used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading "Another failure," Eleanor said.
ashesnounUS /ˈæʃ.ɪz/
The powdery residue left after the burning of a substance.
From this reading A spark brightened, ran backward under the film of ashes, then a flame hesitated, caught--and there was a little winking blaze.
backwardadverbUS /ˈbækwərd/
at or to or toward the back or rear
From this reading A spark brightened, ran backward under the film of ashes, then a flame hesitated, caught--and there was a little winking blaze.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
bellowsnounUS /ˈbeloʊz/
(used in the plural) a mechanical device that blows a strong current of air; used to make a fire burn more fiercely or to sound a musical instrument
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
blazenounUS /bleɪz/
a strong flame that burns brightly
From this reading A spark brightened, ran backward under the film of ashes, then a flame hesitated, caught--and there was a little winking blaze.
blunderingverbUS /ˈblʌndərɪŋ/
-ing form of “blunder” — commit a faux pas or a fault or make a serious mistake
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
brightenedverbUS /ˈbraɪtənd/
past form of “brighten” — make more cheerful through the use of color
From this reading A spark brightened, ran backward under the film of ashes, then a flame hesitated, caught--and there was a little winking blaze.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading She remembered with what eager hope she had started for Lily's house; "I was going to 'bring him home' with me!
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading A spark brightened, ran backward under the film of ashes, then a flame hesitated, caught--and there was a little winking blaze.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
charredverbUS /tʃɑːrd/
inflected form of “char” — burn to charcoal
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
eageradjectiveUS /ˈiːɡər/
having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy
From this reading She remembered with what eager hope she had started for Lily's house; "I was going to 'bring him home' with me!
Eleanor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
an act that fails
From this reading "Another failure," Eleanor said.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
filmnounUS /fɪlm/
a form of entertainment that enacts a story by sound and a sequence of images giving the illusion of continuous movement
From this reading A spark brightened, ran backward under the film of ashes, then a flame hesitated, caught--and there was a little winking blaze.
start firing a weapon
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading A spark brightened, ran backward under the film of ashes, then a flame hesitated, caught--and there was a little winking blaze.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She remembered with what eager hope she had started for Lily's house; "I was going to 'bring him home' with me!
the act of departing
From this reading She remembered with what eager hope she had started for Lily's house; "I was going to 'bring him home' with me!
destroyed or killed
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading A spark brightened, ran backward under the film of ashes, then a flame hesitated, caught--and there was a little winking blaze.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She remembered with what eager hope she had started for Lily's house; "I was going to 'bring him home' with me!
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading She remembered with what eager hope she had started for Lily's house; "I was going to 'bring him home' with me!
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading She remembered with what eager hope she had started for Lily's house; "I was going to 'bring him home' with me!
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading She remembered with what eager hope she had started for Lily's house; "I was going to 'bring him home' with me!
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
kindlingnounUS /ˈkɪndlɪŋ/
material for starting a fire
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
kneltverbUS /nelt/
inflected form of “kneel” — rest one's weight on one's knees
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
property that is leased or rented out or let
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
a room where books are kept
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
Lily'snounUS /ˈlɪliːz/
possessive form of “lily” — any liliaceous plant of the genus Lilium having showy pendulous flowers
From this reading She remembered with what eager hope she had started for Lily's house; "I was going to 'bring him home' with me!
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A spark brightened, ran backward under the film of ashes, then a flame hesitated, caught--and there was a little winking blaze.
logverbUS /lɔːɡ/
enter into a log, as on ships and planes
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
Maurice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She remembered with what eager hope she had started for Lily's house; "I was going to 'bring him home' with me!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A spark brightened, ran backward under the film of ashes, then a flame hesitated, caught--and there was a little winking blaze.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading A spark brightened, ran backward under the film of ashes, then a flame hesitated, caught--and there was a little winking blaze.
the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading She remembered with what eager hope she had started for Lily's house; "I was going to 'bring him home' with me!
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Another failure," Eleanor said.
cut with a saw
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
sparknounUS /spɑːrk/
a momentary flash of light
From this reading A spark brightened, ran backward under the film of ashes, then a flame hesitated, caught--and there was a little winking blaze.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading She remembered with what eager hope she had started for Lily's house; "I was going to 'bring him home' with me!
a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading A spark brightened, ran backward under the film of ashes, then a flame hesitated, caught--and there was a little winking blaze.
in or at that place or location
From this reading A spark brightened, ran backward under the film of ashes, then a flame hesitated, caught--and there was a little winking blaze.
push forcefully
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading She remembered with what eager hope she had started for Lily's house; "I was going to 'bring him home' with me!
winkingnounUS /ˈwɪŋkɪŋ/
a reflex that closes and opens the eyes rapidly
From this reading A spark brightened, ran backward under the film of ashes, then a flame hesitated, caught--and there was a little winking blaze.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Eleanor, letting herself into her silent house, saw, with relief, that the library was dark, and knew that Maurice had gone to the station and she could be alone.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading She felt her way into the room, blundering against his big chair; the fire was almost out, and without waiting to turn on the light she thrust some kindling under a charred log and knelt down and took up the bellows.
