used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading And any other cadet, after knocking, would have followed this by opening the door and stepping inside.
anew
From this reading Rap-rap! sounded again.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And any other cadet, after knocking, would have followed this by opening the door and stepping inside.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The very unusualness of this caused both youngsters to look around, then at each other.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
the two together, not just one
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading And any other cadet, after knocking, would have followed this by opening the door and stepping inside.
cadetnounUS /kəˈdet/
a military trainee (as at a military academy)
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
cadetsnounUS /kəˈdets/
plural of “cadet” — a military trainee (as at a military academy)
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
CANDIDATEnounUS /ˈkændədeɪt/
a politician who is running for public office
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading The very unusualness of this caused both youngsters to look around, then at each other.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
CRITICALadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪtɪkəl/
marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
DODGEverbUS /dɑːdʒ/
make a sudden movement in a new direction so as to avoid
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading The very unusualness of this caused both youngsters to look around, then at each other.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading And any other cadet, after knocking, would have followed this by opening the door and stepping inside.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
come to pass
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space
From this reading And any other cadet, after knocking, would have followed this by opening the door and stepping inside.
inspectionnounUS /ˌɪnˈspekʃən/
a formal or official examination
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
knockingnounUS /ˈnɑːkɪŋ/
the sound of knocking (as on a door or in an engine or bearing)
From this reading And any other cadet, after knocking, would have followed this by opening the door and stepping inside.
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The very unusualness of this caused both youngsters to look around, then at each other.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The very unusualness of this caused both youngsters to look around, then at each other.
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading And any other cadet, after knocking, would have followed this by opening the door and stepping inside.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The very unusualness of this caused both youngsters to look around, then at each other.
by chance
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
Rap-rap
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Rap-rap! sounded again.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
steppingverbUS /ˈstepɪŋ/
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading And any other cadet, after knocking, would have followed this by opening the door and stepping inside.
successive (without a break)
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
produced or marked by conscious design or premeditation
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The very unusualness of this caused both youngsters to look around, then at each other.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The very unusualness of this caused both youngsters to look around, then at each other.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The very unusualness of this caused both youngsters to look around, then at each other.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The very unusualness of this caused both youngsters to look around, then at each other.
unusualnessnoun
uncommonness by virtue of being unusual
From this reading The very unusualness of this caused both youngsters to look around, then at each other.
precisely as stated
From this reading The very unusualness of this caused both youngsters to look around, then at each other.
wakingadjectiveUS /ˈweɪ.kɪŋ/
Risen from sleep; conscious.
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
at the time that
From this reading CANDIDATE DODGE IS CRITICAL Both cadets had studied for ten minutes perhaps, when a knock sounded at their door.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come straight into the room.
youngstersnounUS /ˈjʌŋstərz/
plural of “youngster” — a young person of either sex
From this reading The very unusualness of this caused both youngsters to look around, then at each other.
