used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
absorbedadjectiveUS /əbˈzɔːrbd/
giving or marked by complete attention to
From this reading He neither moved nor looked up; his task absorbed every faculty of his being; he looked breathless; every feature expressed the concentration of his mind and senses towards one point.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading I sat rather behind him; it was some time before he remembered me; he then suddenly turned round, and looked at me in profound silence.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading I sat rather behind him; it was some time before he remembered me; he then suddenly turned round, and looked at me in profound silence.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading He neither moved nor looked up; his task absorbed every faculty of his being; he looked breathless; every feature expressed the concentration of his mind and senses towards one point.
propose a payment
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
breathlessadjectiveUS /ˈbreθləs/
not breathing or able to breathe except with difficulty
From this reading He neither moved nor looked up; his task absorbed every faculty of his being; he looked breathless; every feature expressed the concentration of his mind and senses towards one point.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
clamberedverbUS /ˈklæmbərd/
past form of “clamber” — climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
past form of “command” — be in command of
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
concentrationnounUS /ˌkɑːnsənˈtreɪʃən/
the strength of a solution; number of molecules of a substance in a given volume
From this reading He neither moved nor looked up; his task absorbed every faculty of his being; he looked breathless; every feature expressed the concentration of his mind and senses towards one point.
Cornelius
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
the first light of day
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
EarlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading Early the next morning I stole up to the study.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading He neither moved nor looked up; his task absorbed every faculty of his being; he looked breathless; every feature expressed the concentration of his mind and senses towards one point.
communicated in words
From this reading He neither moved nor looked up; his task absorbed every faculty of his being; he looked breathless; every feature expressed the concentration of his mind and senses towards one point.
facultynounUS /ˈfækəlti/
one of the inherent cognitive or perceptual powers of the mind
From this reading He neither moved nor looked up; his task absorbed every faculty of his being; he looked breathless; every feature expressed the concentration of his mind and senses towards one point.
featurenounUS /ˈfiːtʃər/
a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading He neither moved nor looked up; his task absorbed every faculty of his being; he looked breathless; every feature expressed the concentration of his mind and senses towards one point.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He neither moved nor looked up; his task absorbed every faculty of his being; he looked breathless; every feature expressed the concentration of his mind and senses towards one point.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Early the next morning I stole up to the study.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
indulgedverbUS /ˌɪnˈdʌldʒd/
past form of “indulge” — give free rein to
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He neither moved nor looked up; his task absorbed every faculty of his being; he looked breathless; every feature expressed the concentration of his mind and senses towards one point.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I sat rather behind him; it was some time before he remembered me; he then suddenly turned round, and looked at me in profound silence.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading He neither moved nor looked up; his task absorbed every faculty of his being; he looked breathless; every feature expressed the concentration of his mind and senses towards one point.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Early the next morning I stole up to the study.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading He neither moved nor looked up; his task absorbed every faculty of his being; he looked breathless; every feature expressed the concentration of his mind and senses towards one point.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Early the next morning I stole up to the study.
not any; not one
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading He neither moved nor looked up; his task absorbed every faculty of his being; he looked breathless; every feature expressed the concentration of his mind and senses towards one point.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
on one occasion
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He neither moved nor looked up; his task absorbed every faculty of his being; he looked breathless; every feature expressed the concentration of his mind and senses towards one point.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading He neither moved nor looked up; his task absorbed every faculty of his being; he looked breathless; every feature expressed the concentration of his mind and senses towards one point.
showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
From this reading I sat rather behind him; it was some time before he remembered me; he then suddenly turned round, and looked at me in profound silence.
past form of “push” — move with force
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
on the contrary
From this reading I sat rather behind him; it was some time before he remembered me; he then suddenly turned round, and looked at me in profound silence.
past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading I sat rather behind him; it was some time before he remembered me; he then suddenly turned round, and looked at me in profound silence.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading I sat rather behind him; it was some time before he remembered me; he then suddenly turned round, and looked at me in profound silence.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading I sat rather behind him; it was some time before he remembered me; he then suddenly turned round, and looked at me in profound silence.
plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana
From this reading He neither moved nor looked up; his task absorbed every faculty of his being; he looked breathless; every feature expressed the concentration of his mind and senses towards one point.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading I sat rather behind him; it was some time before he remembered me; he then suddenly turned round, and looked at me in profound silence.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
with low volume
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
a wide scarf worn about their shoulders by women
From this reading Early the next morning I stole up to the study.
stoolnounUS /stuːl/
a simple seat without a back or arms
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
a detailed critical inspection
From this reading Early the next morning I stole up to the study.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading I sat rather behind him; it was some time before he remembered me; he then suddenly turned round, and looked at me in profound silence.
summitnounUS /ˈsʌmət/
the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading He neither moved nor looked up; his task absorbed every faculty of his being; he looked breathless; every feature expressed the concentration of his mind and senses towards one point.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Early the next morning I stole up to the study.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading I sat rather behind him; it was some time before he remembered me; he then suddenly turned round, and looked at me in profound silence.
in or at that place or location
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I sat rather behind him; it was some time before he remembered me; he then suddenly turned round, and looked at me in profound silence.
tiptoeverbUS /ˈtɪptoʊ/
walk on one's toes
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Early the next morning I stole up to the study.
in the direction of
From this reading He neither moved nor looked up; his task absorbed every faculty of his being; he looked breathless; every feature expressed the concentration of his mind and senses towards one point.
a source of difficulty
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading I sat rather behind him; it was some time before he remembered me; he then suddenly turned round, and looked at me in profound silence.
unromanticadjective
neither expressive of nor exciting sexual love or romance
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Early the next morning I stole up to the study.
precisely as stated
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I sat rather behind him; it was some time before he remembered me; he then suddenly turned round, and looked at me in profound silence.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I did not knock; I entered on tiptoe; I closed the door softly; I did not bid Cornelius good morning; but I brought forward a high stool, placed it so that it commanded a good view of him and of his drawing, and, with some trouble, I clambered up to its summit: once there, I moved no more, but watched him with intense interest.
yawnverbUS /jɔːn/
utter a yawn, as from lack of oxygen or when one is tired
From this reading For an hour he never stirred; at length he pushed away his drawing, threw himself back in his chair, and, having been up since dawn, indulged in a very unromantic yawn.
