used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
anew
From this reading "I tell you I want my own face again!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
babblingnounUS /ˈbæbəlɪŋ/
gibberish resembling the sounds of a baby
From this reading To her parched mouth the very taste of her own babbling impudence refreshed her like the shock and prickle of cracked ice.
cervicaladjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrvəkəl/
of or relating to the cervix of the uterus
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
crackedadjectiveUS /krækt/
used of skin roughened as a result of cold or exposure
From this reading To her parched mouth the very taste of her own babbling impudence refreshed her like the shock and prickle of cracked ice.
an urgent or peremptory request
From this reading Exuberantly impertinent, ecstatically self-conscious, Rae Malgregor repeated her demand.
desk-work
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
ecstaticallyadverbUS /ekˈstætɪkli/
in an ecstatic manner
From this reading Exuberantly impertinent, ecstatically self-conscious, Rae Malgregor repeated her demand.
elongatedadjectiveUS /ɪˈlɔːŋɡeɪtəd/
drawn out or made longer spatially
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
Exuberantlyadverb
in an exuberant manner
From this reading Exuberantly impertinent, ecstatically self-conscious, Rae Malgregor repeated her demand.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading "I tell you I want my own face again!
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
giraffenounUS /dʒərˈæf/
tallest living quadruped; having a spotted coat and small horns and very long neck and legs; of savannahs of tropical Africa
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
gliblyadverbUS /ˈɡlɪbli/
with superficial plausibility
From this reading And my own hands!" she reiterated glibly.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading And my own hands!" she reiterated glibly.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I tell you I want my own face again!
water frozen in the solid state
From this reading To her parched mouth the very taste of her own babbling impudence refreshed her like the shock and prickle of cracked ice.
impertinentadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɜːrtənənt/
characterized by a lightly pert and exuberant quality
From this reading Exuberantly impertinent, ecstatically self-conscious, Rae Malgregor repeated her demand.
impudencenoun
an impudent statement
From this reading To her parched mouth the very taste of her own babbling impudence refreshed her like the shock and prickle of cracked ice.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
Malgregor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Exuberantly impertinent, ecstatically self-conscious, Rae Malgregor repeated her demand.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading To her parched mouth the very taste of her own babbling impudence refreshed her like the shock and prickle of cracked ice.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I tell you I want my own face again!
NursesnounUS /ˈnɜːrsəz/
plural of “nurse” — one skilled in caring for young children or the sick (usually under the supervision of a physician)
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading To her parched mouth the very taste of her own babbling impudence refreshed her like the shock and prickle of cracked ice.
parchedadjectiveUS /pɑːrtʃt/
dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight
From this reading To her parched mouth the very taste of her own babbling impudence refreshed her like the shock and prickle of cracked ice.
prickleverb
cause a prickling sensation
From this reading To her parched mouth the very taste of her own babbling impudence refreshed her like the shock and prickle of cracked ice.
proportionsnounUS /prəˈpɔːrʃənz/
plural of “proportion” — the quotient obtained when the magnitude of a part is divided by the magnitude of the whole
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
Rae
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Exuberantly impertinent, ecstatically self-conscious, Rae Malgregor repeated her demand.
rearedverbUS /rɪrd/
past form of “rear” — stand up on the hind legs, of quadrupeds
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
refreshedadjectiveUS /riˈfreʃt/
with restored energy
From this reading To her parched mouth the very taste of her own babbling impudence refreshed her like the shock and prickle of cracked ice.
reiteratedverbUS /riˈɪtəreɪtɪd/
past form of “reiterate” — to say, state, or perform again
From this reading And my own hands!" she reiterated glibly.
recurring again and again
From this reading Exuberantly impertinent, ecstatically self-conscious, Rae Malgregor repeated her demand.
self-consciousadjectiveUS /ˌselfˈkɑːnʃəs/
aware of yourself as an individual or of your own being and actions and thoughts
From this reading Exuberantly impertinent, ecstatically self-conscious, Rae Malgregor repeated her demand.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And my own hands!" she reiterated glibly.
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading To her parched mouth the very taste of her own babbling impudence refreshed her like the shock and prickle of cracked ice.
short-necked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
spectaclesnounUS /ˈspektəkəlz/
(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
speechlessadjectiveUS /ˈspiːtʃləs/
temporarily incapable of speaking
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
stoop-shouldered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
SuperintendentnounUS /ˌsuːpərənˈtendənt/
a person who directs and manages an organization
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
To perceive flavor through the mouth.
From this reading To her parched mouth the very taste of her own babbling impudence refreshed her like the shock and prickle of cracked ice.
express in words
From this reading "I tell you I want my own face again!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
the upper part of anything
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Like a short-necked animal elongated suddenly to the cervical proportions of a giraffe, the Superintendent of Nurses reared up from her stoop-shouldered desk-work and stared forth in speechless astonishment across the top of her spectacles.
precisely as stated
From this reading To her parched mouth the very taste of her own babbling impudence refreshed her like the shock and prickle of cracked ice.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "I tell you I want my own face again!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I tell you I want my own face again!
