used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The droning Norman voices of the men on guard issued from an open door a few paces before him on the left.
experiencing a sudden sense of danger
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Fortunately the door of the room with the shattered window was almost within reach of his hand on the right side of the passage, and he stepped softly to it.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The droning Norman voices of the men on guard issued from an open door a few paces before him on the left.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
applausenounUS /əˈplɔːz/
a demonstration of approval by clapping the hands together
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the foot of the staircase Tignonville paused.
playing or singing with instrumental or vocal accompaniment
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The droning Norman voices of the men on guard issued from an open door a few paces before him on the left.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
chucklingverbUS /ˈtʃʌklɪŋ/
-ing form of “chuckle” — laugh quietly or with restraint
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
coarseadjectiveUS /kɔːrs/
of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The droning Norman voices of the men on guard issued from an open door a few paces before him on the left.
droningnounUS /ˈdroʊnɪŋ/
an unchanging intonation
From this reading The droning Norman voices of the men on guard issued from an open door a few paces before him on the left.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The droning Norman voices of the men on guard issued from an open door a few paces before him on the left.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading At the foot of the staircase Tignonville paused.
FortunatelyadverbUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənətli/
by good fortune
From this reading Fortunately the door of the room with the shattered window was almost within reach of his hand on the right side of the passage, and he stepped softly to it.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The droning Norman voices of the men on guard issued from an open door a few paces before him on the left.
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading The droning Norman voices of the men on guard issued from an open door a few paces before him on the left.
guard-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
gurgleverbUS /ˈɡɜːrɡəl/
flow in an irregular current with a bubbling noise
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Fortunately the door of the room with the shattered window was almost within reach of his hand on the right side of the passage, and he stepped softly to it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
hesitatingadjectiveUS /ˈhezəteɪtɪŋ/
lacking decisiveness of character; unable to act or decide quickly or firmly
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The droning Norman voices of the men on guard issued from an open door a few paces before him on the left.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Fortunately the door of the room with the shattered window was almost within reach of his hand on the right side of the passage, and he stepped softly to it.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
issuedverbUS /ˈɪʃuːd/
past form of “issue” — prepare and issue for public distribution or sale
From this reading The droning Norman voices of the men on guard issued from an open door a few paces before him on the left.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
latchverbUS /lætʃ/
fasten with a latch
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
the sound of laughing
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading The droning Norman voices of the men on guard issued from an open door a few paces before him on the left.
the force of workers available
From this reading The droning Norman voices of the men on guard issued from an open door a few paces before him on the left.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
a particular point in time
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
NormannounUS /ˈnɔːrmən/
United States operatic soprano (born in 1945)
From this reading The droning Norman voices of the men on guard issued from an open door a few paces before him on the left.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At the foot of the staircase Tignonville paused.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The droning Norman voices of the men on guard issued from an open door a few paces before him on the left.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The droning Norman voices of the men on guard issued from an open door a few paces before him on the left.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
pacesnounUS /ˈpeɪsɪz/
plural of “pace” — the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading The droning Norman voices of the men on guard issued from an open door a few paces before him on the left.
panicnounUS /ˈpænɪk/
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading Fortunately the door of the room with the shattered window was almost within reach of his hand on the right side of the passage, and he stepped softly to it.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading At the foot of the staircase Tignonville paused.
past form of “push” — move with force
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Fortunately the door of the room with the shattered window was almost within reach of his hand on the right side of the passage, and he stepped softly to it.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Fortunately the door of the room with the shattered window was almost within reach of his hand on the right side of the passage, and he stepped softly to it.
advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Fortunately the door of the room with the shattered window was almost within reach of his hand on the right side of the passage, and he stepped softly to it.
shatteredadjectiveUS /ˈʃætərd/
ruined or disrupted
From this reading Fortunately the door of the room with the shattered window was almost within reach of his hand on the right side of the passage, and he stepped softly to it.
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Fortunately the door of the room with the shattered window was almost within reach of his hand on the right side of the passage, and he stepped softly to it.
slidverbUS /slɪd/
inflected form of “slide” — move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
with low volume
From this reading Fortunately the door of the room with the shattered window was almost within reach of his hand on the right side of the passage, and he stepped softly to it.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading At the foot of the staircase Tignonville paused.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading Fortunately the door of the room with the shattered window was almost within reach of his hand on the right side of the passage, and he stepped softly to it.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At the foot of the staircase Tignonville paused.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
Tignonville
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the foot of the staircase Tignonville paused.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Fortunately the door of the room with the shattered window was almost within reach of his hand on the right side of the passage, and he stepped softly to it.
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading The droning Norman voices of the men on guard issued from an open door a few paces before him on the left.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Fortunately the door of the room with the shattered window was almost within reach of his hand on the right side of the passage, and he stepped softly to it.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He stood an instant hesitating, his hand on the latch; then, alarmed by a movement in the guard-room, as if some were rising, he pushed the door in a panic, slid into the room, and shut the door behind him.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He caught a jest, the coarse chuckling laughter which attended it, and the gurgle of applause which followed; and he knew that at any moment one of the men might step out and discover him.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading Fortunately the door of the room with the shattered window was almost within reach of his hand on the right side of the passage, and he stepped softly to it.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Fortunately the door of the room with the shattered window was almost within reach of his hand on the right side of the passage, and he stepped softly to it.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading Fortunately the door of the room with the shattered window was almost within reach of his hand on the right side of the passage, and he stepped softly to it.
