used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
accomplishverbUS /əˈkɑːmplɪʃ/
put in effect
From this reading She thought it wisest to make her way as best she could out of the forest, and then to pursue the fugitives once more and accomplish their destruction either by force or cunning.
(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 But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She stamped three times on the ground, and the earth trembled, and both the church and the monk began to shake.
plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall.
bearsnounUS /berz/
plural of “bear” — massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
plural of “beast” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading Then her wrath gave place to terror, for she feared every moment to be torn in pieces by the beasts who one and all seemed to defy her power.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading She stamped three times on the ground, and the earth trembled, and both the church and the monk began to shake.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading She thought it wisest to make her way as best she could out of the forest, and then to pursue the fugitives once more and accomplish their destruction either by force or cunning.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
the two together, not just one
From this reading She stamped three times on the ground, and the earth trembled, and both the church and the monk began to shake.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading She stamped three times on the ground, and the earth trembled, and both the church and the monk began to shake.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She thought it wisest to make her way as best she could out of the forest, and then to pursue the fugitives once more and accomplish their destruction either by force or cunning.
attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness
From this reading She thought it wisest to make her way as best she could out of the forest, and then to pursue the fugitives once more and accomplish their destruction either by force or cunning.
defyverbUS /dɪˈfaɪ/
resist or confront with resistance
From this reading Then her wrath gave place to terror, for she feared every moment to be torn in pieces by the beasts who one and all seemed to defy her power.
descriptionsnounUS /dɪˈskrɪpʃənz/
plural of “description” — a statement that represents something in words
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
destructionnounUS /dɪˈstrʌkʃən/
the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists
From this reading She thought it wisest to make her way as best she could out of the forest, and then to pursue the fugitives once more and accomplish their destruction either by force or cunning.
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall.
doomedadjectiveUS /duːmd/
marked for certain death
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading She stamped three times on the ground, and the earth trembled, and both the church and the monk began to shake.
one or the other of two
From this reading She thought it wisest to make her way as best she could out of the forest, and then to pursue the fugitives once more and accomplish their destruction either by force or cunning.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Then her wrath gave place to terror, for she feared every moment to be torn in pieces by the beasts who one and all seemed to defy her power.
an act that fails
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
From this reading As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall.
past form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading Then her wrath gave place to terror, for she feared every moment to be torn in pieces by the beasts who one and all seemed to defy her power.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading She thought it wisest to make her way as best she could out of the forest, and then to pursue the fugitives once more and accomplish their destruction either by force or cunning.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading She thought it wisest to make her way as best she could out of the forest, and then to pursue the fugitives once more and accomplish their destruction either by force or cunning.
set up or found
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall.
fugitivesnounUS /ˈfjuːdʒɪtɪvz/
plural of “fugitive” — someone who flees from an uncongenial situation
From this reading She thought it wisest to make her way as best she could out of the forest, and then to pursue the fugitives once more and accomplish their destruction either by force or cunning.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Then her wrath gave place to terror, for she feared every moment to be torn in pieces by the beasts who one and all seemed to defy her power.
destroyed or killed
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading She stamped three times on the ground, and the earth trembled, and both the church and the monk began to shake.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
only a very short time before
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall.
be the source of pain
From this reading As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall.
engage in
From this reading She thought it wisest to make her way as best she could out of the forest, and then to pursue the fugitives once more and accomplish their destruction either by force or cunning.
a particular point in time
From this reading Then her wrath gave place to terror, for she feared every moment to be torn in pieces by the beasts who one and all seemed to defy her power.
monknounUS /mʌŋk/
a male religious living in a cloister and devoting himself to contemplation and prayer and work
From this reading She stamped three times on the ground, and the earth trembled, and both the church and the monk began to shake.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She stamped three times on the ground, and the earth trembled, and both the church and the monk began to shake.
on one occasion
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Then her wrath gave place to terror, for she feared every moment to be torn in pieces by the beasts who one and all seemed to defy her power.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading She thought it wisest to make her way as best she could out of the forest, and then to pursue the fugitives once more and accomplish their destruction either by force or cunning.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading She thought it wisest to make her way as best she could out of the forest, and then to pursue the fugitives once more and accomplish their destruction either by force or cunning.
plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole
From this reading Then her wrath gave place to terror, for she feared every moment to be torn in pieces by the beasts who one and all seemed to defy her power.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Then her wrath gave place to terror, for she feared every moment to be torn in pieces by the beasts who one and all seemed to defy her power.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading Then her wrath gave place to terror, for she feared every moment to be torn in pieces by the beasts who one and all seemed to defy her power.
pursueverbUS /pərˈsuː/
carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in
From this reading She thought it wisest to make her way as best she could out of the forest, and then to pursue the fugitives once more and accomplish their destruction either by force or cunning.
retreatednounUS /riˈtriːtəd/
people who have retreated
From this reading As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall.
cut with a saw
From this reading As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall.
an elaborate and systematic plan of action
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Then her wrath gave place to terror, for she feared every moment to be torn in pieces by the beasts who one and all seemed to defy her power.
move or cause to move back and forth
From this reading She stamped three times on the ground, and the earth trembled, and both the church and the monk began to shake.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She stamped three times on the ground, and the earth trembled, and both the church and the monk began to shake.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall.
in the near future
From this reading As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall.
plural of “sort” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
stampedverbUS /stæmpt/
past form of “stamp” — walk heavily
From this reading She stamped three times on the ground, and the earth trembled, and both the church and the monk began to shake.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading Then her wrath gave place to terror, for she feared every moment to be torn in pieces by the beasts who one and all seemed to defy her power.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She stamped three times on the ground, and the earth trembled, and both the church and the monk began to shake.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading She thought it wisest to make her way as best she could out of the forest, and then to pursue the fugitives once more and accomplish their destruction either by force or cunning.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then her wrath gave place to terror, for she feared every moment to be torn in pieces by the beasts who one and all seemed to defy her power.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading She thought it wisest to make her way as best she could out of the forest, and then to pursue the fugitives once more and accomplish their destruction either by force or cunning.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading She stamped three times on the ground, and the earth trembled, and both the church and the monk began to shake.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading She stamped three times on the ground, and the earth trembled, and both the church and the monk began to shake.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She stamped three times on the ground, and the earth trembled, and both the church and the monk began to shake.
having edges that are jagged from injury
From this reading Then her wrath gave place to terror, for she feared every moment to be torn in pieces by the beasts who one and all seemed to defy her power.
past form of “tremble” — move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways
From this reading She stamped three times on the ground, and the earth trembled, and both the church and the monk began to shake.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading She thought it wisest to make her way as best she could out of the forest, and then to pursue the fugitives once more and accomplish their destruction either by force or cunning.
which person or people
From this reading Then her wrath gave place to terror, for she feared every moment to be torn in pieces by the beasts who one and all seemed to defy her power.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
wisestadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪzəst/
superlative of “wise” — having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading She thought it wisest to make her way as best she could out of the forest, and then to pursue the fugitives once more and accomplish their destruction either by force or cunning.
wolvesnounUS /wʊlvz/
plural of “wolf” — any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
intense anger (usually on an epic scale)
From this reading Then her wrath gave place to terror, for she feared every moment to be torn in pieces by the beasts who one and all seemed to defy her power.
a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading But once more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.
