used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
anew
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
in the past
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
(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 one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
next to; at the side of
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
blankadjectiveUS /blæŋk/
(of a surface) not written or printed on
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
braidsnounUS /breɪdz/
plural of “braid” — a hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
crossesnounUS /ˈkrɔːsɪz/
plural of “cross” — a wooden structure consisting of an upright post with a transverse piece
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
determinedlyadverbUS /dəˈtɜːrmənədli/
with determination; in a determined manner
From this reading That had palled, and now she was determinedly using the inner vision.
the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
opinion or judgment
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
located inward
From this reading That had palled, and now she was determinedly using the inner vision.
JOAN
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading That had palled, and now she was determinedly using the inner vision.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
palled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That had palled, and now she was determinedly using the inner vision.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
plaitingverbUS /ˈpleɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “plait” — make by braiding or interlacing
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
recompose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
squaresnounUS /skwerz/
plural of “square” — (geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four right angles; a four-sided regular polygon
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
strandsnounUS /strændz/
plural of “strand” — a pattern forming a unity within a larger structural whole
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
plant fiber used e.g. for making baskets and hats or as fodder
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
strawsnounUS /strɔːz/
plural of “straw” — plant fiber used e.g. for making baskets and hats or as fodder
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
subtleadjectiveUS /ˈsʌtəl/
difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That had palled, and now she was determinedly using the inner vision.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
a special situation
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
trianglesnounUS /ˈtraɪæŋɡəlz/
plural of “triangle” — a three-sided polygon
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
an act that exploits or victimizes someone (treats them unfairly)
From this reading That had palled, and now she was determinedly using the inner vision.
a vivid mental image
From this reading That had palled, and now she was determinedly using the inner vision.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That had palled, and now she was determinedly using the inner vision.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
in or at the place that
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
in the company of; together with
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
