used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
(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 When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
confined by bonds
From this reading But little Hetty lay not daring to breathe, bound in a speechless and horrible panic which no words could express.
breatheverbUS /briːð/
draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs
From this reading But little Hetty lay not daring to breathe, bound in a speechless and horrible panic which no words could express.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But little Hetty lay not daring to breathe, bound in a speechless and horrible panic which no words could express.
closingnounUS /ˈkloʊzɪŋ/
the act of closing something
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
curtainsnounUS /ˈkɜːrtənz/
plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy
From this reading But little Hetty lay not daring to breathe, bound in a speechless and horrible panic which no words could express.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Miss Hofland next door felt these precautions essential to her rest.
plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
equalled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
essentialadjectiveUS /eˈsenʃəl/
absolutely necessary; vitally necessary
From this reading Miss Hofland next door felt these precautions essential to her rest.
give expression to
From this reading But little Hetty lay not daring to breathe, bound in a speechless and horrible panic which no words could express.
eyelidsnounUS /ˈaɪlɪdz/
plural of “eyelid” — either of two folds of skin that can be moved to cover or open the eye
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
set up or found
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
glimmernounUS /ˈɡlɪmər/
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “LET ME GO HOME.”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
Hetty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
Hofland
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Miss Hofland next door felt these precautions essential to her rest.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading “LET ME GO HOME.”
hopelessadjectiveUS /ˈhoʊpləs/
without hope because there seems to be no possibility of comfort or success
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
provoking horror
From this reading But little Hetty lay not daring to breathe, bound in a speechless and horrible panic which no words could express.
intense and profound fear
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading But little Hetty lay not daring to breathe, bound in a speechless and horrible panic which no words could express.
LETauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “LET ME GO HOME.”
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading But little Hetty lay not daring to breathe, bound in a speechless and horrible panic which no words could express.
past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “LET ME GO HOME.”
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading Miss Hofland next door felt these precautions essential to her rest.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Miss Hofland next door felt these precautions essential to her rest.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
not any; not one
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But little Hetty lay not daring to breathe, bound in a speechless and horrible panic which no words could express.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
overwhelmedverbUS /ˌoʊvərˈwelmd/
past form of “overwhelm” — overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
panicnounUS /ˈpænɪk/
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading But little Hetty lay not daring to breathe, bound in a speechless and horrible panic which no words could express.
precautionsnounUS /priˈkɔːʃənz/
plural of “precaution” — a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.
From this reading Miss Hofland next door felt these precautions essential to her rest.
pressingnounUS /ˈpresɪŋ/
the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
shuttersnounUS /ˈʃʌtərz/
plural of “shutter” — a mechanical device on a camera that opens and closes to control the time of a photographic exposure
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
speechlessadjectiveUS /ˈspiːtʃləs/
temporarily incapable of speaking
From this reading But little Hetty lay not daring to breathe, bound in a speechless and horrible panic which no words could express.
tangibleadjectiveUS /ˈtændʒəbəl/
perceptible by the senses especially the sense of touch
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Miss Hofland next door felt these precautions essential to her rest.
throbbingnounUS /ˈθrɑːbɪŋ/
an instance of rapid strong pulsation (of the heart)
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Miss Hofland next door felt these precautions essential to her rest.
unreasonableadjectiveUS /ənˈriːznəbəl/
not reasonable; not showing good judgment
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
weighingnounUS /ˈweɪɪŋ/
careful consideration
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
at the time that
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
wokeverbUS /woʊk/
inflected form of “wake” — be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
the words that are spoken
From this reading But little Hetty lay not daring to breathe, bound in a speechless and horrible panic which no words could express.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading When Hetty woke in the middle of the night, and found herself in darkness, without a glimmer of light, curtains and shutters closing her in, doors locked between her and all the rest of the world, a gloom which could be felt weighing down her eyelids, the sensation of terror which overwhelmed her was no doubt entirely unreasonable.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Nothing that she could have seen or heard would have equalled the horror of seeing nothing, of lying there a hopeless prisoner of the darkness, the silence throbbing round her, the gloom pressing upon her like a tangible weight.
