used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
ammonianounUS /əˈmoʊnjə/
a water solution of ammonia
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading They were standing near the dressing-case, back of the couch, which had been drawn out to the middle of the room to facilitate examination of his injuries.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They were standing near the dressing-case, back of the couch, which had been drawn out to the middle of the room to facilitate examination of his injuries.
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading One of the speakers he recognized by the voice as his uncle.
rid of objects or obstructions such as e.g. trees and brush
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
collectingnounUS /kəˈlektɪŋ/
the act of gathering something together
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
conversingverbUS /kənˈvɜːrsɪŋ/
-ing form of “converse” — carry on a conversation
From this reading Two men were in the room conversing in low tones.
couchnounUS /kaʊtʃ/
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
a pair who associate with one another
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
darkenedadjectiveUS /ˈdɑːrkənd/
(of fabrics and paper) grown dark in color over time
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
dawnedverbUS /dɔːnd/
past form of “dawn” — become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading They were standing near the dressing-case, back of the couch, which had been drawn out to the middle of the room to facilitate examination of his injuries.
dressing-case
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were standing near the dressing-case, back of the couch, which had been drawn out to the middle of the room to facilitate examination of his injuries.
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
examinationnounUS /ɪɡˌzæməˈneɪʃən/
the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)
From this reading They were standing near the dressing-case, back of the couch, which had been drawn out to the middle of the room to facilitate examination of his injuries.
facilitateverbUS /fəˈsɪləteɪt/
make easier
From this reading They were standing near the dressing-case, back of the couch, which had been drawn out to the middle of the room to facilitate examination of his injuries.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They were standing near the dressing-case, back of the couch, which had been drawn out to the middle of the room to facilitate examination of his injuries.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
injuriesnounUS /ˈɪndʒəriz/
plural of “injury” — any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
From this reading They were standing near the dressing-case, back of the couch, which had been drawn out to the middle of the room to facilitate examination of his injuries.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Two men were in the room conversing in low tones.
The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
the force of workers available
From this reading Two men were in the room conversing in low tones.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading They were standing near the dressing-case, back of the couch, which had been drawn out to the middle of the room to facilitate examination of his injuries.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading They were standing near the dressing-case, back of the couch, which had been drawn out to the middle of the room to facilitate examination of his injuries.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
nostrilsnounUS /ˈnɑːstrəlz/
plural of “nostril” — either one of the two external openings to the nasal cavity in the nose
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
odornounUS /ˈoʊdər/
any property detected by the olfactory system
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One of the speakers he recognized by the voice as his uncle.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading They were standing near the dressing-case, back of the couch, which had been drawn out to the middle of the room to facilitate examination of his injuries.
generally approved or compelling recognition
From this reading One of the speakers he recognized by the voice as his uncle.
regainedverbUS /riˈɡeɪnd/
past form of “regain” — get or find back; recover the use of
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Two men were in the room conversing in low tones.
a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
speakersnounUS /ˈspiːkərz/
plural of “speaker” — someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous)
From this reading One of the speakers he recognized by the voice as his uncle.
having a supporting base
From this reading They were standing near the dressing-case, back of the couch, which had been drawn out to the middle of the room to facilitate examination of his injuries.
not in physical motion
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were standing near the dressing-case, back of the couch, which had been drawn out to the middle of the room to facilitate examination of his injuries.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading Two men were in the room conversing in low tones.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Two men were in the room conversing in low tones.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading One of the speakers he recognized by the voice as his uncle.
uncle'snounUS /ˈʌŋkəlz/
possessive form of “uncle” — the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
precisely as stated
From this reading For a couple of minutes he lay very still, collecting his scattered senses, and then, as the clouds that darkened his brain cleared away, the events of the night dawned upon his memory.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading One of the speakers he recognized by the voice as his uncle.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Two men were in the room conversing in low tones.
at the time that
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They were standing near the dressing-case, back of the couch, which had been drawn out to the middle of the room to facilitate examination of his injuries.
in the company of; together with
From this reading When Sam regained consciousness it was to find himself on a couch in his uncle's home, with the odor of ammonia in his nostrils.
