used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was a long pause, a sinister lull in the tempest of passion which was raging in that quiet, prosaic room.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Gasping with impotent passion, Maunders lay, resting his head against the door, an obstacle which prevented the guilty woman from escaping.
(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 The Spider, visible at last in all her brazen wickedness, stood defiantly at bay.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Gasping with impotent passion, Maunders lay, resting his head against the door, an obstacle which prevented the guilty woman from escaping.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading With a deadly white face, with steady, cold, malignant eyes, like those of a snake, and with a contemptuous smile on her thin lips.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The Spider, visible at last in all her brazen wickedness, stood defiantly at bay.
tried unsuccessfully
From this reading Not that she attempted to escape.
an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading The Spider, visible at last in all her brazen wickedness, stood defiantly at bay.
brazenadjectiveUS /ˈbreɪzən/
unrestrained by convention or propriety
From this reading The Spider, visible at last in all her brazen wickedness, stood defiantly at bay.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading With a deadly white face, with steady, cold, malignant eyes, like those of a snake, and with a contemptuous smile on her thin lips.
contemptuousadjectiveUS /kənˈtemptʃuːəs/
expressing extreme contempt
From this reading With a deadly white face, with steady, cold, malignant eyes, like those of a snake, and with a contemptuous smile on her thin lips.
causing or capable of causing death
From this reading With a deadly white face, with steady, cold, malignant eyes, like those of a snake, and with a contemptuous smile on her thin lips.
defiantlyadverbUS /dɪˈfaɪəntli/
in a rebellious manner
From this reading The Spider, visible at last in all her brazen wickedness, stood defiantly at bay.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Gasping with impotent passion, Maunders lay, resting his head against the door, an obstacle which prevented the guilty woman from escaping.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading Not that she attempted to escape.
escapingverbUS /ɪˈskeɪpɪŋ/
-ing form of “escape” — run away from confinement
From this reading Gasping with impotent passion, Maunders lay, resting his head against the door, an obstacle which prevented the guilty woman from escaping.
opinion or judgment
From this reading With a deadly white face, with steady, cold, malignant eyes, like those of a snake, and with a contemptuous smile on her thin lips.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading With a deadly white face, with steady, cold, malignant eyes, like those of a snake, and with a contemptuous smile on her thin lips.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Gasping with impotent passion, Maunders lay, resting his head against the door, an obstacle which prevented the guilty woman from escaping.
GaspingverbUS /ˈɡæspɪŋ/
-ing form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading Gasping with impotent passion, Maunders lay, resting his head against the door, an obstacle which prevented the guilty woman from escaping.
responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act
From this reading Gasping with impotent passion, Maunders lay, resting his head against the door, an obstacle which prevented the guilty woman from escaping.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Gasping with impotent passion, Maunders lay, resting his head against the door, an obstacle which prevented the guilty woman from escaping.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading With a deadly white face, with steady, cold, malignant eyes, like those of a snake, and with a contemptuous smile on her thin lips.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Gasping with impotent passion, Maunders lay, resting his head against the door, an obstacle which prevented the guilty woman from escaping.
impotentadjectiveUS /ˈɪmpətənt/
lacking power or ability
From this reading Gasping with impotent passion, Maunders lay, resting his head against the door, an obstacle which prevented the guilty woman from escaping.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was a long pause, a sinister lull in the tempest of passion which was raging in that quiet, prosaic room.
immediately past
From this reading The Spider, visible at last in all her brazen wickedness, stood defiantly at bay.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Gasping with impotent passion, Maunders lay, resting his head against the door, an obstacle which prevented the guilty woman from escaping.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading With a deadly white face, with steady, cold, malignant eyes, like those of a snake, and with a contemptuous smile on her thin lips.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading With a deadly white face, with steady, cold, malignant eyes, like those of a snake, and with a contemptuous smile on her thin lips.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading There was a long pause, a sinister lull in the tempest of passion which was raging in that quiet, prosaic room.
lullverbUS /lʌl/
calm by deception
From this reading There was a long pause, a sinister lull in the tempest of passion which was raging in that quiet, prosaic room.
malignantadjectiveUS /məˈlɪɡnənt/
dangerous to health; characterized by progressive and uncontrolled growth (especially of a tumor)
From this reading With a deadly white face, with steady, cold, malignant eyes, like those of a snake, and with a contemptuous smile on her thin lips.
Maunders
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Gasping with impotent passion, Maunders lay, resting his head against the door, an obstacle which prevented the guilty woman from escaping.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not that she attempted to escape.
obstaclenounUS /ˈɑːbstəkəl/
something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted
From this reading Gasping with impotent passion, Maunders lay, resting his head against the door, an obstacle which prevented the guilty woman from escaping.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was a long pause, a sinister lull in the tempest of passion which was raging in that quiet, prosaic room.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading With a deadly white face, with steady, cold, malignant eyes, like those of a snake, and with a contemptuous smile on her thin lips.
a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading There was a long pause, a sinister lull in the tempest of passion which was raging in that quiet, prosaic room.
a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
From this reading There was a long pause, a sinister lull in the tempest of passion which was raging in that quiet, prosaic room.
preventedverbUS /prɪˈventɪd/
past form of “prevent” — keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading Gasping with impotent passion, Maunders lay, resting his head against the door, an obstacle which prevented the guilty woman from escaping.
prosaicadjectiveUS /proʊˈzeɪɪk/
not fanciful or imaginative
From this reading There was a long pause, a sinister lull in the tempest of passion which was raging in that quiet, prosaic room.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading There was a long pause, a sinister lull in the tempest of passion which was raging in that quiet, prosaic room.
ragingadjectiveUS /ˈreɪdʒɪŋ/
characterized by violent and forceful activity or movement; very intense
From this reading There was a long pause, a sinister lull in the tempest of passion which was raging in that quiet, prosaic room.
-ing form of “rest” — not move; be in a resting position
From this reading Gasping with impotent passion, Maunders lay, resting his head against the door, an obstacle which prevented the guilty woman from escaping.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading There was a long pause, a sinister lull in the tempest of passion which was raging in that quiet, prosaic room.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Not that she attempted to escape.
sinisteradjectiveUS /ˈsɪnɪstər/
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading There was a long pause, a sinister lull in the tempest of passion which was raging in that quiet, prosaic room.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading With a deadly white face, with steady, cold, malignant eyes, like those of a snake, and with a contemptuous smile on her thin lips.
snakenounUS /sneɪk/
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading With a deadly white face, with steady, cold, malignant eyes, like those of a snake, and with a contemptuous smile on her thin lips.
SpidernounUS /ˈspaɪdər/
predatory arachnid with eight legs, two poison fangs, two feelers, and usually two silk-spinning organs at the back end of the body; they spin silk to make cocoons for eggs or traps for prey
From this reading The Spider, visible at last in all her brazen wickedness, stood defiantly at bay.
make steady
From this reading With a deadly white face, with steady, cold, malignant eyes, like those of a snake, and with a contemptuous smile on her thin lips.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The Spider, visible at last in all her brazen wickedness, stood defiantly at bay.
tempestnounUS /ˈtempəst/
a violent commotion or disturbance
From this reading There was a long pause, a sinister lull in the tempest of passion which was raging in that quiet, prosaic room.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There was a long pause, a sinister lull in the tempest of passion which was raging in that quiet, prosaic room.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was a long pause, a sinister lull in the tempest of passion which was raging in that quiet, prosaic room.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a long pause, a sinister lull in the tempest of passion which was raging in that quiet, prosaic room.
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading With a deadly white face, with steady, cold, malignant eyes, like those of a snake, and with a contemptuous smile on her thin lips.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading With a deadly white face, with steady, cold, malignant eyes, like those of a snake, and with a contemptuous smile on her thin lips.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Not that she attempted to escape.
capable of being seen; or open to easy view
From this reading The Spider, visible at last in all her brazen wickedness, stood defiantly at bay.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a long pause, a sinister lull in the tempest of passion which was raging in that quiet, prosaic room.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There was a long pause, a sinister lull in the tempest of passion which was raging in that quiet, prosaic room.
a Caucasian
From this reading With a deadly white face, with steady, cold, malignant eyes, like those of a snake, and with a contemptuous smile on her thin lips.
wickednessnounUS /ˈwɪkədnəs/
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading The Spider, visible at last in all her brazen wickedness, stood defiantly at bay.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Gasping with impotent passion, Maunders lay, resting his head against the door, an obstacle which prevented the guilty woman from escaping.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Gasping with impotent passion, Maunders lay, resting his head against the door, an obstacle which prevented the guilty woman from escaping.
