used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
Alison's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
apparitionsnounUS /ˌæpərˈɪʃənz/
plural of “apparition” — a ghostly appearing figure
From this reading It dealt with apparitions in a white sheet, and clanking chains, and dreadful faces that peered out from behind the window curtains in a haunted chamber.
aptadjectiveUS /æpt/
(usually followed by “to”) naturally disposed toward
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading Author Of "The Expiation of Eugene," etc.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading It dealt with apparitions in a white sheet, and clanking chains, and dreadful faces that peered out from behind the window curtains in a haunted chamber.
blood-curdling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
chainsnounUS /tʃeɪnz/
metal shackles; for hands or legs
From this reading It dealt with apparitions in a white sheet, and clanking chains, and dreadful faces that peered out from behind the window curtains in a haunted chamber.
a natural or artificial enclosed space
From this reading It dealt with apparitions in a white sheet, and clanking chains, and dreadful faces that peered out from behind the window curtains in a haunted chamber.
clankingadjectiveUS /ˈklæŋkɪŋ/
having a hard nonresonant metallic sound
From this reading It dealt with apparitions in a white sheet, and clanking chains, and dreadful faces that peered out from behind the window curtains in a haunted chamber.
ConounUS /koʊ/
an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon
From this reading London Greening & Co., Ltd.
Crusoe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
curtainsnounUS /ˈkɜːrtənz/
plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading It dealt with apparitions in a white sheet, and clanking chains, and dreadful faces that peered out from behind the window curtains in a haunted chamber.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
dealtverbUS /delt/
inflected form of “deal” — act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading It dealt with apparitions in a white sheet, and clanking chains, and dreadful faces that peered out from behind the window curtains in a haunted chamber.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading It dealt with apparitions in a white sheet, and clanking chains, and dreadful faces that peered out from behind the window curtains in a haunted chamber.
past form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
to come or go into
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
etc
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Author Of "The Expiation of Eugene," etc.
EugenenounUS /juːˈdʒiːn/
Austrian general in the service of the Holy Roman Empire during the War of the Spanish Succession (1663-1736)
From this reading Author Of "The Expiation of Eugene," etc.
the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use “Europe” to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
Expiationnoun
compensation for a wrong
From this reading Author Of "The Expiation of Eugene," etc.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading It dealt with apparitions in a white sheet, and clanking chains, and dreadful faces that peered out from behind the window curtains in a haunted chamber.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It dealt with apparitions in a white sheet, and clanking chains, and dreadful faces that peered out from behind the window curtains in a haunted chamber.
ghastlyadjectiveUS /ˈɡæstli/
shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
ghost-story
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
GreeningnounUS /ˈɡriːnɪŋ/
the phenomenon of vitality and freshness being restored
From this reading London Greening & Co., Ltd.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
hauntedadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːntɪd/
having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something
From this reading It dealt with apparitions in a white sheet, and clanking chains, and dreadful faces that peered out from behind the window curtains in a haunted chamber.
the aggregate of past events
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It dealt with apparitions in a white sheet, and clanking chains, and dreadful faces that peered out from behind the window curtains in a haunted chamber.
keenlyadverbUS /ˈkiːnli/
in a keen or penetrating way
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading London Greening & Co., Ltd.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
Ltd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading London Greening & Co., Ltd.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Author Of "The Expiation of Eugene," etc.
old-fashionedadjectiveUS /ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd/
out of fashion
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading It dealt with apparitions in a white sheet, and clanking chains, and dreadful faces that peered out from behind the window curtains in a haunted chamber.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
peeredverbUS /pɪrd/
past form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading It dealt with apparitions in a white sheet, and clanking chains, and dreadful faces that peered out from behind the window curtains in a haunted chamber.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
RobinsonnounUS /ˈrɑːbənsən/
English chemist noted for his studies of molecular structures in plants (1886-1975)
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
any broad thin expanse or surface
From this reading It dealt with apparitions in a white sheet, and clanking chains, and dreadful faces that peered out from behind the window curtains in a haunted chamber.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
terrifyingadjectiveUS /ˈterəfaɪɪŋ/
causing extreme terror
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Author Of "The Expiation of Eugene," etc.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The old-fashioned ghost-story was always terrifying and ghastly; something that made people afraid to go to bed, or to look over their shoulders, or to enter a room in the dark.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
a Caucasian
From this reading It dealt with apparitions in a white sheet, and clanking chains, and dreadful faces that peered out from behind the window curtains in a haunted chamber.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading It dealt with apparitions in a white sheet, and clanking chains, and dreadful faces that peered out from behind the window curtains in a haunted chamber.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading And the more blood-curdling it was, the more keenly people enjoyed it--until they were left alone, and then they were apt to wish that they had been reading Robinson Crusoe or Alison's History of Europe instead.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It dealt with apparitions in a white sheet, and clanking chains, and dreadful faces that peered out from behind the window curtains in a haunted chamber.
