used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Joyce was alone in the shop busily sorting a job lot of books that had come in during the morning.
AboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Above him flared a gas-jet.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading It was late in the afternoon.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading Joyce was alone in the shop busily sorting a job lot of books that had come in during the morning.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The old man had gone away to Exeter, to bury his sister, his only surviving relative.
barriernounUS /ˈbæriər/
a structure or object that impedes free movement
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading Joyce was alone in the shop busily sorting a job lot of books that had come in during the morning.
buryverbUS /ˈberi/
cover from sight
From this reading The old man had gone away to Exeter, to bury his sister, his only surviving relative.
busilyadverbUS /ˈbɪzəli/
in a busy manner
From this reading Joyce was alone in the shop busily sorting a job lot of books that had come in during the morning.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Joyce was alone in the shop busily sorting a job lot of books that had come in during the morning.
creepingnounUS /ˈkriːpɪŋ/
a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading Joyce was alone in the shop busily sorting a job lot of books that had come in during the morning.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
Exeter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The old man had gone away to Exeter, to bury his sister, his only surviving relative.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
flaredverbUS /flerd/
past form of “flare” — burn brightly
From this reading Above him flared a gas-jet.
formingverbUS /ˈfɔːrmɪŋ/
-ing form of “form” — create (as an entity)
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
gas-jet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Above him flared a gas-jet.
destroyed or killed
From this reading The old man had gone away to Exeter, to bury his sister, his only surviving relative.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The old man had gone away to Exeter, to bury his sister, his only surviving relative.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Above him flared a gas-jet.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The old man had gone away to Exeter, to bury his sister, his only surviving relative.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was late in the afternoon.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was late in the afternoon.
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading Joyce was alone in the shop busily sorting a job lot of books that had come in during the morning.
JoycenounUS /dʒɔɪs/
influential Irish writer noted for his many innovations (such as stream of consciousness writing) (1882-1941)
From this reading Joyce was alone in the shop busily sorting a job lot of books that had come in during the morning.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading It was late in the afternoon.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading Joyce was alone in the shop busily sorting a job lot of books that had come in during the morning.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The old man had gone away to Exeter, to bury his sister, his only surviving relative.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Joyce was alone in the shop busily sorting a job lot of books that had come in during the morning.
neatly-arranged
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Joyce was alone in the shop busily sorting a job lot of books that had come in during the morning.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The old man had gone away to Exeter, to bury his sister, his only surviving relative.
and nothing more
From this reading The old man had gone away to Exeter, to bury his sister, his only surviving relative.
pilesnounUS /paɪlz/
venous swelling external or internal to the anal sphincter
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
relativenounUS /ˈrelətɪv/
a person related by blood or marriage
From this reading The old man had gone away to Exeter, to bury his sister, his only surviving relative.
shelvesnounUS /ʃelvz/
Plural of shelf; the vast wooden or stone structures holding archives.
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
do one's shopping
From this reading Joyce was alone in the shop busily sorting a job lot of books that had come in during the morning.
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading The old man had gone away to Exeter, to bury his sister, his only surviving relative.
sortingnounUS /ˈsɔːrtɪŋ/
an operation that segregates items into groups according to a specified criterion
From this reading Joyce was alone in the shop busily sorting a job lot of books that had come in during the morning.
stackedadjectiveUS /stækt/
arranged in a stack
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
survivingadjectiveUS /sərˈvaɪvɪŋ/
still in existence
From this reading The old man had gone away to Exeter, to bury his sister, his only surviving relative.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Joyce was alone in the shop busily sorting a job lot of books that had come in during the morning.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was late in the afternoon.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The old man had gone away to Exeter, to bury his sister, his only surviving relative.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was late in the afternoon.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
in or at the place that
From this reading They were stacked in great piles at the further end, forming a barrier between himself and the doorway, where the falling light was creeping in upon the neatly-arranged shelves.
