used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Billy Kane’s lips were thinned into a hard, straight line.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading Billy Kane’s lips were thinned into a hard, straight line.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading “Run for it, sir—while you’ve got the chance!”
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading “There’s someone coming!” whispered Jackson wildly.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
distinctadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɪŋkt/
(often followed by “from”) not alike; different in nature or quality
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
drumsnounUS /drʌmz/
plural of “drum” — a musical percussion instrument; usually consists of a hollow cylinder with a membrane stretched across each end
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
footstepnounUS /ˈfʊtstep/
the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Run for it, sir—while you’ve got the chance!”
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “Run for it, sir—while you’ve got the chance!”
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
hammeredadjectiveUS /ˈhæmərd/
shaped or worked with a hammer and often showing hammer marks
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading Billy Kane’s lips were thinned into a hard, straight line.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Billy Kane’s lips were thinned into a hard, straight line.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
JacksonnounUS /ˈdʒæksən/
English film actress who later became a member of British Parliament (born in 1936)
From this reading “There’s someone coming!” whispered Jackson wildly.
Kane's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Billy Kane’s lips were thinned into a hard, straight line.
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Billy Kane’s lips were thinned into a hard, straight line.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading Billy Kane’s lips were thinned into a hard, straight line.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
in spite of what has just been said
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
ominouslyadverbUS /ˈɑːmənəsli/
in an ominous manner
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
palpitatingadjectiveUS /ˈpælpəteɪtɪŋ/
having a slight and rapid trembling motion
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading “Run for it, sir—while you’ve got the chance!”
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
term of address for a man
From this reading “Run for it, sir—while you’ve got the chance!”
a person, without saying who
From this reading “There’s someone coming!” whispered Jackson wildly.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
successive (without a break)
From this reading Billy Kane’s lips were thinned into a hard, straight line.
in a strange manner
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
in or at that place or location
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
There's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “There’s someone coming!” whispered Jackson wildly.
thinnedadjectiveUS /θɪnd/
mixed with water
From this reading Billy Kane’s lips were thinned into a hard, straight line.
throbs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Billy Kane’s lips were thinned into a hard, straight line.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading “Run for it, sir—while you’ve got the chance!”
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading “There’s someone coming!” whispered Jackson wildly.
wildlyadverbUS /ˈwaɪldli/
to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree
From this reading “There’s someone coming!” whispered Jackson wildly.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was silent here in the great house, ominously, strangely silent; and the silence grew heavy, and grew _loud_ with great palpitating throbs that hammered at the ear drums—and then, in the distance, from the other side of the door in the long passage leading to the front of the house, faint but nevertheless distinct, there came the sound of an approaching footstep.
you've
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Run for it, sir—while you’ve got the chance!”
