used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
acuteadjectiveUS /əˈkjuːt/
having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
(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 The Wizard was clearly not at all happy.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
in a state of sleep
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The Wizard was clearly not at all happy.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading He began to mutter threats coupled with the name of the Bird-Fairy.
Bird-Fairy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He began to mutter threats coupled with the name of the Bird-Fairy.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
without doubt or question
From this reading The Wizard was clearly not at all happy.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
feeling or showing worry or solicitude
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
intentionally conceived
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
couldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What it was they couldn't imagine.
coupledadjectiveUS /ˈkʌpəld/
joined together especially in a pair or pairs
From this reading He began to mutter threats coupled with the name of the Bird-Fairy.
in a manner differing from the usual or expected
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
grumblingnounUS /ˈɡrʌmbəlɪŋ/
a loud low dull continuous noise
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading The Wizard was clearly not at all happy.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
HOW
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading What it was they couldn't imagine.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
mutterverbUS /ˈmʌtər/
talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
From this reading He began to mutter threats coupled with the name of the Bird-Fairy.
mutteringnounUS /ˈmʌtərɪŋ/
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading He began to mutter threats coupled with the name of the Bird-Fairy.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The Wizard was clearly not at all happy.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
outwardlyadverbUS /ˈaʊtwərdli/
with respect to the outside
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
pinchingverbUS /ˈpɪntʃɪŋ/
-ing form of “pinch” — squeeze tightly between the fingers
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
profoundlyadverbUS /proʊˈfaʊndli/
to a great depth psychologically or emotionally
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
pushingnounUS /ˈpʊʃɪŋ/
the act of applying force in order to move something away
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
with speed
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
shrankverbUS /ʃræŋk/
inflected form of “shrink” — wither, as with a loss of moisture
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
in some unspecified way or manner; or by some unspecified means
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
orally recite the letters of or give the spelling of
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
threatsnounUS /θrets/
plural of “threat” — something that is a source of danger
From this reading He began to mutter threats coupled with the name of the Bird-Fairy.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He began to mutter threats coupled with the name of the Bird-Fairy.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
having come into contact
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
arousing affect
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading Indeed, he was profoundly concerned--for every time he touched the children to wake them, a sensation of cold spread over his hands which became rapidly more and more acute until it felt like touching fire, and he shrank back muttering and grumbling.
close enough to be walked to
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What it was they couldn't imagine.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He began to mutter threats coupled with the name of the Bird-Fairy.
WizardnounUS /ˈwɪzərd/
someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading THE SPELL--AND HOW IT WORKED The poor children felt as though they had come under some gentle influence, and curiously enough, though outwardly asleep, they were conscious of the Wizard walking around them, pushing and pinching them, which somehow they never felt; and they were conscious, too, that he was troubled about something.
