AdeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
aboardadverbUS /əˈbɔːrd/
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
From this reading In a few moments a dozen trunks and a score of bags and bundles were tossed aboard the baggage van.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
baggagenounUS /ˈbæɡədʒ/
cases used to carry belongings when traveling
From this reading In a few moments a dozen trunks and a score of bags and bundles were tossed aboard the baggage van.
bagsnounUS /bæɡz/
plural of “bag” — a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading In a few moments a dozen trunks and a score of bags and bundles were tossed aboard the baggage van.
Berthe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
betook
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
borneverbUS /bɔːrn/
inflected form of “bear” — have
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
bundlesnounUS /ˈbʌndəlz/
plural of “bundle” — a collection of things wrapped or boxed together
From this reading In a few moments a dozen trunks and a score of bags and bundles were tossed aboard the baggage van.
BungalownounUS /ˈbʌŋɡəloʊ/
a small house with a single story
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
cafenounUS /kəˈfeɪ/
a small restaurant where drinks and snacks are sold
From this reading Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
CalcuttanounUS /ˌkælˈkʌtə/
the largest city in India and one of the largest cities in the world; located in eastern India; suffers from poverty and overcrowding
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
carnounUS /kɑːr/
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
cognacnounUS /ˈkoʊnjæk/
high quality grape brandy distilled in the Cognac district of France
From this reading Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
cupsnounUS /kʌps/
plural of “cup” — a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
darknessnounUS /ˈdɑːrknəs/
absence of light or illumination
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
dashedadjectiveUS /dæʃt/
having gaps or spaces
From this reading Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
DelhinounUS /ˈdeli/
a city in north central India
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
disposedadjectiveUS /dɪˈspoʊzd/
having made preparations
From this reading Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
dozennounUS /ˈdʌzən/
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading In a few moments a dozen trunks and a score of bags and bundles were tossed aboard the baggage van.
drawnadjectiveUS /drɔːn/
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
drovenounUS /droʊv/
a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
dutynounUS /ˈduːti/
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading In a few moments a dozen trunks and a score of bags and bundles were tossed aboard the baggage van.
FivenounUS /faɪv/
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
forerunnernounUS /ˈfɔːrʌnər/
a person who goes before or announces the coming of another
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
glidedverbUS /ˈɡlaɪdɪd/
past form of “glide” — move smoothly and effortlessly
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
Jules
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
knotnounUS /nɑːt/
a tight cluster of people or things
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
LadynounUS /ˈleɪdi/
a polite name for any woman
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
Lefacheux
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
locomotivenounUS /ˌloʊkəˈmoʊtɪv/
a wheeled vehicle consisting of a self-propelled engine that is used to draw trains along railway tracks
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
Louison
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
MadamenounUS /ˈmædəm/
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
momentsnounUS /ˈmoʊmənts/
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading In a few moments a dozen trunks and a score of bags and bundles were tossed aboard the baggage van.
napnounUS /næp/
a period of time spent sleeping
From this reading Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
nimblyadverbUS /ˈnɪmbli/
in a nimble or agile manner; with quickness and lightness and ease
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
noir
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
officialsnounUS /əˈfɪʃəlz/
plural of “official” — a worker who holds or is invested with an office
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
partiesnounUS /ˈpɑːrtiz/
plural of “party” — an organization to gain political power
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
personsnounUS /ˈpɜːrsənz/
plural of “person” — a human being
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
powerfuladjectiveUS /ˈpaʊərfəl/
having great power or force or potency or effect
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
privateadjectiveUS /ˈpraɪvət/
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
quietlyadverbUS /ˈkwaɪətli/
with low volume
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
racingnounUS /ˈreɪsɪŋ/
the sport of engaging in contests of speed
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
railwaynounUS /ˈreɪlweɪ/
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
readinessnounUS /ˈredinəs/
the state of having been made ready or prepared for use or action (especially military action)
From this reading Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
revolversnounUS /rɪˈvɑːlvərz/
plural of “revolver” — a pistol with a revolving cylinder (usually having six chambers for bullets)
From this reading Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
scorenounUS /skɔːr/
a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)
From this reading In a few moments a dozen trunks and a score of bags and bundles were tossed aboard the baggage van.
severaladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
signalnounUS /ˈsɪɡnəl/
any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
SilvernounUS /ˈsɪlvər/
a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
singleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪŋɡəl/
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
stationnounUS /ˈsteɪʃən/
a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
steppedverbUS /stept/
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/
not in physical motion
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
sumptuousadjectiveUS /ˈsʌmptʃwəs/
ostentatiously rich and superior in quality
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
swiftnessnounUS /ˈswɪftnəs/
a rate (usually rapid) at which something happens
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
ThereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading A little knot of tired officials were still on duty, and when some forerunner had given a private signal, a single car, drawn by a powerful locomotive, glided out of the darkness.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
tossedverbUS /tɔːst/
past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading In a few moments a dozen trunks and a score of bags and bundles were tossed aboard the baggage van.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
trunksnounUS /trʌŋks/
(used in the plural) trousers that end at or above the knee
From this reading In a few moments a dozen trunks and a score of bags and bundles were tossed aboard the baggage van.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
vannounUS /væn/
any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
From this reading In a few moments a dozen trunks and a score of bags and bundles were tossed aboard the baggage van.
VictornounUS /ˈvɪktər/
a combatant who is able to defeat rivals
From this reading Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
vigorousadjectiveUS /ˈvɪɡərəs/
characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
From this reading Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
warningnounUS /ˈwɔːrnɪŋ/
a message informing of danger
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
welladverbUS /wel/
(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 Jules Victor, vigorous and alert, after several cups of cafe noir, well dashed with cognac, disposed his two Lefacheux revolvers in readiness, and then betook himself to a nap.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading There were several “late parties” in sumptuous Delhi, on the evening when Madame Berthe Louison drove quietly to the railway station at two o’clock.
windnounUS /waɪnd/
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Five persons stepped nimbly aboard, and then with no warning signal, the Lady of the Silver Bungalow was borne out into the darkness, racing on toward Calcutta with the swiftness of the wind.
