used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
(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 An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Barlow lay just as he had flopped on the bed, his tiredness having held him as one dead.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Gently the soft voice of the _chowkidar_ pulled him back out of his Nirvana of non-existence, and he called sleepily, "What is it?"
Barlow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading Barlow lay just as he had flopped on the bed, his tiredness having held him as one dead.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Gently the soft voice of the _chowkidar_ pulled him back out of his Nirvana of non-existence, and he called sleepily, "What is it?"
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
chowkidar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
the first light of day
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading Barlow lay just as he had flopped on the bed, his tiredness having held him as one dead.
defencenounUS /dɪˈfens/
(psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
direadjectiveUS /daɪr/
fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
disasternounUS /dɪˈzæstər/
a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
floppedverbUS /flɑːpt/
inflected form of “flop” — fall loosely
From this reading Barlow lay just as he had flopped on the bed, his tiredness having held him as one dead.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
in a gradual manner
From this reading Gently the soft voice of the _chowkidar_ pulled him back out of his Nirvana of non-existence, and he called sleepily, "What is it?"
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Barlow lay just as he had flopped on the bed, his tiredness having held him as one dead.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Barlow lay just as he had flopped on the bed, his tiredness having held him as one dead.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading Barlow lay just as he had flopped on the bed, his tiredness having held him as one dead.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
impendingadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpendɪŋ/
close in time; about to occur
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
importnounUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrt/
commodities (goods or services) bought from a foreign country
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
and nothing more
From this reading Barlow lay just as he had flopped on the bed, his tiredness having held him as one dead.
kitenounUS /kaɪt/
a bank check that has been fraudulently altered to increase its face value
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Barlow lay just as he had flopped on the bed, his tiredness having held him as one dead.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
NirvananounUS /nɪrˈvɑːnə/
(Hinduism and Buddhism) the beatitude that transcends the cycle of reincarnation; characterized by the extinction of desire and suffering and individual consciousness
From this reading Gently the soft voice of the _chowkidar_ pulled him back out of his Nirvana of non-existence, and he called sleepily, "What is it?"
not any; not one
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
non-existence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Gently the soft voice of the _chowkidar_ pulled him back out of his Nirvana of non-existence, and he called sleepily, "What is it?"
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
omennounUS /ˈoʊmən/
a sign of something about to happen
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Barlow lay just as he had flopped on the bed, his tiredness having held him as one dead.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Barlow lay just as he had flopped on the bed, his tiredness having held him as one dead.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Gently the soft voice of the _chowkidar_ pulled him back out of his Nirvana of non-existence, and he called sleepily, "What is it?"
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading Gently the soft voice of the _chowkidar_ pulled him back out of his Nirvana of non-existence, and he called sleepily, "What is it?"
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
Sahibnoun
formerly a term of respect for important white Europeans in colonial India; used after the name
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
sleepernounUS /ˈsliːpər/
a rester who is sleeping
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
sleepilyadverbUS /ˈsliːpəli/
in a sleepy manner
From this reading Gently the soft voice of the _chowkidar_ pulled him back out of his Nirvana of non-existence, and he called sleepily, "What is it?"
smothersnounUS /ˈsmʌðərz/
plural of “smother” — a confused multitude of things
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading Gently the soft voice of the _chowkidar_ pulled him back out of his Nirvana of non-existence, and he called sleepily, "What is it?"
with low volume
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
thugsnounUS /θʌɡz/
plural of “thug” — an aggressive and violent young criminal
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
tirednessnounUS /ˈtaɪərdnɪs/
temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work
From this reading Barlow lay just as he had flopped on the bed, his tiredness having held him as one dead.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading An omen of dire import all thugs believe is to hear the cry of a kite between midnight and dawn; to hear it before midnight does not matter, for the sleeper in turning over smothers the impending disaster beneath his body.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Gently the soft voice of the _chowkidar_ pulled him back out of his Nirvana of non-existence, and he called sleepily, "What is it?"
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Gently the soft voice of the _chowkidar_ pulled him back out of his Nirvana of non-existence, and he called sleepily, "What is it?"
at the time that
From this reading But Captain Barlow had put up no such defence if evil hung over him, for when the _chowkidar_ stood outside the door calling softly, "Captain Sahib!
