used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
separated or at a distance in place or position or time
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
ardentadjectiveUS /ˈɑːrdənt/
characterized by intense emotion
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
baredadjectiveUS /berd/
having the head uncovered
From this reading My velvet gown dulled the light, so that by contrast I seemed to have a halo round my bared neck.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading I had put my house in order, filled my vases with flowers, and made myself beautiful.
according with custom or propriety
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
make calm or still
From this reading By a great effort I succeeded in remaining calm.
caressnounUS /kərˈes/
a gentle affectionate stroking (or something resembling it)
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
contrastnounUS /ˈkɑːntræst/
the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared
From this reading My velvet gown dulled the light, so that by contrast I seemed to have a halo round my bared neck.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
countingnounUS /ˈkaʊntɪŋ/
the act of counting; reciting numbers in ascending order
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
dulledadjectiveUS /dʌld/
having lost or been caused to lose interest because of overexposure
From this reading My velvet gown dulled the light, so that by contrast I seemed to have a halo round my bared neck.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading By a great effort I succeeded in remaining calm.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading I had put my house in order, filled my vases with flowers, and made myself beautiful.
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
start firing a weapon
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading I had put my house in order, filled my vases with flowers, and made myself beautiful.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
good-byenounUS /ɡɪdˈbaɪ/
a farewell remark
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
a woman's dress, usually with a close-fitting bodice and a long flared skirt, often worn on formal occasions
From this reading My velvet gown dulled the light, so that by contrast I seemed to have a halo round my bared neck.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading By a great effort I succeeded in remaining calm.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
halonounUS /ˈheɪloʊ/
an indication of radiant light drawn around the head of a saint
From this reading My velvet gown dulled the light, so that by contrast I seemed to have a halo round my bared neck.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading I had put my house in order, filled my vases with flowers, and made myself beautiful.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading By a great effort I succeeded in remaining calm.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading My velvet gown dulled the light, so that by contrast I seemed to have a halo round my bared neck.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
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 To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading I had put my house in order, filled my vases with flowers, and made myself beautiful.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
a particular point in time
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I had put my house in order, filled my vases with flowers, and made myself beautiful.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading I had put my house in order, filled my vases with flowers, and made myself beautiful.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading My velvet gown dulled the light, so that by contrast I seemed to have a halo round my bared neck.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
information about recent and important events
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
and nothing more
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading I had put my house in order, filled my vases with flowers, and made myself beautiful.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading I had put my house in order, filled my vases with flowers, and made myself beautiful.
not used up
From this reading By a great effort I succeeded in remaining calm.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading My velvet gown dulled the light, so that by contrast I seemed to have a halo round my bared neck.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading My velvet gown dulled the light, so that by contrast I seemed to have a halo round my bared neck.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal
From this reading By a great effort I succeeded in remaining calm.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading My velvet gown dulled the light, so that by contrast I seemed to have a halo round my bared neck.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
vasesnounUS /ˈveɪsəz/
plural of “vas” — a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading I had put my house in order, filled my vases with flowers, and made myself beautiful.
velvetnounUS /ˈvelvət/
a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back
From this reading My velvet gown dulled the light, so that by contrast I seemed to have a halo round my bared neck.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I had put my house in order, filled my vases with flowers, and made myself beautiful.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
yearningnounUS /ˈjɜːrnɪŋ/
prolonged unfulfilled desire or need
From this reading _BECOMING_ I I had been counting the days until I could call the day I was yearning for by its name, a name new to me every morning.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading To have said good-bye for two months, to have lived apart so long and almost without news, and now finally to be able to caress the ardent moment which gives each back to the other, if only for a short space; to caress it as you hold your hands up to the fire.
