirmation strong As proofs of holy writ.--OTHELLO.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
characterized by great determination
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
haggardadjectiveUS /ˈhæɡərd/
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
a sacred place of pilgrimage
From this reading ----"Trifles, light as air, Are to the jealous confirmation strong As proofs of holy writ.--OTHELLO.
hurlingnounUS /ˈhɜːrlɪŋ/
a traditional Irish game resembling hockey; played by two teams of 15 players each
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
showing extreme cupidity; painfully desirous of another's advantages
From this reading ----"Trifles, light as air, Are to the jealous confirmation strong As proofs of holy writ.--OTHELLO.
JEALOUSYnounUS /ˈdʒeləsi/
a feeling of jealous envy (especially of a rival)
From this reading JEALOUSY.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading ----"Trifles, light as air, Are to the jealous confirmation strong As proofs of holy writ.--OTHELLO.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
a particular point in time
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ----"Trifles, light as air, Are to the jealous confirmation strong As proofs of holy writ.--OTHELLO.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
OTHELLOnounUS /əˈθeloʊ/
the hero of William Shakespeare's tragedy who would not trust his wife
From this reading ----"Trifles, light as air, Are to the jealous confirmation strong As proofs of holy writ.--OTHELLO.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
proofsnounUS /pruːfs/
plural of “proof” — any factual evidence that helps to establish the truth of something
From this reading ----"Trifles, light as air, Are to the jealous confirmation strong As proofs of holy writ.--OTHELLO.
pursueverbUS /pərˈsuː/
carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
SibylnounUS /ˈsɪbəl/
a woman who tells fortunes
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
sitting-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
the state of being asleep
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
sleeplessadjectiveUS /ˈsliːpləs/
experiencing or accompanied by sleeplessness
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
depleted of energy, force, or strength
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading ----"Trifles, light as air, Are to the jealous confirmation strong As proofs of holy writ.--OTHELLO.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ----"Trifles, light as air, Are to the jealous confirmation strong As proofs of holy writ.--OTHELLO.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ----"Trifles, light as air, Are to the jealous confirmation strong As proofs of holy writ.--OTHELLO.
TriflesnounUS /ˈtraɪfəlz/
plural of “trifle” — a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading ----"Trifles, light as air, Are to the jealous confirmation strong As proofs of holy writ.--OTHELLO.
volcanonounUS /vɑːlˈkeɪnoʊ/
a fissure in the earth's crust (or in the surface of some other planet) through which molten lava and gases erupt
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
wanadjectiveUS /wɑːn/
(of light) lacking in intensity or brightness; dim or feeble
From this reading The next morning, Sibyl made her appearance in the sitting-room, pale, wan, and haggard, as though she had spent a sleepless night.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Whatever course she had determined to pursue, seemed fully settled, and now she was calm; but it was like the calmness of a sleeping volcano, from which fire and flame, hurling destruction on all, might at any moment burst forth.
writnounUS /rɪt/
(law) a legal document issued by a court or judicial officer
From this reading ----"Trifles, light as air, Are to the jealous confirmation strong As proofs of holy writ.--OTHELLO.
