used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading She watched him with tense earnestness; it seemed to her that the beating of her heart shook the polished counter she leaned against.
aggressiveadjectiveUS /əˈɡresɪv/
having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Nancy did not think it possible that he could be reading them; the setting in his ring made a little streak of light as his fingers flew.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Nancy did not think it possible that he could be reading them; the setting in his ring made a little streak of light as his fingers flew.
the act of overcoming or outdoing
From this reading She watched him with tense earnestness; it seemed to her that the beating of her heart shook the polished counter she leaned against.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
brushverbUS /brʌʃ/
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
capenounUS /keɪp/
a strip of land projecting into a body of water
From this reading She hid her cotton-gloved hands under her cape for fear he would see how they trembled.
an occurrence of something
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
cotton-gloved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She hid her cotton-gloved hands under her cape for fear he would see how they trembled.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Nancy did not think it possible that he could be reading them; the setting in his ring made a little streak of light as his fingers flew.
counternounUS /ˈkaʊntər/
table consisting of a horizontal surface over which business is transacted
From this reading She watched him with tense earnestness; it seemed to her that the beating of her heart shook the polished counter she leaned against.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Nancy did not think it possible that he could be reading them; the setting in his ring made a little streak of light as his fingers flew.
earnestnessnounUS /ˈɜːrnəstnəs/
an earnest and sincere feeling
From this reading She watched him with tense earnestness; it seemed to her that the beating of her heart shook the polished counter she leaned against.
faultlessadjective
without fault or error
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading She hid her cotton-gloved hands under her cape for fear he would see how they trembled.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading Nancy did not think it possible that he could be reading them; the setting in his ring made a little streak of light as his fingers flew.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading Nancy did not think it possible that he could be reading them; the setting in his ring made a little streak of light as his fingers flew.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She hid her cotton-gloved hands under her cape for fear he would see how they trembled.
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
glossnounUS /ɡlɔːs/
an explanation or definition of an obscure word in a text
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
handfulnounUS /ˈhændfʊl/
a small number or amount
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading She hid her cotton-gloved hands under her cape for fear he would see how they trembled.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading She watched him with tense earnestness; it seemed to her that the beating of her heart shook the polished counter she leaned against.
heelnounUS /hiːl/
the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She watched him with tense earnestness; it seemed to her that the beating of her heart shook the polished counter she leaned against.
inflected form of “hide” — prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading She hid her cotton-gloved hands under her cape for fear he would see how they trembled.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She watched him with tense earnestness; it seemed to her that the beating of her heart shook the polished counter she leaned against.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She hid her cotton-gloved hands under her cape for fear he would see how they trembled.
immaculateadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈmækjuːlɪt/
completely neat and clean
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
inclosurenounUS /ˌɪnˈkloʊʒər/
something (usually a supporting document) that is enclosed in an envelope with a covering letter
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Nancy did not think it possible that he could be reading them; the setting in his ring made a little streak of light as his fingers flew.
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading She watched him with tense earnestness; it seemed to her that the beating of her heart shook the polished counter she leaned against.
leathernounUS /ˈleðər/
an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Nancy did not think it possible that he could be reading them; the setting in his ring made a little streak of light as his fingers flew.
linennounUS /ˈlɪnən/
a fabric woven with fibers from the flax plant
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Nancy did not think it possible that he could be reading them; the setting in his ring made a little streak of light as his fingers flew.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
NancynounUS /ˈnænsi/
a city in northeastern France in Lorraine
From this reading Nancy did not think it possible that he could be reading them; the setting in his ring made a little streak of light as his fingers flew.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Nancy did not think it possible that he could be reading them; the setting in his ring made a little streak of light as his fingers flew.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
polishedadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːlɪʃt/
perfected or made shiny and smooth
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading Nancy did not think it possible that he could be reading them; the setting in his ring made a little streak of light as his fingers flew.
processverbUS /ˈprɑːses/
subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading Nancy did not think it possible that he could be reading them; the setting in his ring made a little streak of light as his fingers flew.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading Nancy did not think it possible that he could be reading them; the setting in his ring made a little streak of light as his fingers flew.
Identical; not different.
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading She hid her cotton-gloved hands under her cape for fear he would see how they trembled.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading Nancy did not think it possible that he could be reading them; the setting in his ring made a little streak of light as his fingers flew.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She watched him with tense earnestness; it seemed to her that the beating of her heart shook the polished counter she leaned against.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading She watched him with tense earnestness; it seemed to her that the beating of her heart shook the polished counter she leaned against.
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
spryadjectiveUS /spraɪ/
moving quickly and lightly
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
streaknounUS /striːk/
an unbroken series of events
From this reading Nancy did not think it possible that he could be reading them; the setting in his ring made a little streak of light as his fingers flew.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
tellernounUS /ˈtelər/
United States physicist (born in Hungary) who worked on the first atom bomb and the first hydrogen bomb (1908-2003)
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
tensenounUS /tens/
a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
From this reading She watched him with tense earnestness; it seemed to her that the beating of her heart shook the polished counter she leaned against.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She hid her cotton-gloved hands under her cape for fear he would see how they trembled.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Nancy did not think it possible that he could be reading them; the setting in his ring made a little streak of light as his fingers flew.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
past form of “tremble” — move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways
From this reading She hid her cotton-gloved hands under her cape for fear he would see how they trembled.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading She hid her cotton-gloved hands under her cape for fear he would see how they trembled.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading She watched him with tense earnestness; it seemed to her that the beating of her heart shook the polished counter she leaned against.
in or at the place that
From this reading He turned on his spry little heel and stepped to the back of the inclosure, where he took a handful of long, narrow papers from a leather case, and ran over them hastily.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
belonging to which person
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She watched him with tense earnestness; it seemed to her that the beating of her heart shook the polished counter she leaned against.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She hid her cotton-gloved hands under her cape for fear he would see how they trembled.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The teller was a slender, immaculate young man, whose hair arose in an alert brush from his forehead, which was high and seemed to have been polished by the same process that had given such a faultless and aggressive gloss to his linen.
