used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Steady,” a voice said in Barbara Meade’s ear, as a strong arm slipped across her shoulders, bracing her upright.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading “Steady,” a voice said in Barbara Meade’s ear, as a strong arm slipped across her shoulders, bracing her upright.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And so surprised was she by the voice and its intonation that she felt herself brought back to consciousness.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading “Steady,” a voice said in Barbara Meade’s ear, as a strong arm slipped across her shoulders, bracing her upright.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Naturally curiosity forced her to turn around and so for the instant she forgot herself and her surroundings.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “Steady,” a voice said in Barbara Meade’s ear, as a strong arm slipped across her shoulders, bracing her upright.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading And so surprised was she by the voice and its intonation that she felt herself brought back to consciousness.
Barbara
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Steady,” a voice said in Barbara Meade’s ear, as a strong arm slipped across her shoulders, bracing her upright.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
bracingnounUS /ˈbreɪsɪŋ/
a structural member used to stiffen a framework
From this reading “Steady,” a voice said in Barbara Meade’s ear, as a strong arm slipped across her shoulders, bracing her upright.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading And so surprised was she by the voice and its intonation that she felt herself brought back to consciousness.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading And so surprised was she by the voice and its intonation that she felt herself brought back to consciousness.
a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading She saw a young man in a khaki uniform of a kind of olive green with a close-fitting cap and visor.
close-fittingadjective
fitting closely but comfortably
From this reading She saw a young man in a khaki uniform of a kind of olive green with a close-fitting cap and visor.
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
From this reading And so surprised was she by the voice and its intonation that she felt herself brought back to consciousness.
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading Naturally curiosity forced her to turn around and so for the instant she forgot herself and her surroundings.
recognizable; marked
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
someone who is a detective
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading “Steady,” a voice said in Barbara Meade’s ear, as a strong arm slipped across her shoulders, bracing her upright.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading And so surprised was she by the voice and its intonation that she felt herself brought back to consciousness.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Naturally curiosity forced her to turn around and so for the instant she forgot herself and her surroundings.
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading Naturally curiosity forced her to turn around and so for the instant she forgot herself and her surroundings.
inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading Naturally curiosity forced her to turn around and so for the instant she forgot herself and her surroundings.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading She saw a young man in a khaki uniform of a kind of olive green with a close-fitting cap and visor.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “Steady,” a voice said in Barbara Meade’s ear, as a strong arm slipped across her shoulders, bracing her upright.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading And so surprised was she by the voice and its intonation that she felt herself brought back to consciousness.
an iconic mental representation
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Steady,” a voice said in Barbara Meade’s ear, as a strong arm slipped across her shoulders, bracing her upright.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading Naturally curiosity forced her to turn around and so for the instant she forgot herself and her surroundings.
intonationnounUS /ˌɪntəˈneɪʃən/
rise and fall of the voice pitch
From this reading And so surprised was she by the voice and its intonation that she felt herself brought back to consciousness.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading And so surprised was she by the voice and its intonation that she felt herself brought back to consciousness.
khakiadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːki/
of a yellowish brown color
From this reading She saw a young man in a khaki uniform of a kind of olive green with a close-fitting cap and visor.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading She saw a young man in a khaki uniform of a kind of olive green with a close-fitting cap and visor.
go away from a place
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading She saw a young man in a khaki uniform of a kind of olive green with a close-fitting cap and visor.
Meade's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Steady,” a voice said in Barbara Meade’s ear, as a strong arm slipped across her shoulders, bracing her upright.
a particular point in time
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
as might be expected
From this reading Naturally curiosity forced her to turn around and so for the instant she forgot herself and her surroundings.
obtrudeverbUS /əbˈtruːd/
push to thrust outward
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
oliveadjectiveUS /ˈɑːləv/
of a yellow-green color similar to that of an unripe olive
From this reading She saw a young man in a khaki uniform of a kind of olive green with a close-fitting cap and visor.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Steady,” a voice said in Barbara Meade’s ear, as a strong arm slipped across her shoulders, bracing her upright.
cut with a saw
From this reading She saw a young man in a khaki uniform of a kind of olive green with a close-fitting cap and visor.
plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And so surprised was she by the voice and its intonation that she felt herself brought back to consciousness.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading “Steady,” a voice said in Barbara Meade’s ear, as a strong arm slipped across her shoulders, bracing her upright.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading “Steady,” a voice said in Barbara Meade’s ear, as a strong arm slipped across her shoulders, bracing her upright.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading And so surprised was she by the voice and its intonation that she felt herself brought back to consciousness.
make steady
From this reading “Steady,” a voice said in Barbara Meade’s ear, as a strong arm slipped across her shoulders, bracing her upright.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading “Steady,” a voice said in Barbara Meade’s ear, as a strong arm slipped across her shoulders, bracing her upright.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading And so surprised was she by the voice and its intonation that she felt herself brought back to consciousness.
surroundingsnounUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋz/
the environmental condition
From this reading Naturally curiosity forced her to turn around and so for the instant she forgot herself and her surroundings.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And so surprised was she by the voice and its intonation that she felt herself brought back to consciousness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And so surprised was she by the voice and its intonation that she felt herself brought back to consciousness.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
ThorntonnounUS /ˈθɔːrntən/
American architect (1759-1828)
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And so surprised was she by the voice and its intonation that she felt herself brought back to consciousness.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading Naturally curiosity forced her to turn around and so for the instant she forgot herself and her surroundings.
always the same; showing a single form or character in all occurrences
From this reading She saw a young man in a khaki uniform of a kind of olive green with a close-fitting cap and visor.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
uprightadjectiveUS /əˈpraɪt/
in a vertical position; not sloping
From this reading “Steady,” a voice said in Barbara Meade’s ear, as a strong arm slipped across her shoulders, bracing her upright.
visornounUS /ˈvaɪzər/
a piece of armor plate (with eye slits) fixed or hinged to a medieval helmet to protect the face
From this reading She saw a young man in a khaki uniform of a kind of olive green with a close-fitting cap and visor.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading “Steady,” a voice said in Barbara Meade’s ear, as a strong arm slipped across her shoulders, bracing her upright.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And so surprised was she by the voice and its intonation that she felt herself brought back to consciousness.
weaklyadverbUS /ˈwiːkli/
in a weak or feeble manner or to a minor degree
From this reading “Dick Thornton,” she began weakly, and then decided that in truth she must be taking leave of her senses, to have an image of Dick obtrude upon her at such a moment and in such a place.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She saw a young man in a khaki uniform of a kind of olive green with a close-fitting cap and visor.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading She saw a young man in a khaki uniform of a kind of olive green with a close-fitting cap and visor.
