used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The same afternoon, Richard was mending the torn title of a black-letter copy of Fox's Book of Martyrs.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading The same afternoon, Richard was mending the torn title of a black-letter copy of Fox's Book of Martyrs.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading The pen-knife slid along the bit of glass he was paring upon, and cut his other hand.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The blood spouted, and some of it fell upon the title, which made Richard angry: it was an irremediable catastrophe, for the paper was too weak to bear any washing.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Vixen had forgotten her former fright, and her evil courage had returned.
angryadjectiveUS /ˈæŋɡri/
feeling or showing anger
From this reading The blood spouted, and some of it fell upon the title, which made Richard angry: it was an irremediable catastrophe, for the paper was too weak to bear any washing.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The blood spouted, and some of it fell upon the title, which made Richard angry: it was an irremediable catastrophe, for the paper was too weak to bear any washing.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
have
From this reading The blood spouted, and some of it fell upon the title, which made Richard angry: it was an irremediable catastrophe, for the paper was too weak to bear any washing.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading The pen-knife slid along the bit of glass he was paring upon, and cut his other hand.
black-letter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The same afternoon, Richard was mending the torn title of a black-letter copy of Fox's Book of Martyrs.
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading The blood spouted, and some of it fell upon the title, which made Richard angry: it was an irremediable catastrophe, for the paper was too weak to bear any washing.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading The same afternoon, Richard was mending the torn title of a black-letter copy of Fox's Book of Martyrs.
catastrophenounUS /kəˈtæstrəfi/
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading The blood spouted, and some of it fell upon the title, which made Richard angry: it was an irremediable catastrophe, for the paper was too weak to bear any washing.
a reproduction of a written record (e.g. of a legal or school record)
From this reading The same afternoon, Richard was mending the torn title of a black-letter copy of Fox's Book of Martyrs.
a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear
From this reading Vixen had forgotten her former fright, and her evil courage had returned.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading The pen-knife slid along the bit of glass he was paring upon, and cut his other hand.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
elbownounUS /ˈelboʊ/
hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading Vixen had forgotten her former fright, and her evil courage had returned.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading The blood spouted, and some of it fell upon the title, which made Richard angry: it was an irremediable catastrophe, for the paper was too weak to bear any washing.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The blood spouted, and some of it fell upon the title, which made Richard angry: it was an irremediable catastrophe, for the paper was too weak to bear any washing.
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading Vixen had forgotten her former fright, and her evil courage had returned.
referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)
From this reading Vixen had forgotten her former fright, and her evil courage had returned.
Fox'snounUS /ˈfɑːksəz/
possessive form of “fox” — alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs
From this reading The same afternoon, Richard was mending the torn title of a black-letter copy of Fox's Book of Martyrs.
frightnounUS /fraɪt/
an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading Vixen had forgotten her former fright, and her evil courage had returned.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure
From this reading The pen-knife slid along the bit of glass he was paring upon, and cut his other hand.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Vixen had forgotten her former fright, and her evil courage had returned.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading The pen-knife slid along the bit of glass he was paring upon, and cut his other hand.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Vixen had forgotten her former fright, and her evil courage had returned.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
irremediableadjectiveUS /ˌɪrɪˈmiːdiəbəl/
impossible to remedy or correct or redress
From this reading The blood spouted, and some of it fell upon the title, which made Richard angry: it was an irremediable catastrophe, for the paper was too weak to bear any washing.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The blood spouted, and some of it fell upon the title, which made Richard angry: it was an irremediable catastrophe, for the paper was too weak to bear any washing.
and nothing more
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
a room where books are kept
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The blood spouted, and some of it fell upon the title, which made Richard angry: it was an irremediable catastrophe, for the paper was too weak to bear any washing.
MartyrsnounUS /ˈmɑːrtərz/
plural of “martyr” — one who suffers for the sake of principle
From this reading The same afternoon, Richard was mending the torn title of a black-letter copy of Fox's Book of Martyrs.
mendingnounUS /ˈmendɪŋ/
garments that must be repaired
From this reading The same afternoon, Richard was mending the torn title of a black-letter copy of Fox's Book of Martyrs.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The same afternoon, Richard was mending the torn title of a black-letter copy of Fox's Book of Martyrs.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The pen-knife slid along the bit of glass he was paring upon, and cut his other hand.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
paringnounUS /ˈperɪŋ/
a thin fragment or slice (especially of wood) that has been shaved from something
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
patchnounUS /pætʃ/
a small contrasting part of something
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
pen-knife
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The pen-knife slid along the bit of glass he was paring upon, and cut his other hand.
penknives
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
pushverbUS /pʊʃ/
move with force
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading Vixen had forgotten her former fright, and her evil courage had returned.
Richard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The same afternoon, Richard was mending the torn title of a black-letter copy of Fox's Book of Martyrs.
Identical; not different.
From this reading The same afternoon, Richard was mending the torn title of a black-letter copy of Fox's Book of Martyrs.
sharpestadjectiveUS /ˈʃɑːrpəst/
superlative of “sharp” — (of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
slidverbUS /slɪd/
inflected form of “slide” — move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner
From this reading The pen-knife slid along the bit of glass he was paring upon, and cut his other hand.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
with low volume
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The blood spouted, and some of it fell upon the title, which made Richard angry: it was an irremediable catastrophe, for the paper was too weak to bear any washing.
spoutedverbUS /ˈspaʊtɪd/
past form of “spout” — gush forth in a sudden stream or jet
From this reading The blood spouted, and some of it fell upon the title, which made Richard angry: it was an irremediable catastrophe, for the paper was too weak to bear any washing.
a wide scarf worn about their shoulders by women
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The same afternoon, Richard was mending the torn title of a black-letter copy of Fox's Book of Martyrs.
a heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the matters it deals with
From this reading The same afternoon, Richard was mending the torn title of a black-letter copy of Fox's Book of Martyrs.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading The blood spouted, and some of it fell upon the title, which made Richard angry: it was an irremediable catastrophe, for the paper was too weak to bear any washing.
having edges that are jagged from injury
From this reading The same afternoon, Richard was mending the torn title of a black-letter copy of Fox's Book of Martyrs.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The pen-knife slid along the bit of glass he was paring upon, and cut his other hand.
VixennounUS /ˈvɪksɪn/
a malicious woman with a fierce temper
From this reading Vixen had forgotten her former fright, and her evil courage had returned.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The same afternoon, Richard was mending the torn title of a black-letter copy of Fox's Book of Martyrs.
washingnounUS /ˈwɑːʃɪŋ/
the work of cleansing (usually with soap and water)
From this reading The blood spouted, and some of it fell upon the title, which made Richard angry: it was an irremediable catastrophe, for the paper was too weak to bear any washing.
wanting in physical strength
From this reading The blood spouted, and some of it fell upon the title, which made Richard angry: it was an irremediable catastrophe, for the paper was too weak to bear any washing.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The blood spouted, and some of it fell upon the title, which made Richard angry: it was an irremediable catastrophe, for the paper was too weak to bear any washing.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Opening the door of the library so softly that Richard heard nothing, she stole up behind him, and gave his elbow a great push just as, with the sharpest of penknives, he was paring the edge of a piece of old paper, to patch the title.
