used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading To Marjorie, whose every nerve was keyed to a snapping tension, the evening had seemed endless.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At twelve-thirty, she bounded from her seat, and fairly flew to the telephone, unable to curb her patience a second longer.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
BentonnounUS /ˈbentən/
United States artist whose paintings portrayed life in the Midwest and South (1889-1975)
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
boundedadjectiveUS /ˈbaʊndəd/
having the limits or boundaries established
From this reading At twelve-thirty, she bounded from her seat, and fairly flew to the telephone, unable to curb her patience a second longer.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
cathedralnounUS /kəˈθiːdrəl/
any large and important church
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
chimedverbUS /tʃaɪmd/
past form of “chime” — emit a sound
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
a timepiece that shows the time of day
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
curbnounUS /kɜːrb/
an edge between a sidewalk and a roadway consisting of a line of curbstones (usually forming part of a gutter)
From this reading At twelve-thirty, she bounded from her seat, and fairly flew to the telephone, unable to curb her patience a second longer.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
Elinor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
endlessadjectiveUS /ˈendləs/
tiresomely long; seemingly without end
From this reading To Marjorie, whose every nerve was keyed to a snapping tension, the evening had seemed endless.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading To Marjorie, whose every nerve was keyed to a snapping tension, the evening had seemed endless.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading To Marjorie, whose every nerve was keyed to a snapping tension, the evening had seemed endless.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Her eyes were riveted upon the hands of the clock.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading At twelve-thirty, she bounded from her seat, and fairly flew to the telephone, unable to curb her patience a second longer.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading At twelve-thirty, she bounded from her seat, and fairly flew to the telephone, unable to curb her patience a second longer.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading At twelve-thirty, she bounded from her seat, and fairly flew to the telephone, unable to curb her patience a second longer.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
destroyed or killed
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
Griggs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Her eyes were riveted upon the hands of the clock.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
HowardnounUS /ˈhaʊərd/
English actor of stage and screen (1893-1943)
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
keyedadjectiveUS /kiːd/
fitted with or secured by a key
From this reading To Marjorie, whose every nerve was keyed to a snapping tension, the evening had seemed endless.
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 Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
a room where books are kept
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
for more time
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
Marjorie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
mid-night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
muffledadjectiveUS /ˈmʌfəld/
being or made softer or less loud or clear
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
nervenounUS /nɜːrv/
any bundle of nerve fibers running to various organs and tissues of the body
From this reading To Marjorie, whose every nerve was keyed to a snapping tension, the evening had seemed endless.
not any; not one
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
and nothing more
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence
From this reading At twelve-thirty, she bounded from her seat, and fairly flew to the telephone, unable to curb her patience a second longer.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
rivetedverbUS /ˈrɪvətɪd/
past form of “rivet” — direct one's attention on something
From this reading Her eyes were riveted upon the hands of the clock.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading At twelve-thirty, she bounded from her seat, and fairly flew to the telephone, unable to curb her patience a second longer.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading At twelve-thirty, she bounded from her seat, and fairly flew to the telephone, unable to curb her patience a second longer.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading To Marjorie, whose every nerve was keyed to a snapping tension, the evening had seemed endless.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
snappingverbUS /ˈsnæpɪŋ/
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading To Marjorie, whose every nerve was keyed to a snapping tension, the evening had seemed endless.
sweetlyadverbUS /ˈswiːtli/
in an affectionate or loving manner (“sweet” is sometimes a poetic or informal variant of “sweetly”)
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
telephonenounUS /ˈteləfoʊn/
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading At twelve-thirty, she bounded from her seat, and fairly flew to the telephone, unable to curb her patience a second longer.
tensionnounUS /ˈtenʃən/
(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense
From this reading To Marjorie, whose every nerve was keyed to a snapping tension, the evening had seemed endless.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
Thurstons
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
twelve-thirty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At twelve-thirty, she bounded from her seat, and fairly flew to the telephone, unable to curb her patience a second longer.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading At twelve-thirty, she bounded from her seat, and fairly flew to the telephone, unable to curb her patience a second longer.
UntilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Her eyes were riveted upon the hands of the clock.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading To Marjorie, whose every nerve was keyed to a snapping tension, the evening had seemed endless.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Her eyes were riveted upon the hands of the clock.
at the time that
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
in or at the place that
From this reading Until the muffled bells of the cathedral clock in the hall slowly and sweetly chimed out the mid-night hour, Marjorie Benton had sat in front of the fire in the library where Griggs had left her—waiting.
belonging to which person
From this reading To Marjorie, whose every nerve was keyed to a snapping tension, the evening had seemed endless.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She had no idea when Howard would come in, but she expected Elinor almost any minute, as she had only gone to the Thurstons for dinner and could not remain away much longer.
