used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was a comforting strength in that arm of his.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading A thought, entering her head, wandered about emptily, then went away.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
ankle-deepadjective
coming only to the ankle or knee
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As his stride was long, she slipped and staggered to keep pace with him.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading A thought, entering her head, wandered about emptily, then went away.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
comfortingadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmfərtɪŋ/
providing freedom from worry
From this reading There was a comforting strength in that arm of his.
emptily
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A thought, entering her head, wandered about emptily, then went away.
encounterverbUS /ɪnˈkaʊntər/
come together
From this reading The tension over, the encounter past, her mind was like her feet, heavy and without spring.
a movement into or inward
From this reading A thought, entering her head, wandered about emptily, then went away.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading The tension over, the encounter past, her mind was like her feet, heavy and without spring.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading A thought, entering her head, wandered about emptily, then went away.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading The tension over, the encounter past, her mind was like her feet, heavy and without spring.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The tension over, the encounter past, her mind was like her feet, heavy and without spring.
the one or ones belonging to her
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading As his stride was long, she slipped and staggered to keep pace with him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was a comforting strength in that arm of his.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading As his stride was long, she slipped and staggered to keep pace with him.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The tension over, the encounter past, her mind was like her feet, heavy and without spring.
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 As his stride was long, she slipped and staggered to keep pace with him.
Mathison
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading The tension over, the encounter past, her mind was like her feet, heavy and without spring.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was a comforting strength in that arm of his.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The tension over, the encounter past, her mind was like her feet, heavy and without spring.
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading As his stride was long, she slipped and staggered to keep pace with him.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading The tension over, the encounter past, her mind was like her feet, heavy and without spring.
plowingnounUS /ˈplaʊɪŋ/
tilling the land with a plow
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As his stride was long, she slipped and staggered to keep pace with him.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading As his stride was long, she slipped and staggered to keep pace with him.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
the season of growth
From this reading The tension over, the encounter past, her mind was like her feet, heavy and without spring.
staggeredverbUS /ˈstæɡərd/
past form of “stagger” — walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading As his stride was long, she slipped and staggered to keep pace with him.
Straightwayadverb
at once
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading There was a comforting strength in that arm of his.
stridenounUS /straɪd/
a step in walking or running
From this reading As his stride was long, she slipped and staggered to keep pace with him.
tensionnounUS /ˈtenʃən/
(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense
From this reading The tension over, the encounter past, her mind was like her feet, heavy and without spring.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There was a comforting strength in that arm of his.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading A thought, entering her head, wandered about emptily, then went away.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a comforting strength in that arm of his.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading A thought, entering her head, wandered about emptily, then went away.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As his stride was long, she slipped and staggered to keep pace with him.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading A thought, entering her head, wandered about emptily, then went away.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading A thought, entering her head, wandered about emptily, then went away.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Straightway Mathison put his arm under hers and began plowing along through the snow, which was more than ankle-deep.
in the company of; together with
From this reading As his stride was long, she slipped and staggered to keep pace with him.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading The tension over, the encounter past, her mind was like her feet, heavy and without spring.
