used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading With a little shiver of dread I looked around.
ascendedverbUS /əˈsendɪd/
past form of “ascend” — travel up
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE BREAKING OF THE STORM It was at evensong in the great cathedral that she tasted the first fruits of her triumph.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
the act of breaking something
From this reading THE BREAKING OF THE STORM It was at evensong in the great cathedral that she tasted the first fruits of her triumph.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
candlesnounUS /ˈkændəlz/
plural of “candle” — stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
cathedralnounUS /kəˈθiːdrəl/
any large and important church
From this reading THE BREAKING OF THE STORM It was at evensong in the great cathedral that she tasted the first fruits of her triumph.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
congregationnounUS /ˌkɑːŋɡrəˈɡeɪʃən/
a group of people who adhere to a common faith and habitually attend a given church
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
dimlyadverbUS /ˈdɪmli/
in a dim indistinct manner
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
downwardsadverbUS /ˈdaʊnwərdz/
spatially or metaphorically from a higher to a lower level or position
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
fearful expectation or anticipation
From this reading With a little shiver of dread I looked around.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
earlier in time; previously
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
envelopedverbUS /enˈveləpt/
past form of “envelop” — enclose or enfold completely with or as if with a covering
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
evensongnoun
the sixth of the seven canonical hours of the divine office; early evening; now often made a public service on Sundays
From this reading THE BREAKING OF THE STORM It was at evensong in the great cathedral that she tasted the first fruits of her triumph.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading THE BREAKING OF THE STORM It was at evensong in the great cathedral that she tasted the first fruits of her triumph.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading She had half risen from her seat, and was leaning over the front of the pew.
fruitsnounUS /fruːts/
plural of “fruit” — the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant
From this reading THE BREAKING OF THE STORM It was at evensong in the great cathedral that she tasted the first fruits of her triumph.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading THE BREAKING OF THE STORM It was at evensong in the great cathedral that she tasted the first fruits of her triumph.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading THE BREAKING OF THE STORM It was at evensong in the great cathedral that she tasted the first fruits of her triumph.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE BREAKING OF THE STORM It was at evensong in the great cathedral that she tasted the first fruits of her triumph.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE BREAKING OF THE STORM It was at evensong in the great cathedral that she tasted the first fruits of her triumph.
departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal
From this reading She had half risen from her seat, and was leaning over the front of the pew.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading With a little shiver of dread I looked around.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE BREAKING OF THE STORM It was at evensong in the great cathedral that she tasted the first fruits of her triumph.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
and nothing more
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
the one or ones belonging to us
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading She had half risen from her seat, and was leaning over the front of the pew.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
pewnounUS /pjuː/
long bench with backs; used in church by the congregation
From this reading She had half risen from her seat, and was leaning over the front of the pew.
pewsnounUS /pjuːz/
plural of “pew” — long bench with backs; used in church by the congregation
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
pulpitnounUS /ˈpʊlpɪt/
a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
risenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪzən/
(of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon
From this reading She had half risen from her seat, and was leaning over the front of the pew.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
semi-circle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
work done by one person or group that benefits another
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE BREAKING OF THE STORM It was at evensong in the great cathedral that she tasted the first fruits of her triumph.
shiververbUS /ˈʃɪvər/
tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement
From this reading With a little shiver of dread I looked around.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
smotheredadjectiveUS /ˈsmʌðərd/
held in check with difficulty
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading THE BREAKING OF THE STORM It was at evensong in the great cathedral that she tasted the first fruits of her triumph.
tastedverbUS /ˈteɪstɪd/
past form of “taste” — have flavor; taste of something
From this reading THE BREAKING OF THE STORM It was at evensong in the great cathedral that she tasted the first fruits of her triumph.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE BREAKING OF THE STORM It was at evensong in the great cathedral that she tasted the first fruits of her triumph.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE BREAKING OF THE STORM It was at evensong in the great cathedral that she tasted the first fruits of her triumph.
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
a successful ending of a struggle or contest
From this reading THE BREAKING OF THE STORM It was at evensong in the great cathedral that she tasted the first fruits of her triumph.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
capable of being seen; or open to easy view
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE BREAKING OF THE STORM It was at evensong in the great cathedral that she tasted the first fruits of her triumph.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
at the time that
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
in or at the place that
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
a Caucasian
From this reading During the earlier portion of the service the shadows had half enveloped the huge body of the building, and the white faces of the congregation had been only dimly visible to us from where we sat in one of the high side pews.
in the company of; together with
From this reading But when my father ascended the steps into the pulpit, and stood for a minute looking downwards with the light from a little semi-circle of candles thrown upon his pale, delicate face, I caught the sound of a sharp, smothered cry from a seat close to ours.
