used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading We pulled a bell which jangled loudly, and presently the gate opened an inch, letting through the light of a lantern which revealed the black-and-white coif of a nun.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading There we found the convent, a square box-like building behind big gates.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading We pulled a bell which jangled loudly, and presently the gate opened an inch, letting through the light of a lantern which revealed the black-and-white coif of a nun.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There we found the convent, a square box-like building behind big gates.
black-and-whiteadjective
lacking hue or shades of grey; part white and part black
From this reading We pulled a bell which jangled loudly, and presently the gate opened an inch, letting through the light of a lantern which revealed the black-and-white coif of a nun.
box-like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There we found the convent, a square box-like building behind big gates.
BrandnounUS /brænd/
a name given to a product or service
From this reading “Poor lads!” said Brand.
Brand'snounUS /brændz/
possessive form of “brand” — a name given to a product or service
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading There we found the convent, a square box-like building behind big gates.
canalnounUS /kəˈnæl/
(astronomy) an indistinct surface feature of Mars once thought to be a system of channels; they are now believed to be an optical illusion
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
cigarettesnounUS /ˌsɪɡərˈets/
plural of “cigarette” — finely ground tobacco wrapped in paper; for smoking
From this reading They slouched off into the darkness, three points of light where their cigarettes glowed.
coifnounUS /kwɑːf/
the arrangement of the hair (especially a woman's hair)
From this reading We pulled a bell which jangled loudly, and presently the gate opened an inch, letting through the light of a lantern which revealed the black-and-white coif of a nun.
conventnounUS /ˈkɑːnvənt/
a religious residence especially for nuns
From this reading There we found the convent, a square box-like building behind big gates.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading They slouched off into the darkness, three points of light where their cigarettes glowed.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
set up or found
From this reading There we found the convent, a square box-like building behind big gates.
fumbledverbUS /ˈfʌmbəld/
past form of “fumble” — feel about uncertainly or blindly
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading We pulled a bell which jangled loudly, and presently the gate opened an inch, letting through the light of a lantern which revealed the black-and-white coif of a nun.
United States computer entrepreneur whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of the United States (born in 1955)
From this reading There we found the convent, a square box-like building behind big gates.
a young female
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
glowedverbUS /ɡloʊd/
past form of “glow” — emit a steady even light without flames
From this reading They slouched off into the darkness, three points of light where their cigarettes glowed.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading We pulled a bell which jangled loudly, and presently the gate opened an inch, letting through the light of a lantern which revealed the black-and-white coif of a nun.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading They slouched off into the darkness, three points of light where their cigarettes glowed.
people of Ireland or of Irish extraction
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
jangledverbUS /ˈdʒæŋɡəld/
past form of “jangle” — make a sound typical of metallic objects
From this reading We pulled a bell which jangled loudly, and presently the gate opened an inch, letting through the light of a lantern which revealed the black-and-white coif of a nun.
plural of “lad” — a boy or man
From this reading “Poor lads!” said Brand.
lanternnounUS /ˈlæntərn/
light in a transparent protective case
From this reading We pulled a bell which jangled loudly, and presently the gate opened an inch, letting through the light of a lantern which revealed the black-and-white coif of a nun.
property that is leased or rented out or let
From this reading We pulled a bell which jangled loudly, and presently the gate opened an inch, letting through the light of a lantern which revealed the black-and-white coif of a nun.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading They slouched off into the darkness, three points of light where their cigarettes glowed.
loudlyadverbUS /ˈlaʊdli/
with relatively high volume
From this reading We pulled a bell which jangled loudly, and presently the gate opened an inch, letting through the light of a lantern which revealed the black-and-white coif of a nun.
nunnounUS /nʌn/
a woman religious
From this reading We pulled a bell which jangled loudly, and presently the gate opened an inch, letting through the light of a lantern which revealed the black-and-white coif of a nun.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They slouched off into the darkness, three points of light where their cigarettes glowed.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading They slouched off into the darkness, three points of light where their cigarettes glowed.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading We pulled a bell which jangled loudly, and presently the gate opened an inch, letting through the light of a lantern which revealed the black-and-white coif of a nun.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
plural of “point” — a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading They slouched off into the darkness, three points of light where their cigarettes glowed.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading “Poor lads!” said Brand.
in the near future
From this reading We pulled a bell which jangled loudly, and presently the gate opened an inch, letting through the light of a lantern which revealed the black-and-white coif of a nun.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading We pulled a bell which jangled loudly, and presently the gate opened an inch, letting through the light of a lantern which revealed the black-and-white coif of a nun.
remembrancenounUS /riˈmembrəns/
the ability to recall past occurrences
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
past form of “reveal” — make visible
From this reading We pulled a bell which jangled loudly, and presently the gate opened an inch, letting through the light of a lantern which revealed the black-and-white coif of a nun.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Poor lads!” said Brand.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
slouched
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They slouched off into the darkness, three points of light where their cigarettes glowed.
make square
From this reading There we found the convent, a square box-like building behind big gates.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They slouched off into the darkness, three points of light where their cigarettes glowed.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They slouched off into the darkness, three points of light where their cigarettes glowed.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There we found the convent, a square box-like building behind big gates.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They slouched off into the darkness, three points of light where their cigarettes glowed.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading They slouched off into the darkness, three points of light where their cigarettes glowed.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading We pulled a bell which jangled loudly, and presently the gate opened an inch, letting through the light of a lantern which revealed the black-and-white coif of a nun.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
uncannyadjectiveUS /ənˈkæni/
suggesting the operation of supernatural influences
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
VIIInoun
the cardinal number that is the sum of seven and one
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading VIII We fumbled our way to a street on the edge of the canal, according to Brand’s uncanny sense of direction and his remembrance of what the Irish girl had told him.
in or at the place that
From this reading They slouched off into the darkness, three points of light where their cigarettes glowed.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading We pulled a bell which jangled loudly, and presently the gate opened an inch, letting through the light of a lantern which revealed the black-and-white coif of a nun.
