used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Usually Bob Burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for Clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Usually Bob Burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for Clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Bob heard it, and so did Clip, whose uneasiness made him sleep more lightly than usual, and both were startled.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
awakenedadjectiveUS /əˈweɪkənd/
aroused or activated
From this reading Usually Bob Burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for Clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning.
inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading Usually Bob Burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for Clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Bob heard it, and so did Clip, whose uneasiness made him sleep more lightly than usual, and both were startled.
lacking funds
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
BurtonnounUS /ˈbɜːrtən/
English explorer who with John Speke was the first European to explore Lake Tanganyika (1821-1890)
From this reading Usually Bob Burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for Clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Usually Bob Burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for Clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats
From this reading WAS IT THE CAT?
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
ClipnounUS /klɪp/
a metal frame or container holding cartridges; can be inserted into an automatic gun
From this reading Usually Bob Burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for Clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning.
not accessible to view
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
a digital tape recording of sound
From this reading "I hope Massa Bob won't hear dat," thought Clip.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Bob heard it, and so did Clip, whose uneasiness made him sleep more lightly than usual, and both were startled.
enjoyingverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
to the same degree (often followed by “as”)
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Usually Bob Burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for Clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning.
the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Usually Bob Burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for Clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading "I hope Massa Bob won't hear dat," thought Clip.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Bob heard it, and so did Clip, whose uneasiness made him sleep more lightly than usual, and both were startled.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Bob heard it, and so did Clip, whose uneasiness made him sleep more lightly than usual, and both were startled.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading "I hope Massa Bob won't hear dat," thought Clip.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I hope Massa Bob won't hear dat," thought Clip.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Usually Bob Burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for Clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading WAS IT THE CAT?
and nothing more
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
without good reason
From this reading Bob heard it, and so did Clip, whose uneasiness made him sleep more lightly than usual, and both were startled.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Bob heard it, and so did Clip, whose uneasiness made him sleep more lightly than usual, and both were startled.
Massa
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I hope Massa Bob won't hear dat," thought Clip.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Bob heard it, and so did Clip, whose uneasiness made him sleep more lightly than usual, and both were startled.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Usually Bob Burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for Clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Usually Bob Burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for Clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading Usually Bob Burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for Clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
passengernounUS /ˈpæsəndʒər/
a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
perverseadjectiveUS /pərˈvɜːrs/
marked by a disposition to oppose and contradict
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading Bob heard it, and so did Clip, whose uneasiness made him sleep more lightly than usual, and both were startled.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading Usually Bob Burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for Clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning.
sneezenounUS /sniːz/
a symptom consisting of the involuntary expulsion of air from the nose
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Bob heard it, and so did Clip, whose uneasiness made him sleep more lightly than usual, and both were startled.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading Bob heard it, and so did Clip, whose uneasiness made him sleep more lightly than usual, and both were startled.
stentorianadjective
(used of the voice or sound) deep and resonant
From this reading By an equally perverse chance, just as he awoke, the concealed passenger, now enjoying the freedom of the deck, broke out into a stentorian sneeze.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Bob heard it, and so did Clip, whose uneasiness made him sleep more lightly than usual, and both were startled.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WAS IT THE CAT?
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "I hope Massa Bob won't hear dat," thought Clip.
to-night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Usually Bob Burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for Clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Usually Bob Burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for Clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning.
uneasinessnounUS /ˌʌˈniːzinəs/
feelings of anxiety that make you tense and irritable
From this reading Bob heard it, and so did Clip, whose uneasiness made him sleep more lightly than usual, and both were startled.
unfortunatelyadverbUS /ənˈfɔːrtʃənətli/
by bad luck
From this reading Usually Bob Burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for Clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading Bob heard it, and so did Clip, whose uneasiness made him sleep more lightly than usual, and both were startled.
under normal conditions
From this reading Usually Bob Burton slept all night; but to-night, unfortunately for Clip, he awakened about two o'clock in the morning.
WASauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading WAS IT THE CAT?
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Bob heard it, and so did Clip, whose uneasiness made him sleep more lightly than usual, and both were startled.
belonging to which person
From this reading Bob heard it, and so did Clip, whose uneasiness made him sleep more lightly than usual, and both were startled.
won't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I hope Massa Bob won't hear dat," thought Clip.
