used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Billy Kane dropped suddenly from a run into a slow, even nonchalant walk.
at or in the front
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
from appearances alone
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading Billy Kane dropped suddenly from a run into a slow, even nonchalant walk.
broadenedverbUS /ˈbrɔːdənd/
past form of “broaden” — make broader
From this reading Billy Kane’s lips broadened in a hard smile.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
chuggingverbUS /ˈtʃʌɡɪŋ/
inflected form of “chug” — make a dull, explosive sound
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
coughingnounUS /ˈkɑːfɪŋ/
a sudden noisy expulsion of air from the lungs that clears the air passages; a common symptom of upper respiratory infection or bronchitis or pneumonia or tuberculosis
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
curbnounUS /kɜːrb/
an edge between a sidewalk and a roadway consisting of a line of curbstones (usually forming part of a gutter)
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
dependedverbUS /dɪˈpendəd/
past form of “depend” — be contingent upon (something that is elided)
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Billy Kane dropped suddenly from a run into a slow, even nonchalant walk.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading A few steps more, and he saw that the car was empty.
divisible by two
From this reading Billy Kane dropped suddenly from a run into a slow, even nonchalant walk.
having experience; having knowledge or skill from observation or participation
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading A few steps more, and he saw that the car was empty.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Billy Kane dropped suddenly from a run into a slow, even nonchalant walk.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
grocerynounUS /ˈɡroʊsəri/
a marketplace where groceries are sold
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading Billy Kane’s lips broadened in a hard smile.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A few steps more, and he saw that the car was empty.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Billy Kane dropped suddenly from a run into a slow, even nonchalant walk.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
Kane
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Billy Kane dropped suddenly from a run into a slow, even nonchalant walk.
Kane's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Billy Kane’s lips broadened in a hard smile.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
laboriouslyadverbUS /ləˈbɔːriəsli/
in a laborious manner
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
set afire or burning
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
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 broadened in a hard smile.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading A few steps more, and he saw that the car was empty.
not any; not one
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
nonchalantadjectiveUS /ˌnɑːnʃəˈlɑːnt/
marked by blithe unconcern
From this reading Billy Kane dropped suddenly from a run into a slow, even nonchalant walk.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
pangsnounUS /pæŋz/
plural of “pang” — a sudden sharp feeling
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
reprehensibleadjectiveUS /ˌreprɪˈhensəbəl/
bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Billy Kane dropped suddenly from a run into a slow, even nonchalant walk.
cut with a saw
From this reading A few steps more, and he saw that the car was empty.
second-hand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
From this reading Billy Kane dropped suddenly from a run into a slow, even nonchalant walk.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Billy Kane’s lips broadened in a hard smile.
stealverbUS /stiːl/
take without the owner's consent
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading A few steps more, and he saw that the car was empty.
a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Billy Kane dropped suddenly from a run into a slow, even nonchalant walk.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A few steps more, and he saw that the car was empty.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It might be reprehensible to steal a car for a few hours; but, as between a car and a human life that he knew depended on him alone, he experienced no pangs of conscience.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading Billy Kane dropped suddenly from a run into a slow, even nonchalant walk.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading A short distance ahead of him, a small, and apparently, an old and second-hand car was coughing and chugging laboriously at the curb in front of the lighted window of a little grocery store.
