used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
ajaradjectiveUS /əˈdʒɑːr/
slightly open
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Already they could hear some one in the outer sitting room and a moment later the bedroom door was thrown open.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Scarcely daring to breathe naturally lest they be discovered, Doris and Kitty crouched in the dark closet.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Scarcely daring to breathe naturally lest they be discovered, Doris and Kitty crouched in the dark closet.
a room used primarily for sleeping
From this reading Already they could hear some one in the outer sitting room and a moment later the bedroom door was thrown open.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading He seemed strangely excited and was out of breath from hurrying up the stairs so rapidly.
breatheverbUS /briːð/
draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs
From this reading Scarcely daring to breathe naturally lest they be discovered, Doris and Kitty crouched in the dark closet.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Henry Sully came in.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
closetnounUS /ˈklɑːzət/
a small room (or recess) or cabinet used for storage space
From this reading Scarcely daring to breathe naturally lest they be discovered, Doris and Kitty crouched in the dark closet.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Already they could hear some one in the outer sitting room and a moment later the bedroom door was thrown open.
crouchedverbUS /kraʊtʃt/
past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading Scarcely daring to breathe naturally lest they be discovered, Doris and Kitty crouched in the dark closet.
a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy
From this reading Scarcely daring to breathe naturally lest they be discovered, Doris and Kitty crouched in the dark closet.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Scarcely daring to breathe naturally lest they be discovered, Doris and Kitty crouched in the dark closet.
detectedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtektəd/
perceived or discerned
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading Scarcely daring to breathe naturally lest they be discovered, Doris and Kitty crouched in the dark closet.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
DorisnounUS /ˈdɔːrəs/
(Greek mythology) wife of Nereus and mother of the Nereids
From this reading Scarcely daring to breathe naturally lest they be discovered, Doris and Kitty crouched in the dark closet.
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading He seemed strangely excited and was out of breath from hurrying up the stairs so rapidly.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He seemed strangely excited and was out of breath from hurrying up the stairs so rapidly.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He seemed strangely excited and was out of breath from hurrying up the stairs so rapidly.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading Already they could hear some one in the outer sitting room and a moment later the bedroom door was thrown open.
a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second
From this reading Henry Sully came in.
prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
hurryingadjectiveUS /ˈhɜːriɪŋ/
moving with great haste
From this reading He seemed strangely excited and was out of breath from hurrying up the stairs so rapidly.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Scarcely daring to breathe naturally lest they be discovered, Doris and Kitty crouched in the dark closet.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
KittynounUS /ˈkɪti/
the combined stakes of the betters
From this reading Scarcely daring to breathe naturally lest they be discovered, Doris and Kitty crouched in the dark closet.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Already they could hear some one in the outer sitting room and a moment later the bedroom door was thrown open.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
in order that something should not happen
From this reading Scarcely daring to breathe naturally lest they be discovered, Doris and Kitty crouched in the dark closet.
a particular point in time
From this reading Already they could hear some one in the outer sitting room and a moment later the bedroom door was thrown open.
as might be expected
From this reading Scarcely daring to breathe naturally lest they be discovered, Doris and Kitty crouched in the dark closet.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Already they could hear some one in the outer sitting room and a moment later the bedroom door was thrown open.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Already they could hear some one in the outer sitting room and a moment later the bedroom door was thrown open.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He seemed strangely excited and was out of breath from hurrying up the stairs so rapidly.
outeradjectiveUS /ˈaʊtər/
being on the outside or further from a center
From this reading Already they could hear some one in the outer sitting room and a moment later the bedroom door was thrown open.
with speed
From this reading He seemed strangely excited and was out of breath from hurrying up the stairs so rapidly.
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Already they could hear some one in the outer sitting room and a moment later the bedroom door was thrown open.
only a very short time before
From this reading Scarcely daring to breathe naturally lest they be discovered, Doris and Kitty crouched in the dark closet.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading He seemed strangely excited and was out of breath from hurrying up the stairs so rapidly.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading Already they could hear some one in the outer sitting room and a moment later the bedroom door was thrown open.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He seemed strangely excited and was out of breath from hurrying up the stairs so rapidly.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Already they could hear some one in the outer sitting room and a moment later the bedroom door was thrown open.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading He seemed strangely excited and was out of breath from hurrying up the stairs so rapidly.
in a strange manner
From this reading He seemed strangely excited and was out of breath from hurrying up the stairs so rapidly.
SullyverbUS /ˈsʌli/
place under suspicion or cast doubt upon
From this reading Henry Sully came in.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Scarcely daring to breathe naturally lest they be discovered, Doris and Kitty crouched in the dark closet.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Scarcely daring to breathe naturally lest they be discovered, Doris and Kitty crouched in the dark closet.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading Already they could hear some one in the outer sitting room and a moment later the bedroom door was thrown open.
tightlyadverbUS /ˈtaɪtli/
in a tight or constricted manner
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Scarcely daring to breathe naturally lest they be discovered, Doris and Kitty crouched in the dark closet.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He seemed strangely excited and was out of breath from hurrying up the stairs so rapidly.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In their haste to hide they had left the door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of being detected, it was too late to close it tightly.
