used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading She had a sense of motion and of jolting, the feeling of arms about her, a descent, the sound of water and the rocking of a boat.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
abyssnounUS /əˈbɪs/
a bottomless gulf or pit; any unfathomable (or apparently unfathomable) cavity or chasm or void extending below (often used figuratively)
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading She had a sense of motion and of jolting, the feeling of arms about her, a descent, the sound of water and the rocking of a boat.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading She had a sense of motion and of jolting, the feeling of arms about her, a descent, the sound of water and the rocking of a boat.
of short duration or distance
From this reading Brief glimpses she had of sunlight, which revealed outlines dimly, like the glow of summer lightning upon familiar objects, making them curiously unfamiliar.
brinknounUS /brɪŋk/
a region marking a boundary
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
cliffsnounUS /klɪfs/
plural of “cliff” — a steep high face of rock
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
in a manner differing from the usual or expected
From this reading Brief glimpses she had of sunlight, which revealed outlines dimly, like the glow of summer lightning upon familiar objects, making them curiously unfamiliar.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
the first light of day
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
deferentialadjectiveUS /ˌdefərˈentʃəl/
showing deference
From this reading John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
descentnounUS /dɪˈsent/
An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.
From this reading She had a sense of motion and of jolting, the feeling of arms about her, a descent, the sound of water and the rocking of a boat.
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
dimlyadverbUS /ˈdɪmli/
in a dim indistinct manner
From this reading Brief glimpses she had of sunlight, which revealed outlines dimly, like the glow of summer lightning upon familiar objects, making them curiously unfamiliar.
DorisnounUS /ˈdɔːrəs/
(Greek mythology) wife of Nereus and mother of the Nereids
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
at any time
From this reading John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
well known or easily recognized
From this reading Brief glimpses she had of sunlight, which revealed outlines dimly, like the glow of summer lightning upon familiar objects, making them curiously unfamiliar.
fantasticadjectiveUS /fænˈtæstɪk/
ludicrously odd
From this reading John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading She had a sense of motion and of jolting, the feeling of arms about her, a descent, the sound of water and the rocking of a boat.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
glimpsesnounUS /ˈɡlɪmpsɪz/
plural of “glimpse” — a quick look
From this reading Brief glimpses she had of sunlight, which revealed outlines dimly, like the glow of summer lightning upon familiar objects, making them curiously unfamiliar.
an alert and refreshed state
From this reading Brief glimpses she had of sunlight, which revealed outlines dimly, like the glow of summer lightning upon familiar objects, making them curiously unfamiliar.
death of a person
From this reading John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
half-consciousness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
joltingadjectiveUS /ˈdʒoʊltɪŋ/
causing or characterized by jolts and irregular movements
From this reading She had a sense of motion and of jolting, the feeling of arms about her, a descent, the sound of water and the rocking of a boat.
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 John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
large or big relative to something else
From this reading John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light
From this reading Brief glimpses she had of sunlight, which revealed outlines dimly, like the glow of summer lightning upon familiar objects, making them curiously unfamiliar.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Brief glimpses she had of sunlight, which revealed outlines dimly, like the glow of summer lightning upon familiar objects, making them curiously unfamiliar.
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 THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading Brief glimpses she had of sunlight, which revealed outlines dimly, like the glow of summer lightning upon familiar objects, making them curiously unfamiliar.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
Mather
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
Mor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading She had a sense of motion and of jolting, the feeling of arms about her, a descent, the sound of water and the rocking of a boat.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
plural of “object” — a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading Brief glimpses she had of sunlight, which revealed outlines dimly, like the glow of summer lightning upon familiar objects, making them curiously unfamiliar.
odornounUS /ˈoʊdər/
any property detected by the olfactory system
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
outlinesnounUS /ˈaʊtlaɪnz/
plural of “outline” — the line that appears to bound an object
From this reading Brief glimpses she had of sunlight, which revealed outlines dimly, like the glow of summer lightning upon familiar objects, making them curiously unfamiliar.
persistedverbUS /pərˈsɪstɪd/
past form of “persist” — continue to exist
From this reading John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
punctiliousadjectiveUS /pəŋkˈtɪliəs/
marked by precise accordance with details
From this reading John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
recurrencenounUS /rɪˈkɜːrəns/
happening again (especially at regular intervals)
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
restrainingverbUS /riˈstreɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “restrain” — to close within bounds, or otherwise limit or deprive of free movement
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
past form of “reveal” — make visible
From this reading Brief glimpses she had of sunlight, which revealed outlines dimly, like the glow of summer lightning upon familiar objects, making them curiously unfamiliar.
Rhuda
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
Rizzio
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
Rizzio's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
rockingverbUS /ˈrɑːkɪŋ/
-ing form of “rock” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading She had a sense of motion and of jolting, the feeling of arms about her, a descent, the sound of water and the rocking of a boat.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading She had a sense of motion and of jolting, the feeling of arms about her, a descent, the sound of water and the rocking of a boat.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading She had a sense of motion and of jolting, the feeling of arms about her, a descent, the sound of water and the rocking of a boat.
in a strange manner
From this reading John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
stroveverbUS /stroʊv/
inflected form of “strive” — attempt by employing effort
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading Brief glimpses she had of sunlight, which revealed outlines dimly, like the glow of summer lightning upon familiar objects, making them curiously unfamiliar.
the rays of the sun
From this reading Brief glimpses she had of sunlight, which revealed outlines dimly, like the glow of summer lightning upon familiar objects, making them curiously unfamiliar.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Brief glimpses she had of sunlight, which revealed outlines dimly, like the glow of summer lightning upon familiar objects, making them curiously unfamiliar.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
unfamiliaradjectiveUS /ˌʌnfəˈmɪljər/
not known or well known
From this reading Brief glimpses she had of sunlight, which revealed outlines dimly, like the glow of summer lightning upon familiar objects, making them curiously unfamiliar.
UNWILLINGadjectiveUS /ənˈwɪlɪŋ/
not disposed or inclined toward
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
directed up
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
visionsnounUS /ˈvɪʒənz/
plural of “vision” — a vivid mental image
From this reading John Rizzio’s face persisted in these visions, a fantastic Rizzio, much larger than the man she knew, deferential and punctilious as ever, and strangely grave.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading She had a sense of motion and of jolting, the feeling of arms about her, a descent, the sound of water and the rocking of a boat.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading She strove upward, but in the dim moments of half-consciousness was aware of a force restraining her and a recurrence of the odor in which the darkness had first come.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading THE UNWILLING GUEST After the light of dawn went out upon the cliffs of Rhuda Mor, Doris Mather hung for a long while upon the brink of an abyss, below her darkness, above her light.
