used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He was debarred from doing so only by a secret fear that she might refuse to come.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading He was a little afraid of this first meeting with Stella.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading He decided after a few moments of reflection to ring her up on the telephone.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Julian's first impulse was to drive to the town hall and carry Stella off.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She might haul him over the coals as much as she liked; but he wanted to stage-manage the position of the coals.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She might haul him over the coals as much as she liked; but he wanted to stage-manage the position of the coals.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He was debarred from doing so only by a secret fear that she might refuse to come.
move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Julian's first impulse was to drive to the town hall and carry Stella off.
coalsnounUS /koʊlz/
plural of “coal” — fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading She might haul him over the coals as much as she liked; but he wanted to stage-manage the position of the coals.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He was debarred from doing so only by a secret fear that she might refuse to come.
debarred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was debarred from doing so only by a secret fear that she might refuse to come.
recognizable; marked
From this reading He decided after a few moments of reflection to ring her up on the telephone.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading He was debarred from doing so only by a secret fear that she might refuse to come.
operate or control a vehicle
From this reading Julian's first impulse was to drive to the town hall and carry Stella off.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading He was debarred from doing so only by a secret fear that she might refuse to come.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading He decided after a few moments of reflection to ring her up on the telephone.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Julian's first impulse was to drive to the town hall and carry Stella off.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He was debarred from doing so only by a secret fear that she might refuse to come.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading Julian's first impulse was to drive to the town hall and carry Stella off.
haulverbUS /hɔːl/
draw slowly or heavily
From this reading She might haul him over the coals as much as she liked; but he wanted to stage-manage the position of the coals.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was debarred from doing so only by a secret fear that she might refuse to come.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He decided after a few moments of reflection to ring her up on the telephone.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She might haul him over the coals as much as she liked; but he wanted to stage-manage the position of the coals.
an instinctive motive
From this reading Julian's first impulse was to drive to the town hall and carry Stella off.
Julian's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Julian's first impulse was to drive to the town hall and carry Stella off.
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading She might haul him over the coals as much as she liked; but he wanted to stage-manage the position of the coals.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He was a little afraid of this first meeting with Stella.
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading He was a little afraid of this first meeting with Stella.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He was debarred from doing so only by a secret fear that she might refuse to come.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading He decided after a few moments of reflection to ring her up on the telephone.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading She might haul him over the coals as much as she liked; but he wanted to stage-manage the position of the coals.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was a little afraid of this first meeting with Stella.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Julian's first impulse was to drive to the town hall and carry Stella off.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He decided after a few moments of reflection to ring her up on the telephone.
and nothing more
From this reading He was debarred from doing so only by a secret fear that she might refuse to come.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading She might haul him over the coals as much as she liked; but he wanted to stage-manage the position of the coals.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading She might haul him over the coals as much as she liked; but he wanted to stage-manage the position of the coals.
a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
From this reading He decided after a few moments of reflection to ring her up on the telephone.
show unwillingness towards
From this reading He was debarred from doing so only by a secret fear that she might refuse to come.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading He decided after a few moments of reflection to ring her up on the telephone.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading He was debarred from doing so only by a secret fear that she might refuse to come.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was debarred from doing so only by a secret fear that she might refuse to come.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He was debarred from doing so only by a secret fear that she might refuse to come.
stage-manage
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She might haul him over the coals as much as she liked; but he wanted to stage-manage the position of the coals.
StellanounUS /ˈstelə/
United States minimalist painter (born in 1936)
From this reading Julian's first impulse was to drive to the town hall and carry Stella off.
telephonenounUS /ˈteləfoʊn/
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading He decided after a few moments of reflection to ring her up on the telephone.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He was debarred from doing so only by a secret fear that she might refuse to come.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Julian's first impulse was to drive to the town hall and carry Stella off.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He was a little afraid of this first meeting with Stella.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Julian's first impulse was to drive to the town hall and carry Stella off.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Julian's first impulse was to drive to the town hall and carry Stella off.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He decided after a few moments of reflection to ring her up on the telephone.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading She might haul him over the coals as much as she liked; but he wanted to stage-manage the position of the coals.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Julian's first impulse was to drive to the town hall and carry Stella off.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He was a little afraid of this first meeting with Stella.
