used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
(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 The flapper lay in wait for him at all hours when he might appear.
ambushverbUS /ˈæmbʊʃ/
wait in hiding to attack
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The flapper lay in wait for him at all hours when he might appear.
inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The flapper lay in wait for him at all hours when he might appear.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had never thought of a way that did not prove to have been her own.
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading If she had only talked, he believed that he could have thrown her off.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
confrontverbUS /kənˈfrʌnt/
oppose, as in hostility or a competition
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
corridornounUS /ˈkɔːrədər/
an enclosed passageway; rooms usually open onto it
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading If she had only talked, he believed that he could have thrown her off.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading The creature was a leech!
an urgent or peremptory request
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
Didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
dimmest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
exoticadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzɑːtɪk/
being or from or characteristic of another place or part of the world
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
flappernounUS /ˈflæpər/
a young woman in the 1920s who flaunted her unconventional conduct and dress
From this reading The flapper lay in wait for him at all hours when he might appear.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The flapper lay in wait for him at all hours when he might appear.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
the act of departing
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He had never thought of a way that did not prove to have been her own.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The flapper lay in wait for him at all hours when he might appear.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He had never thought of a way that did not prove to have been her own.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The flapper lay in wait for him at all hours when he might appear.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading The flapper lay in wait for him at all hours when he might appear.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If she had only talked, he believed that he could have thrown her off.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The flapper lay in wait for him at all hours when he might appear.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The flapper lay in wait for him at all hours when he might appear.
leechnounUS /liːtʃ/
carnivorous or bloodsucking aquatic or terrestrial worms typically having a sucker at each end
From this reading The creature was a leech!
a room where books are kept
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
lurkedverbUS /lɜːrkt/
past form of “lurk” — lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
masterlyadjectiveUS /ˈmæstərli/
having or revealing supreme mastery or skill
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The flapper lay in wait for him at all hours when he might appear.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading He had never thought of a way that did not prove to have been her own.
nooknounUS /nʊk/
a sheltered and secluded place
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He had never thought of a way that did not prove to have been her own.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading If she had only talked, he believed that he could have thrown her off.
and nothing more
From this reading If she had only talked, he believed that he could have thrown her off.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading He had never thought of a way that did not prove to have been her own.
have the will and intention to carry out some action
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
be shown or be found to be
From this reading He had never thought of a way that did not prove to have been her own.
the back of a military formation or procession
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
a safe place
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
try to get or reach
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
shrubnounUS /ʃrʌb/
a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
stairwaynounUS /ˈsterweɪ/
a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading If she had only talked, he believed that he could have thrown her off.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had never thought of a way that did not prove to have been her own.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The flapper lay in wait for him at all hours when he might appear.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading If she had only talked, he believed that he could have thrown her off.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading The flapper lay in wait for him at all hours when he might appear.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The creature was a leech!
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
at the time that
From this reading The flapper lay in wait for him at all hours when he might appear.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Did he open a door, she lurked in the corridor; did he seek refuge in the gloom of the library, she arose to confront him from its dimmest nook; did he plan a masterly escape by a rear stairway, she burst upon him from the ambush of some exotic shrub to demand which way he had thought of going.
