used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
Abigail's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
eagerly desirous
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
applenounUS /ˈæpəl/
fruit with red or yellow or green skin and sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
claspverbUS /klæsp/
hold firmly and tightly
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading The Coming of Thomas Softly the daylight faded in Deliverance’s prison-cell.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The long day of patient waiting was past.
day'snounUS /deɪz/
possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside
From this reading The Coming of Thomas Softly the daylight faded in Deliverance’s prison-cell.
defyverbUS /dɪˈfaɪ/
resist or confront with resistance
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
Deliverance's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Coming of Thomas Softly the daylight faded in Deliverance’s prison-cell.
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
fadedadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪdəd/
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading The Coming of Thomas Softly the daylight faded in Deliverance’s prison-cell.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
filteredverbUS /ˈfɪltərd/
past form of “filter” — remove by passing through a filter
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
harmfullyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrmfəli/
in a detrimental manner
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Coming of Thomas Softly the daylight faded in Deliverance’s prison-cell.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
joysnounUS /dʒɔɪz/
plural of “joy” — the emotion of great happiness
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
hear with intention
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
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 But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
for more time
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
a particular point in time
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
not any; not one
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Coming of Thomas Softly the daylight faded in Deliverance’s prison-cell.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
pallverbUS /pɑːl/
become less interesting or attractive
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading The long day of patient waiting was past.
a person who requires medical care
From this reading The long day of patient waiting was past.
prison-cell
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Coming of Thomas Softly the daylight faded in Deliverance’s prison-cell.
a purple color or pigment
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
reposeverbUS /riˈpoʊz/
put or confide something in a person or thing
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
free from harm or evil
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
Ronald
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
with low volume
From this reading The Coming of Thomas Softly the daylight faded in Deliverance’s prison-cell.
sorrowfullyadverb
in a sorrowful manner
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
strainingnounUS /ˈstreɪnɪŋ/
an intense or violent exertion
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Coming of Thomas Softly the daylight faded in Deliverance’s prison-cell.
United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)
From this reading The Coming of Thomas Softly the daylight faded in Deliverance’s prison-cell.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
trampnounUS /træmp/
a vagrant
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
twilightnounUS /ˈtwaɪlaɪt/
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
having passed out of existence
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading No longer might her straining ears listen for Abigail’s voice, for the tramp of horses’ feet coming to her rescue from Boston Town, or, joy of joys, Ronald, Ronald, to clasp her in his arms and defy any to touch her harmfully.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading The long day of patient waiting was past.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
withdrawnadjectiveUS /wɪθˈdrɔːn/
withdrawn from society; seeking solitude
From this reading Slowly, as the golden light which had filtered through the leaves of the apple tree was withdrawn, so moment by moment, hope vanished, and despair, like a pall of darkness, settled upon her.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading But the purple twilight which brought repose after the day’s work, and long hours of sweet sleep to the tired world, came sorrowfully to her anxious heart.
