used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
(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 She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Those knots had been none too skillfully tied, and given time....
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But he had to desist as the tall Purri strode near and stood over him.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
backsnounUS /bæks/
plural of “back” — the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Those knots had been none too skillfully tied, and given time....
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Secretly, he was twisting his bound hands behind him, trying to loosen the knots.
confined by bonds
From this reading Secretly, he was twisting his bound hands behind him, trying to loosen the knots.
business-like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But he had to desist as the tall Purri strode near and stood over him.
put or send forth
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
complimentverbUS /ˈkɑːmpləment/
say something to someone that expresses praise
From this reading Dworn had no stomach for the compliment.
criticaladjectiveUS /ˈkrɪtɪkəl/
marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
desistverbUS /dɪˈsɪst/
choose not to consume
From this reading But he had to desist as the tall Purri strode near and stood over him.
detailnounUS /dɪˈteɪl/
an isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
zealous in devotion or affection
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
Dworn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dworn had no stomach for the compliment.
the organ of sight
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Dworn had no stomach for the compliment.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading Those knots had been none too skillfully tied, and given time....
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Dworn had no stomach for the compliment.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Secretly, he was twisting his bound hands behind him, trying to loosen the knots.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Secretly, he was twisting his bound hands behind him, trying to loosen the knots.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Secretly, he was twisting his bound hands behind him, trying to loosen the knots.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Secretly, he was twisting his bound hands behind him, trying to loosen the knots.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
knotsnounUS /nɑːts/
plural of “knot” — a tight cluster of people or things
From this reading Secretly, he was twisting his bound hands behind him, trying to loosen the knots.
loosenverbUS /ˈluːsən/
make loose or looser
From this reading Secretly, he was twisting his bound hands behind him, trying to loosen the knots.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading But he had to desist as the tall Purri strode near and stood over him.
not any; not one
From this reading Dworn had no stomach for the compliment.
not one, and not any
From this reading Those knots had been none too skillfully tied, and given time....
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading But he had to desist as the tall Purri strode near and stood over him.
protegesnounUS /ˈproʊtɪʒeɪz/
plural of “protege” — a person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protege's career
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
Purri
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he had to desist as the tall Purri strode near and stood over him.
retreatingverbUS /riˈtriːtɪŋ/
-ing form of “retreat” — pull back or move away or backward
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
SecretlyadverbUS /ˈsiːkrɪtli/
in secrecy; not openly
From this reading Secretly, he was twisting his bound hands behind him, trying to loosen the knots.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
skillfullyadverbUS /ˈskɪlfəli/
with skill
From this reading Those knots had been none too skillfully tied, and given time....
SpidernounUS /ˈspaɪdər/
predatory arachnid with eight legs, two poison fangs, two feelers, and usually two silk-spinning organs at the back end of the body; they spin silk to make cocoons for eggs or traps for prey
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
stomachnounUS /ˈstʌmək/
an enlarged and muscular saclike organ of the alimentary canal; the principal organ of digestion
From this reading Dworn had no stomach for the compliment.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading But he had to desist as the tall Purri strode near and stood over him.
strodeverbUS /stroʊd/
inflected form of “stride” — walk with long steps
From this reading But he had to desist as the tall Purri strode near and stood over him.
surveyingnounUS /sərˈveɪɪŋ/
the practice of measuring angles and distances on the ground so that they can be accurately plotted on a map
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading But he had to desist as the tall Purri strode near and stood over him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Dworn had no stomach for the compliment.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Those knots had been none too skillfully tied, and given time....
bound or secured closely
From this reading Those knots had been none too skillfully tied, and given time....
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Those knots had been none too skillfully tied, and given time....
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Secretly, he was twisting his bound hands behind him, trying to loosen the knots.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Those knots had been none too skillfully tied, and given time....
hard to endure
From this reading Secretly, he was twisting his bound hands behind him, trying to loosen the knots.
twistingnounUS /ˈtwɪstɪŋ/
the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean
From this reading Secretly, he was twisting his bound hands behind him, trying to loosen the knots.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Secretly, he was twisting his bound hands behind him, trying to loosen the knots.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She cast a glance after the retreating backs of the Spider Mother and her other proteges, then devoted all her attention to Dworn, surveying him in critical silence and with a business-like eye for detail.
