used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
anew
From this reading INTO DEATH'S JAWS AGAIN Into Herrick's oblivion there crept dreams presently.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading These were beautiful eyes, with kindness in them, the eyes of a woman who had compassion.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
compassionnounUS /kəmˈpæʃən/
a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering
From this reading These were beautiful eyes, with kindness in them, the eyes of a woman who had compassion.
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading INTO DEATH'S JAWS AGAIN Into Herrick's oblivion there crept dreams presently.
DEATH'SnounUS /deθs/
possessive form of “death” — the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading INTO DEATH'S JAWS AGAIN Into Herrick's oblivion there crept dreams presently.
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading INTO DEATH'S JAWS AGAIN Into Herrick's oblivion there crept dreams presently.
easedadjectiveUS /iːzd/
(of pain or sorrow) made easier to bear
From this reading They were surely a woman's fingers, too, which had gently eased the rope tightening at his throat.
opinion or judgment
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading They were surely a woman's fingers, too, which had gently eased the rope tightening at his throat.
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
in a gradual manner
From this reading They were surely a woman's fingers, too, which had gently eased the rope tightening at his throat.
feeling or showing gratitude
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading These were beautiful eyes, with kindness in them, the eyes of a woman who had compassion.
hagnounUS /hæɡ/
an ugly evil-looking old woman
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
Herrick's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading INTO DEATH'S JAWS AGAIN Into Herrick's oblivion there crept dreams presently.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading These were beautiful eyes, with kindness in them, the eyes of a woman who had compassion.
INTOprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading INTO DEATH'S JAWS AGAIN Into Herrick's oblivion there crept dreams presently.
JAWSnounUS /dʒɔːz/
plural of “jaw” — the part of the skull of a vertebrate that frames the mouth and holds the teeth
From this reading INTO DEATH'S JAWS AGAIN Into Herrick's oblivion there crept dreams presently.
the quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic
From this reading These were beautiful eyes, with kindness in them, the eyes of a woman who had compassion.
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
plural of “limb” — one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
for more time
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
not any; not one
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
numbnessnounUS /ˈnʌmnəs/
partial or total lack of sensation in a part of the body; a symptom of nerve damage or dysfunction
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
oblivionnounUS /əˈblɪviən/
the state of being disregarded or forgotten
From this reading INTO DEATH'S JAWS AGAIN Into Herrick's oblivion there crept dreams presently.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
in the near future
From this reading INTO DEATH'S JAWS AGAIN Into Herrick's oblivion there crept dreams presently.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
a strong line
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
at a steady rate or pace
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading They were surely a woman's fingers, too, which had gently eased the rope tightening at his throat.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading INTO DEATH'S JAWS AGAIN Into Herrick's oblivion there crept dreams presently.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These were beautiful eyes, with kindness in them, the eyes of a woman who had compassion.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were surely a woman's fingers, too, which had gently eased the rope tightening at his throat.
The passage at the back of the mouth.
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
tighteningnounUS /ˈtaɪtənɪŋ/
the act of making something tighter
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading They were surely a woman's fingers, too, which had gently eased the rope tightening at his throat.
having come into contact
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
warmthnounUS /wɔːrmθ/
the sensation caused by heat energy
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading No longer was the rope tightening round his throat; his limbs began to lose their numbness, and a grateful sensation of warmth ran through them.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading These were beautiful eyes, with kindness in them, the eyes of a woman who had compassion.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They were surely a woman's fingers, too, which had gently eased the rope tightening at his throat.
which person or people
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
in the company of; together with
From this reading There was movement about him; hands, gentle hands, touched him; and eyes looked steadily at him--not the eyes of one who was ready to strike with a knife, not the eyes of an old hag.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading These were beautiful eyes, with kindness in them, the eyes of a woman who had compassion.
woman'snounUS /ˈwʊmənz/
possessive form of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading They were surely a woman's fingers, too, which had gently eased the rope tightening at his throat.
