used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
afflictionnounUS /əˈflɪkʃən/
a state of great suffering and distress due to adversity
From this reading "'It is an affliction,' said my father at last, 'and no doubt you know very well what you have done to deserve it.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "'It is an affliction,' said my father at last, 'and no doubt you know very well what you have done to deserve it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But it might be worse.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But it might be worse.
clenchedadjectiveUS /klentʃt/
closed or squeezed together tightly
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
deserveverbUS /dɪˈzɜːrv/
be worthy or deserving
From this reading "'It is an affliction,' said my father at last, 'and no doubt you know very well what you have done to deserve it.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading "'It is an affliction,' said my father at last, 'and no doubt you know very well what you have done to deserve it.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading "'It is an affliction,' said my father at last, 'and no doubt you know very well what you have done to deserve it.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
frownedverbUS /fraʊnd/
past form of “frown” — look angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead, as if to signal disapproval
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading You might have had a wife, and then what would you have done?'
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading I put my hand on his shoulder, and he trembled.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "'It is an affliction,' said my father at last, 'and no doubt you know very well what you have done to deserve it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I put my hand on his shoulder, and he trembled.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I put my hand on his shoulder, and he trembled.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "'It is an affliction,' said my father at last, 'and no doubt you know very well what you have done to deserve it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "'It is an affliction,' said my father at last, 'and no doubt you know very well what you have done to deserve it.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "'It is an affliction,' said my father at last, 'and no doubt you know very well what you have done to deserve it.
Kornel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
immediately past
From this reading "'It is an affliction,' said my father at last, 'and no doubt you know very well what you have done to deserve it.
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 "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading But it might be worse.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
not any; not one
From this reading "'It is an affliction,' said my father at last, 'and no doubt you know very well what you have done to deserve it.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I put my hand on his shoulder, and he trembled.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading I put my hand on his shoulder, and he trembled.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "'It is an affliction,' said my father at last, 'and no doubt you know very well what you have done to deserve it.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
the act of causing something to move up and down (or back and forth) with quick movements
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading I put my hand on his shoulder, and he trembled.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading You might have had a wife, and then what would you have done?'
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "'It is an affliction,' said my father at last, 'and no doubt you know very well what you have done to deserve it.
past form of “tremble” — move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways
From this reading I put my hand on his shoulder, and he trembled.
unclenched
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
precisely as stated
From this reading "'It is an affliction,' said my father at last, 'and no doubt you know very well what you have done to deserve it.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "'It is an affliction,' said my father at last, 'and no doubt you know very well what you have done to deserve it.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "'It is an affliction,' said my father at last, 'and no doubt you know very well what you have done to deserve it.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading "My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared at the floor and frowned.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading You might have had a wife, and then what would you have done?'
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading But it might be worse.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading You might have had a wife, and then what would you have done?'
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "'It is an affliction,' said my father at last, 'and no doubt you know very well what you have done to deserve it.
