Chapter V · Chapter 5

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

(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 Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

in addition

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading NEW FRIENDS IT WAS an awful moment.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

exceptionally bad or displeasing

From this reading NEW FRIENDS IT WAS an awful moment.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

United States composer (1910-1981)

From this reading Barber closed the hall door at his back--gently, so as not to waken his father.

the act of overcoming or outdoing

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

terminate

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

the flat bone that articulates with the clavicles and the first seven pairs of ribs

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

not open or affording passage or access

From this reading Barber closed the hall door at his back--gently, so as not to waken his father.

uneven by virtue of having wrinkles or waves

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading During that moment there was dead silence.

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Barber closed the hall door at his back--gently, so as not to waken his father.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading During that moment there was dead silence.

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Barber closed the hall door at his back--gently, so as not to waken his father.

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading NEW FRIENDS IT WAS an awful moment.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

in a gradual manner

From this reading Barber closed the hall door at his back--gently, so as not to waken his father.

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading Barber closed the hall door at his back--gently, so as not to waken his father.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

of a dreadful kind

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading NEW FRIENDS IT WAS an awful moment.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

tied with a knot

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

raise from a lower to a higher position

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

move something or somebody to a lower position

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

a particular point in time

From this reading NEW FRIENDS IT WAS an awful moment.

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading NEW FRIENDS IT WAS an awful moment.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Barber closed the hall door at his back--gently, so as not to waken his father.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

affected with paralysis

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

North American woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the Chinese ginseng

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

feeling nausea; feeling about to vomit

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading During that moment there was dead silence.

a descent as through liquid (especially through water)

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Barber closed the hall door at his back--gently, so as not to waken his father.

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

(of a nose) blocked

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

of a light brown to brownish orange color; the color of tanned leather

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading During that moment there was dead silence.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

in or at that place or location

From this reading During that moment there was dead silence.

plural of “thicket” — a dense growth of bushes

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

(of flora or fauna) likely in the near future to become endangered

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

The passage at the back of the mouth.

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

not even or uniform as e.g. in shape or texture

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.

cause to become awake or conscious

From this reading Barber closed the hall door at his back--gently, so as not to waken his father.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading NEW FRIENDS IT WAS an awful moment.

during the time that

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading Johnnie's heart stopped beating, his ears sang, his throat knotted as if paralyzed, and the skin on the back of his head crinkled; while in all those uneven thickets of his tawny, tea-stained hair, small, dreadful winds stirred, and he seemed to lift--horribly--away from the floor.

(of sound) fluctuating unsteadily

From this reading Also, a sickish, sinking feeling at the lower end of his breastbone made him certain that he was about to break in two; and a sudden wobbling of the knees threatened to bring him down upon them.