used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
awkwardadjectiveUS /ˈɑːkwərd/
causing inconvenience
From this reading Now don't be awkward.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Now don't be awkward.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
buttonedadjectiveUS /ˈbʌtənd/
furnished or closed with buttons or something buttonlike
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
CherrynounUS /ˈtʃeri/
wood of any of various cherry trees especially the black cherry
From this reading "It's father, Cherry," she said to a little cousin who popped round the corner.
rid of obstructions
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
clerksnounUS /klɜːrks/
plural of “clerk” — an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
coiledadjectiveUS /kɔɪld/
curled or wound (especially in concentric rings or spirals)
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading "It's father, Cherry," she said to a little cousin who popped round the corner.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading "It's father, Cherry," she said to a little cousin who popped round the corner.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
dishnounUS /dɪʃ/
a piece of dishware normally used as a container for holding or serving food
From this reading "Put the sausages on, and dish up the potatoes.
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now don't be awkward.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
opinion or judgment
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading "It's father, Cherry," she said to a little cousin who popped round the corner.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
foggyadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːɡi/
stunned or confused and slow to react (as from blows or drunkenness or exhaustion)
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
set up or found
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
fumblingadjectiveUS /ˈfʌmbəlɪŋ/
showing lack of skill or aptitude
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
a young female
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
hailedverbUS /heɪld/
past form of “hail” — praise vociferously
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
half-an-hour
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
HelpsnounUS /helps/
plural of “help” — the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
It's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's father, Cherry," she said to a little cousin who popped round the corner.
latch-key
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
a particular point in time
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
neatadjectiveUS /niːt/
clean or organized
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now don't be awkward.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
omnibusnounUS /ˈɑːmnəbəs/
an anthology of articles on a related subject or an anthology of the works of a single author
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
poppedverbUS /pɑːpt/
inflected form of “pop” — bulge outward
From this reading "It's father, Cherry," she said to a little cousin who popped round the corner.
potatoesnounUS /pəˈteɪtoʊz/
plural of “potato” — an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland
From this reading "Put the sausages on, and dish up the potatoes.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "Put the sausages on, and dish up the potatoes.
quantitynounUS /ˈkwɑːntəti/
how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading "It's father, Cherry," she said to a little cousin who popped round the corner.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
Identical; not different.
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
sausagesnounUS /ˈsɔːsɪdʒɪz/
plural of “sausage” — highly seasoned minced meat stuffed in casings
From this reading "Put the sausages on, and dish up the potatoes.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "It's father, Cherry," she said to a little cousin who popped round the corner.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "Put the sausages on, and dish up the potatoes.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
which person or people
From this reading "It's father, Cherry," she said to a little cousin who popped round the corner.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading He hailed a passing omnibus, and in the course of half-an-hour found himself fumbling with his latch-key in the door of a neat little house, which, however, was at the same moment thrown wide open from within, and a tall girl with a pale face, clear grey eyes, and a quantity of dark hair coiled about her head stood before him.
the words that are spoken
From this reading Helps buttoned on his great coat, said a few words to one of the clerks, and stepped out into the foggy night.
