used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Only here and there above his head, a dull, red light shone on the charred beams, telling that a trace of the fire still lingered there.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The darkness was so great that it could almost be felt.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But the coals were dim, and gave out no light to serve as a guide to his footsteps.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The darkness was so great that it could almost be felt.
beamsnounUS /biːmz/
plural of “beam” — a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather
From this reading Only here and there above his head, a dull, red light shone on the charred beams, telling that a trace of the fire still lingered there.
blacknessnounUS /ˈblæknəs/
the quality or state of the achromatic color of least lightness (bearing the least resemblance to white)
From this reading The rain had well-nigh extinguished them, and if it continued for a few minutes longer they would go out in deeper blackness.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the coals were dim, and gave out no light to serve as a guide to his footsteps.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
cautiousadjectiveUS /ˈkɔːʃəs/
showing careful forethought
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
charredverbUS /tʃɑːrd/
inflected form of “char” — burn to charcoal
From this reading Only here and there above his head, a dull, red light shone on the charred beams, telling that a trace of the fire still lingered there.
coalsnounUS /koʊlz/
plural of “coal” — fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading But the coals were dim, and gave out no light to serve as a guide to his footsteps.
without stop or interruption
From this reading The rain had well-nigh extinguished them, and if it continued for a few minutes longer they would go out in deeper blackness.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The darkness was so great that it could almost be felt.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The darkness was so great that it could almost be felt.
comparative of “deeply” — to a great depth psychologically or emotionally
From this reading The rain had well-nigh extinguished them, and if it continued for a few minutes longer they would go out in deeper blackness.
someone who is a detective
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading But the coals were dim, and gave out no light to serve as a guide to his footsteps.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading Only here and there above his head, a dull, red light shone on the charred beams, telling that a trace of the fire still lingered there.
extinguishedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃt/
of a conditioned response; caused to die out because of the absence or withdrawal of reinforcement
From this reading The rain had well-nigh extinguished them, and if it continued for a few minutes longer they would go out in deeper blackness.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading The darkness was so great that it could almost be felt.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The rain had well-nigh extinguished them, and if it continued for a few minutes longer they would go out in deeper blackness.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Only here and there above his head, a dull, red light shone on the charred beams, telling that a trace of the fire still lingered there.
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading But the coals were dim, and gave out no light to serve as a guide to his footsteps.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The rain had well-nigh extinguished them, and if it continued for a few minutes longer they would go out in deeper blackness.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading But the coals were dim, and gave out no light to serve as a guide to his footsteps.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The rain had well-nigh extinguished them, and if it continued for a few minutes longer they would go out in deeper blackness.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The darkness was so great that it could almost be felt.
someone employed to conduct others
From this reading But the coals were dim, and gave out no light to serve as a guide to his footsteps.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The rain had well-nigh extinguished them, and if it continued for a few minutes longer they would go out in deeper blackness.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Only here and there above his head, a dull, red light shone on the charred beams, telling that a trace of the fire still lingered there.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Only here and there above his head, a dull, red light shone on the charred beams, telling that a trace of the fire still lingered there.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Only here and there above his head, a dull, red light shone on the charred beams, telling that a trace of the fire still lingered there.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The rain had well-nigh extinguished them, and if it continued for a few minutes longer they would go out in deeper blackness.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The rain had well-nigh extinguished them, and if it continued for a few minutes longer they would go out in deeper blackness.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
laddernounUS /ˈlædər/
steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Only here and there above his head, a dull, red light shone on the charred beams, telling that a trace of the fire still lingered there.
lingeredverbUS /ˈlɪŋɡərd/
past form of “linger” — remain present although waning or gradually dying
From this reading Only here and there above his head, a dull, red light shone on the charred beams, telling that a trace of the fire still lingered there.
loftnounUS /lɔːft/
floor consisting of a large unpartitioned space over a factory or warehouse or other commercial space
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
for more time
From this reading The rain had well-nigh extinguished them, and if it continued for a few minutes longer they would go out in deeper blackness.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading The rain had well-nigh extinguished them, and if it continued for a few minutes longer they would go out in deeper blackness.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
not any; not one
From this reading But the coals were dim, and gave out no light to serve as a guide to his footsteps.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Only here and there above his head, a dull, red light shone on the charred beams, telling that a trace of the fire still lingered there.
and nothing more
From this reading Only here and there above his head, a dull, red light shone on the charred beams, telling that a trace of the fire still lingered there.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading But the coals were dim, and gave out no light to serve as a guide to his footsteps.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading The rain had well-nigh extinguished them, and if it continued for a few minutes longer they would go out in deeper blackness.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading Only here and there above his head, a dull, red light shone on the charred beams, telling that a trace of the fire still lingered there.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading But the coals were dim, and gave out no light to serve as a guide to his footsteps.
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading Only here and there above his head, a dull, red light shone on the charred beams, telling that a trace of the fire still lingered there.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The darkness was so great that it could almost be felt.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
not in physical motion
From this reading Only here and there above his head, a dull, red light shone on the charred beams, telling that a trace of the fire still lingered there.
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading Only here and there above his head, a dull, red light shone on the charred beams, telling that a trace of the fire still lingered there.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The rain had well-nigh extinguished them, and if it continued for a few minutes longer they would go out in deeper blackness.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Only here and there above his head, a dull, red light shone on the charred beams, telling that a trace of the fire still lingered there.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The rain had well-nigh extinguished them, and if it continued for a few minutes longer they would go out in deeper blackness.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But the coals were dim, and gave out no light to serve as a guide to his footsteps.
a just detectable amount
From this reading Only here and there above his head, a dull, red light shone on the charred beams, telling that a trace of the fire still lingered there.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
well-nighadverb
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The rain had well-nigh extinguished them, and if it continued for a few minutes longer they would go out in deeper blackness.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But the coals were dim, and gave out no light to serve as a guide to his footsteps.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was by the sense of feeling alone, that Dick went up the ladder and moved along the loft with a cautious step.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The rain had well-nigh extinguished them, and if it continued for a few minutes longer they would go out in deeper blackness.
