used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
accompanistnounUS /əˈkʌmpənəst/
a person who provides musical accompaniment (usually on a piano)
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading There was something almost unnatural in her calm, and the shrewd Russian eyed her with a sudden apprehension.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
apprehensionnounUS /ˌæprɪˈhenʃən/
fearful expectation or anticipation
From this reading There was something almost unnatural in her calm, and the shrewd Russian eyed her with a sudden apprehension.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
awaitingverbUS /əˈweɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “await” — look forward to the probable occurrence of
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading She began speaking quickly, an undercurrent of suppressed excitement in her tones.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
make calm or still
From this reading There was something almost unnatural in her calm, and the shrewd Russian eyed her with a sudden apprehension.
serenely self-possessed and free from agitation especially in times of stress
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
DiananounUS /daɪˈænə/
English aristocrat who was the first wife of Prince Charles; her death in an automobile accident in Paris produced intense national mourning (1961-1997)
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
any strong feeling
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading She began speaking quickly, an undercurrent of suppressed excitement in her tones.
eyedadjectiveUS /aɪd/
having an eye or eyes or eyelike feature especially as specified; often used in combination
From this reading There was something almost unnatural in her calm, and the shrewd Russian eyed her with a sudden apprehension.
opinion or judgment
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
inflected form of “fight” — be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
greetedverbUS /ˈɡriːtəd/
past form of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was something almost unnatural in her calm, and the shrewd Russian eyed her with a sudden apprehension.
immediately past
From this reading This was not the same woman whom she had left last night, thrilling and softly tremulous with love.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading This was not the same woman whom she had left last night, thrilling and softly tremulous with love.
Lermontof
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading This was not the same woman whom she had left last night, thrilling and softly tremulous with love.
music-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading This was not the same woman whom she had left last night, thrilling and softly tremulous with love.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading This was not the same woman whom she had left last night, thrilling and softly tremulous with love.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
Olga
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
overwhelmverbUS /ˌoʊvərˈwelm/
overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
with speed
From this reading She began speaking quickly, an undercurrent of suppressed excitement in her tones.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
on the contrary
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
REAPINGverbUS /ˈriːpɪŋ/
-ing form of “reap” — gather, as of natural products
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
rehearsedverbUS /riˈhɜːrst/
past form of “rehearse” — engage in a rehearsal
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
a native or inhabitant of Russia
From this reading There was something almost unnatural in her calm, and the shrewd Russian eyed her with a sudden apprehension.
Identical; not different.
From this reading This was not the same woman whom she had left last night, thrilling and softly tremulous with love.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
sheeradjectiveUS /ʃɪr/
complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
shrewdadjectiveUS /ʃruːd/
marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
From this reading There was something almost unnatural in her calm, and the shrewd Russian eyed her with a sudden apprehension.
with low volume
From this reading This was not the same woman whom she had left last night, thrilling and softly tremulous with love.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading There was something almost unnatural in her calm, and the shrewd Russian eyed her with a sudden apprehension.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading She began speaking quickly, an undercurrent of suppressed excitement in her tones.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading There was something almost unnatural in her calm, and the shrewd Russian eyed her with a sudden apprehension.
suppressedadjectiveUS /səˈprest/
kept from public knowledge by various means
From this reading She began speaking quickly, an undercurrent of suppressed excitement in her tones.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
in or at that place or location
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This was not the same woman whom she had left last night, thrilling and softly tremulous with love.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
(of flora or fauna) likely in the near future to become endangered
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
thrillingadjectiveUS /ˈθrɪlɪŋ/
causing a surge of emotion or excitement
From this reading This was not the same woman whom she had left last night, thrilling and softly tremulous with love.
tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading She began speaking quickly, an undercurrent of suppressed excitement in her tones.
tremulousadjectiveUS /ˈtremjələs/
(of the voice) quivering as from weakness or fear
From this reading This was not the same woman whom she had left last night, thrilling and softly tremulous with love.
undercurrentnounUS /ˈʌndərkɜːrənt/
a subdued emotional quality underlying an utterance; implicit meaning
From this reading She began speaking quickly, an undercurrent of suppressed excitement in her tones.
unnaturaladjectiveUS /ənˈnætʃərəl/
not in accordance with or determined by nature; contrary to nature
From this reading There was something almost unnatural in her calm, and the shrewd Russian eyed her with a sudden apprehension.
under normal conditions
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
in or at the place that
From this reading THE REAPING Half an hour later Diana descended to the big music-room, where she usually rehearsed, to find Olga Lermontof already awaiting her there.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading This was not the same woman whom she had left last night, thrilling and softly tremulous with love.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
in the company of; together with
From this reading By a sheer effort of will she had fought down the storm of emotion which had threatened to overwhelm her, and now, as she greeted her accompanist, she was quite cool and composed, though rather pale and with tired shadows beneath her eyes.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading This was not the same woman whom she had left last night, thrilling and softly tremulous with love.
