Chapter XII · Chapter 12

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

a record or narrative description of past events

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading CAUGHT IN THE ACT.

later than; following

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

lacking funds

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading CAUGHT IN THE ACT.

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

a young person of either sex

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

fear resulting from the awareness of danger

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

plural of “cripple” — someone who is unable to walk normally because of an injury or disability to the legs or back

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

separate with or as if with an instrument

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

the feeling of being displeased or annoyed or dissatisfied with someone or something

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

the state of being unsure of something

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

coming down freely under the influence of gravity

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

at any time

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

considered likely or probable to happen or arrive

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

a person of German nationality

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

destroyed or killed

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

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 Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading CAUGHT IN THE ACT.

incapable of being explained or accounted for

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

apprehended with certainty

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

something that is lost

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

the action of people mingling and coming into contact

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

a particular point in time

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

immediately following in time or order

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

sounding as if the nose were pinched

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

offensive to the mind

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

extremely modest or shy

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

having the beard or hair cut off close to the skin

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

like or suggestive of a sheep in docility or stupidity or meekness or timidity

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

do one's shopping

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading CAUGHT IN THE ACT.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading And he did not lose time in making known the cause of his displeasure, could they, indeed, have had any doubt on that question.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

a heavy rain

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

not in accordance with or determined by nature; contrary to nature

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

at the time that

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness

From this reading Matty's hair was gone, cut close to her head, almost shaved off; and the loss of it gave the poor little face a more wizened, pinched, and unnatural expression than ever.

the words that are spoken

From this reading The effect was perfectly startling, and repulsive in the extreme; and after staring at the child for a moment, and all but dropping the flower-pot he held in his hands, he broke forth into a torrent of words, mingling German and broken English in a manner which made them all but incomprehensible to the poor little ones.

intense anger (usually on an epic scale)

From this reading Johnny Petersen looked in surprise, consternation, and wrath when the two little cripples entered his shop the next morning, shamefaced and sheepish, as if they expected to be called to account for something.