used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Before the two hours had elapsed, however, a messenger arrived with the intelligence that my wife had been taken alarmingly ill.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
alarminglyadverbUS /əˈlɑːrmɪŋli/
in an alarming manner
From this reading Before the two hours had elapsed, however, a messenger arrived with the intelligence that my wife had been taken alarmingly ill.
(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 Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading Before the two hours had elapsed, however, a messenger arrived with the intelligence that my wife had been taken alarmingly ill.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Before the two hours had elapsed, however, a messenger arrived with the intelligence that my wife had been taken alarmingly ill.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before the two hours had elapsed, however, a messenger arrived with the intelligence that my wife had been taken alarmingly ill.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
complyverbUS /kəmˈplaɪ/
act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes
From this reading “I was fain to comply with his request.
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
consumedverbUS /kənˈsuːmd/
past form of “consume” — eat up completely, as with great appetite
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
well in the past; former
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
door-post
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
elapsedadjectiveUS /ɪˈlæpst/
(of time) having passed or slipped by
From this reading Before the two hours had elapsed, however, a messenger arrived with the intelligence that my wife had been taken alarmingly ill.
execrableadjectiveUS /ˌeɡˈzekrəbəl/
of very poor quality or condition
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
fainadjectiveUS /feɪn/
having made preparations
From this reading “I was fain to comply with his request.
faintnessnounUS /ˈfeɪntnəs/
a feeling of faintness and of being ready to swoon
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Before the two hours had elapsed, however, a messenger arrived with the intelligence that my wife had been taken alarmingly ill.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “I was fain to comply with his request.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading Before the two hours had elapsed, however, a messenger arrived with the intelligence that my wife had been taken alarmingly ill.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading Before the two hours had elapsed, however, a messenger arrived with the intelligence that my wife had been taken alarmingly ill.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I was fain to comply with his request.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading Before the two hours had elapsed, however, a messenger arrived with the intelligence that my wife had been taken alarmingly ill.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience
From this reading Before the two hours had elapsed, however, a messenger arrived with the intelligence that my wife had been taken alarmingly ill.
leanverbUS /liːn/
to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
LeapingnounUS /ˈliːpɪŋ/
a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
a person who carries a message
From this reading Before the two hours had elapsed, however, a messenger arrived with the intelligence that my wife had been taken alarmingly ill.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Before the two hours had elapsed, however, a messenger arrived with the intelligence that my wife had been taken alarmingly ill.
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
past form of “push” — move with force
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading All was quiet.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
express the need or desire for
From this reading “I was fain to comply with his request.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
RobertsnounUS /ˈrɑːbərts/
United States biochemist (born in England) honored for his discovery that some genes contain introns (born in 1943)
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
RousingadjectiveUS /ˈraʊzɪŋ/
capable of arousing enthusiasm or excitement
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
done under pressure
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
move hurridly
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
the activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading Before the two hours had elapsed, however, a messenger arrived with the intelligence that my wife had been taken alarmingly ill.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Before the two hours had elapsed, however, a messenger arrived with the intelligence that my wife had been taken alarmingly ill.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Before the two hours had elapsed, however, a messenger arrived with the intelligence that my wife had been taken alarmingly ill.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I was fain to comply with his request.
in the direction of
From this reading Leaping from my horse I rushed towards the house; a feeling of faintness came over me, and I was obliged to pause and lean against the door-post for support.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Before the two hours had elapsed, however, a messenger arrived with the intelligence that my wife had been taken alarmingly ill.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “I was fain to comply with his request.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Rousing Roberts, I immediately departed and pushed forward with all possible speed; but the distance was considerable and the road execrable, and several hours were consumed before I reached home.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading Before the two hours had elapsed, however, a messenger arrived with the intelligence that my wife had been taken alarmingly ill.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “I was fain to comply with his request.
