used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
abruptadjectiveUS /əˈbrʌpt/
marked by sudden changes in subject and sharp transitions
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
anew
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
(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 Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
analyzeverbUS /ˈænəlaɪz/
consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
From this reading Nor was the deeper emotion very difficult to analyze.
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
behaviornounUS /bɪˈheɪvjər/
manner of acting or controlling yourself
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
bereftadjectiveUS /bərˈeft/
unhappy in love; suffering from unrequited love
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
comparative of “deeply” — to a great depth psychologically or emotionally
From this reading Nor was the deeper emotion very difficult to analyze.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading Nor was the deeper emotion very difficult to analyze.
dismissverbUS /dɪˈsmɪs/
bar from attention or consideration
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
DOVEnounUS /dʌv/
any of numerous small pigeons
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
elderlyadjectiveUS /ˈeldərli/
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
embarrassmentnounUS /ɪmˈberəsmənt/
the shame you feel when your inadequacy or guilt is made public
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
any strong feeling
From this reading Nor was the deeper emotion very difficult to analyze.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
opinion or judgment
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
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 And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
immediately past
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
logicaladjectiveUS /ˈlɑːdʒɪkəl/
capable of or reflecting the capability for correct and valid reasoning
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
not one, and not any
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Nor was the deeper emotion very difficult to analyze.
come into possession of
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
on one occasion
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
and nothing more
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
prematureadjectiveUS /ˌpriːməˈtʃʊr/
born after a gestation period of less than the normal time
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
proposalnounUS /prəˈpoʊzəl/
something proposed (such as a plan or assumption)
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
quotedverbUS /ˈkwoʊtɪd/
past form of “quote” — repeat a passage from
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
RachelnounUS /ˈreɪtʃəl/
(Old Testament) the second wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
recurring again and again
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
cut with a saw
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
SERPENTnounUS /ˈsɜːrpənt/
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
snowyadjectiveUS /ˈsnoʊi/
marked by the presence of snow
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
sombreadjective
lacking brightness or color; dull
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Nor was the deeper emotion very difficult to analyze.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
underlayverb
raise or support (the level of printing) by inserting a piece of paper or cardboard under the type
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
uprightadjectiveUS /əˈpraɪt/
in a vertical position; not sloping
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
precisely as stated
From this reading Nor was the deeper emotion very difficult to analyze.
virileadjectiveUS /ˈvɪrəl/
characterized by energy and vigor
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
well-knitadjective
strongly and firmly constructed
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
which person or people
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading Here at last was a logical explanation of the whole behavior of this man; it was the first that had occurred to her, and, after all, it was the only possible one.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
wiryadjectiveUS /ˈwɪri/
lean and sinewy
From this reading And Rachel, looking at the wiry, well-knit, upright figure, and at the fresh, elderly, but virile face, with its sombre eyes and its snowy hair, thought once again of the ancient saw which she had quoted to herself the night before, only to dismiss it finally from her mind.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
but in spite of that
From this reading THE DOVE AND THE SERPENT Rachel was bereft of speech; and yet a certain sense of relief underlay the natural embarrassment caused by a proposal so premature and so abrupt.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I want you to be my wife," repeated Mr. Steel, with enough of respect in his tone, yet none the less with the air of a man who is accustomed to obtain what he wants.
