used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A PRETTY PLOT.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The place is dark and silent; no light gleams through the tightly boarded windows, there is no sign of life about the dwelling.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
activitynounUS /ækˈtɪvəti/
any specific behavior
From this reading But within, as on a previous occasion, there is light, life, and a measure of activity.
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
alleynounUS /ˈæli/
a narrow street with walls on both sides
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It is an hour before midnight.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But within, as on a previous occasion, there is light, life, and a measure of activity.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It is an hour before midnight.
boardedverbUS /ˈbɔːrdəd/
past form of “board” — get on board of (trains, buses, ships, aircraft, etc.)
From this reading The place is dark and silent; no light gleams through the tightly boarded windows, there is no sign of life about the dwelling.
the two together, not just one
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But within, as on a previous occasion, there is light, life, and a measure of activity.
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
Charlie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
comprehendverbUS /ˌkɑːmpriˈhend/
get the meaning of something
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
dwellingnounUS /ˈdwelɪŋ/
housing that someone is living in
From this reading The place is dark and silent; no light gleams through the tightly boarded windows, there is no sign of life about the dwelling.
to come or go into
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
gleamsnounUS /ɡliːmz/
plural of “gleam” — an appearance of reflected light
From this reading The place is dark and silent; no light gleams through the tightly boarded windows, there is no sign of life about the dwelling.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading It is an hour before midnight.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is an hour before midnight.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is an hour before midnight.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The place is dark and silent; no light gleams through the tightly boarded windows, there is no sign of life about the dwelling.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The place is dark and silent; no light gleams through the tightly boarded windows, there is no sign of life about the dwelling.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading But within, as on a previous occasion, there is light, life, and a measure of activity.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading It is an hour before midnight.
not any; not one
From this reading The place is dark and silent; no light gleams through the tightly boarded windows, there is no sign of life about the dwelling.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading But within, as on a previous occasion, there is light, life, and a measure of activity.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But within, as on a previous occasion, there is light, life, and a measure of activity.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The place is dark and silent; no light gleams through the tightly boarded windows, there is no sign of life about the dwelling.
PLOTnounUS /plɑːt/
a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal)
From this reading A PRETTY PLOT.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading A PRETTY PLOT.
just preceding something else in time or order
From this reading But within, as on a previous occasion, there is light, life, and a measure of activity.
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading The place is dark and silent; no light gleams through the tightly boarded windows, there is no sign of life about the dwelling.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading The place is dark and silent; no light gleams through the tightly boarded windows, there is no sign of life about the dwelling.
ludicrous, foolish
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
stimulatedadjectiveUS /ˈstɪmjəleɪtɪd/
emotionally aroused
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The place is dark and silent; no light gleams through the tightly boarded windows, there is no sign of life about the dwelling.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The place is dark and silent; no light gleams through the tightly boarded windows, there is no sign of life about the dwelling.
tightlyadverbUS /ˈtaɪtli/
in a tight or constricted manner
From this reading The place is dark and silent; no light gleams through the tightly boarded windows, there is no sign of life about the dwelling.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
Vernet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading The place is dark and silent; no light gleams through the tightly boarded windows, there is no sign of life about the dwelling.
having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading In order to comprehend the cause of the alarm which stimulated to sudden action both the wise man and the fool, Van Vernet and Silly Charlie, let us turn back a little and enter the dark house at the foot of the alley.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading But within, as on a previous occasion, there is light, life, and a measure of activity.
