used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We thanked the captain and retired, as he had suggested, below.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading We thanked the captain and retired, as he had suggested, below.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading His brother, seated beside him, quickly dragged his unconscious relative away.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading We thanked the captain and retired, as he had suggested, below.
next to; at the side of
From this reading His brother, seated beside him, quickly dragged his unconscious relative away.
the two together, not just one
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading His brother, seated beside him, quickly dragged his unconscious relative away.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading We thanked the captain and retired, as he had suggested, below.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)
From this reading I saw him and recognised him in a moment—it was Charles Strong.
persuaded of; very sure
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance
From this reading His brother, seated beside him, quickly dragged his unconscious relative away.
dramaticadjectiveUS /drəˈmætɪk/
suitable to or characteristic of drama
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
faintedverbUS /ˈfeɪntɪd/
past form of “faint” — pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
fellow-travellers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
ghostsnounUS /ɡoʊsts/
plural of “ghost” — a mental representation of some haunting experience
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
groannounUS /ɡroʊn/
an utterance expressing pain or disapproval
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading We thanked the captain and retired, as he had suggested, below.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading We thanked the captain and retired, as he had suggested, below.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I saw him and recognised him in a moment—it was Charles Strong.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I saw him and recognised him in a moment—it was Charles Strong.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I saw him and recognised him in a moment—it was Charles Strong.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I saw him and recognised him in a moment—it was Charles Strong.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
go away from a place
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
move something or somebody to a lower position
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
a particular point in time
From this reading I saw him and recognised him in a moment—it was Charles Strong.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
on one occasion
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
plural of “passenger” — 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 Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
with speed
From this reading His brother, seated beside him, quickly dragged his unconscious relative away.
reassureverbUS /ˌriːəˈʃʊr/
cause to feel sure; give reassurance to
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
recognisedadjectiveUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪzd/
provided with a secure reputation
From this reading I saw him and recognised him in a moment—it was Charles Strong.
relativenounUS /ˈrelətɪv/
a person related by blood or marriage
From this reading His brother, seated beside him, quickly dragged his unconscious relative away.
remarkablyadverbUS /rɪˈmɑːrkəbli/
to a remarkable degree or extent
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
no longer active in your work or profession
From this reading We thanked the captain and retired, as he had suggested, below.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
cut with a saw
From this reading I saw him and recognised him in a moment—it was Charles Strong.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading His brother, seated beside him, quickly dragged his unconscious relative away.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
in the near future
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading I saw him and recognised him in a moment—it was Charles Strong.
substantialitynoun
the quality of being substantial or having substance
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading We thanked the captain and retired, as he had suggested, below.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
thankedverbUS /θæŋkt/
past form of “thank” — express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading We thanked the captain and retired, as he had suggested, below.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We thanked the captain and retired, as he had suggested, below.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
tonguesnounUS /tʌŋz/
plural of “tongue” — a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead
From this reading His brother, seated beside him, quickly dragged his unconscious relative away.
uproarnounUS /ˈʌprɔːr/
a state of commotion and noise and confusion
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
communicated in words
From this reading Here our sudden appearance caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest of the situation, one of the passengers rose from his seat at the lower end of the table as though to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and fainted.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I saw him and recognised him in a moment—it was Charles Strong.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We thanked the captain and retired, as he had suggested, below.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading A word or two of explanation soon convinced our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, and in order to reassure them more fully as to our substantiality we both sat down and made a remarkably good dinner.
