used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE ESCAPE The scratching sound continued, and then Joe could hear the sound of the lock being stealthily shot back.
move towards
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading THE ESCAPE The scratching sound continued, and then Joe could hear the sound of the lock being stealthily shot back.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading THE ESCAPE The scratching sound continued, and then Joe could hear the sound of the lock being stealthily shot back.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But why should his captors exercise such caution?
captorsnounUS /ˈkæptərz/
plural of “captor” — a person who captures and holds people or animals
From this reading But why should his captors exercise such caution?
cautionnounUS /ˈkɑːʃən/
the trait of being cautious; being attentive to possible danger
From this reading But why should his captors exercise such caution?
cellarnounUS /ˈselər/
the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
challengeverbUS /ˈtʃæləndʒ/
take exception to
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
without stop or interruption
From this reading THE ESCAPE The scratching sound continued, and then Joe could hear the sound of the lock being stealthily shot back.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading THE ESCAPE The scratching sound continued, and then Joe could hear the sound of the lock being stealthily shot back.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The door was now open a foot or so, and a dark figure edged itself into the room.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
edgedadjectiveUS /edʒd/
having a specified kind of border or edge
From this reading The door was now open a foot or so, and a dark figure edged itself into the room.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading THE ESCAPE The scratching sound continued, and then Joe could hear the sound of the lock being stealthily shot back.
the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit
From this reading But why should his captors exercise such caution?
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading The door was now open a foot or so, and a dark figure edged itself into the room.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading The door was now open a foot or so, and a dark figure edged itself into the room.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading THE ESCAPE The scratching sound continued, and then Joe could hear the sound of the lock being stealthily shot back.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But why should his captors exercise such caution?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The door was now open a foot or so, and a dark figure edged itself into the room.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading The door was now open a foot or so, and a dark figure edged itself into the room.
Joe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE ESCAPE The scratching sound continued, and then Joe could hear the sound of the lock being stealthily shot back.
Joe's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
property that is leased or rented out or let
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
fasten with a lock
From this reading THE ESCAPE The scratching sound continued, and then Joe could hear the sound of the lock being stealthily shot back.
an uneasy psychological state
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The door was now open a foot or so, and a dark figure edged itself into the room.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE ESCAPE The scratching sound continued, and then Joe could hear the sound of the lock being stealthily shot back.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The door was now open a foot or so, and a dark figure edged itself into the room.
a human being
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The door was now open a foot or so, and a dark figure edged itself into the room.
scratchingnounUS /ˈskrætʃɪŋ/
a harsh noise made by scraping
From this reading THE ESCAPE The scratching sound continued, and then Joe could hear the sound of the lock being stealthily shot back.
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading THE ESCAPE The scratching sound continued, and then Joe could hear the sound of the lock being stealthily shot back.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading But why should his captors exercise such caution?
sibilantnoun
a consonant characterized by a hissing sound (like s or sh)
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
sicklyadjectiveUS /ˈsɪkli/
unhealthy looking
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The door was now open a foot or so, and a dark figure edged itself into the room.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading THE ESCAPE The scratching sound continued, and then Joe could hear the sound of the lock being stealthily shot back.
stealthilyadverb
in a stealthy manner
From this reading THE ESCAPE The scratching sound continued, and then Joe could hear the sound of the lock being stealthily shot back.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading But why should his captors exercise such caution?
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE ESCAPE The scratching sound continued, and then Joe could hear the sound of the lock being stealthily shot back.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading THE ESCAPE The scratching sound continued, and then Joe could hear the sound of the lock being stealthily shot back.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
unseenadjectiveUS /ənˈsiːn/
not seen or perceived
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
past form of “warn” — notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was dead silence for a few seconds, and then the door swung slowly open, letting in a dim, sickly light from the cellar beyond.
at the time that
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading This slow approach of some unseen person was beginning to get on Joe’s nerves, and he was about to utter a challenge when a sibilant whisper warned him to be quiet.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading But why should his captors exercise such caution?
