used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
matters of personal concern
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading Muriel was glad of this, for it kept her mind continually on the alert trying to answer Dora’s questions as to where Bennie and her father were.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading So the poor girl fell heavily on the bed and slept almost at once.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
react verbally
From this reading Muriel was glad of this, for it kept her mind continually on the alert trying to answer Dora’s questions as to where Bennie and her father were.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading So the poor girl fell heavily on the bed and slept almost at once.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading So the poor girl fell heavily on the bed and slept almost at once.
BennienounUS /ˈbeni/
a form of amphetamine
From this reading Muriel was glad of this, for it kept her mind continually on the alert trying to answer Dora’s questions as to where Bennie and her father were.
Bennie's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The young girl, with Bennie’s name upon her lips, constantly kept Muriel in a nervous tremor.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
without variation or change, in every case
From this reading The young girl, with Bennie’s name upon her lips, constantly kept Muriel in a nervous tremor.
continuallyadverbUS /kənˈtɪnjuːəli/
seemingly without interruption
From this reading Muriel was glad of this, for it kept her mind continually on the alert trying to answer Dora’s questions as to where Bennie and her father were.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
Dora
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
Dora's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Muriel was glad of this, for it kept her mind continually on the alert trying to answer Dora’s questions as to where Bennie and her father were.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
existedverbUS /ɪɡˈzɪstəd/
past form of “exist” — have an existence, be extant
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Muriel was glad of this, for it kept her mind continually on the alert trying to answer Dora’s questions as to where Bennie and her father were.
fatiguenounUS /fəˈtiːɡ/
temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading So the poor girl fell heavily on the bed and slept almost at once.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Muriel was glad of this, for it kept her mind continually on the alert trying to answer Dora’s questions as to where Bennie and her father were.
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
a young female
From this reading So the poor girl fell heavily on the bed and slept almost at once.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading Muriel was glad of this, for it kept her mind continually on the alert trying to answer Dora’s questions as to where Bennie and her father were.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
to a considerable degree
From this reading So the poor girl fell heavily on the bed and slept almost at once.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Muriel was glad of this, for it kept her mind continually on the alert trying to answer Dora’s questions as to where Bennie and her father were.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading Muriel was glad of this, for it kept her mind continually on the alert trying to answer Dora’s questions as to where Bennie and her father were.
the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
languidadjectiveUS /ˈlæŋɡwəd/
lacking spirit or liveliness
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading The young girl, with Bennie’s name upon her lips, constantly kept Muriel in a nervous tremor.
literallyadverbUS /ˈlɪtərəli/
in a literal sense
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
mealsnounUS /miːlz/
plural of “meal” — the food served and eaten at one time
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Muriel was glad of this, for it kept her mind continually on the alert trying to answer Dora’s questions as to where Bennie and her father were.
Muriel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The young girl, with Bennie’s name upon her lips, constantly kept Muriel in a nervous tremor.
easily agitated
From this reading The young girl, with Bennie’s name upon her lips, constantly kept Muriel in a nervous tremor.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading So the poor girl fell heavily on the bed and slept almost at once.
on one occasion
From this reading So the poor girl fell heavily on the bed and slept almost at once.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
Pierson
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading So the poor girl fell heavily on the bed and slept almost at once.
precedingadjectiveUS /priˈsiːdɪŋ/
existing or coming before
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading Muriel was glad of this, for it kept her mind continually on the alert trying to answer Dora’s questions as to where Bennie and her father were.
in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
sleeping-potion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading So the poor girl fell heavily on the bed and slept almost at once.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So the poor girl fell heavily on the bed and slept almost at once.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Muriel was glad of this, for it kept her mind continually on the alert trying to answer Dora’s questions as to where Bennie and her father were.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
tremornounUS /ˈtremər/
an involuntary vibration (as if from illness or fear)
From this reading The young girl, with Bennie’s name upon her lips, constantly kept Muriel in a nervous tremor.
hard to endure
From this reading Muriel was glad of this, for it kept her mind continually on the alert trying to answer Dora’s questions as to where Bennie and her father were.
unaccustomedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəˈkʌstəmd/
unusual or unfamiliar
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The young girl, with Bennie’s name upon her lips, constantly kept Muriel in a nervous tremor.
on a floor above
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
precisely as stated
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
in or at the place that
From this reading Muriel was glad of this, for it kept her mind continually on the alert trying to answer Dora’s questions as to where Bennie and her father were.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading While the events in the preceding chapter were taking place, upstairs in the room given to Muriel and Dora a very different state of affairs existed.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The young girl, with Bennie’s name upon her lips, constantly kept Muriel in a nervous tremor.
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Dora, young as she was, was literally worn out from the unaccustomed fatigue, lack of her regular meals, and made dull and languid by the sleeping-potion which Pierson had forced Muriel to give her.
