used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For a few minutes nothing broke the stillness but the slow ticking of a clock on the mantelpiece.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He desired silence and solitude, and in this cosy haven he got both.
take a court case to a higher court for review
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
Baxter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I The Efficient Baxter had retired to the smoking room shortly before half-past seven.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading I The Efficient Baxter had retired to the smoking room shortly before half-past seven.
blareverbUS /bler/
make a strident sound
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
the two together, not just one
From this reading He desired silence and solitude, and in this cosy haven he got both.
lacking funds
From this reading For a few minutes nothing broke the stillness but the slow ticking of a clock on the mantelpiece.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading For a few minutes nothing broke the stillness but the slow ticking of a clock on the mantelpiece.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
a timepiece that shows the time of day
From this reading For a few minutes nothing broke the stillness but the slow ticking of a clock on the mantelpiece.
cosynounUS /ˈkoʊzi/
a padded cloth covering to keep a teapot warm
From this reading He desired silence and solitude, and in this cosy haven he got both.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading It was that tocsin of the soul, that muezzin of the country house, the dressing-for-dinner gong.
demonnounUS /ˈdiːmən/
an evil supernatural being
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
wanted intensely
From this reading He desired silence and solitude, and in this cosy haven he got both.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
dressing-for-dinner
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was that tocsin of the soul, that muezzin of the country house, the dressing-for-dinner gong.
EfficientadjectiveUS /ɪˈfɪʃənt/
being effective without wasting time or effort or expense
From this reading I The Efficient Baxter had retired to the smoking room shortly before half-past seven.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading For a few minutes nothing broke the stillness but the slow ticking of a clock on the mantelpiece.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a few minutes nothing broke the stillness but the slow ticking of a clock on the mantelpiece.
frenziedadjectiveUS /ˈfrenzid/
affected with or marked by frenzy or mania uncontrolled by reason
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
gongnounUS /ɡɔːŋ/
a percussion instrument consisting of a metal plate that is struck with a softheaded drumstick
From this reading It was that tocsin of the soul, that muezzin of the country house, the dressing-for-dinner gong.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading He desired silence and solitude, and in this cosy haven he got both.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I The Efficient Baxter had retired to the smoking room shortly before half-past seven.
half-past
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I The Efficient Baxter had retired to the smoking room shortly before half-past seven.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
havennounUS /ˈheɪvən/
a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary
From this reading He desired silence and solitude, and in this cosy haven he got both.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He desired silence and solitude, and in this cosy haven he got both.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading It was that tocsin of the soul, that muezzin of the country house, the dressing-for-dinner gong.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I The Efficient Baxter had retired to the smoking room shortly before half-past seven.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He desired silence and solitude, and in this cosy haven he got both.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was that tocsin of the soul, that muezzin of the country house, the dressing-for-dinner gong.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
a person who loves someone or is loved by someone
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
mantelpiecenoun
shelf that projects from wall above fireplace
From this reading For a few minutes nothing broke the stillness but the slow ticking of a clock on the mantelpiece.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading For a few minutes nothing broke the stillness but the slow ticking of a clock on the mantelpiece.
muezzinnoun
the Muslim official of a mosque who summons the faithful to prayer from a minaret five times a day
From this reading It was that tocsin of the soul, that muezzin of the country house, the dressing-for-dinner gong.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
a brief written record
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading For a few minutes nothing broke the stillness but the slow ticking of a clock on the mantelpiece.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For a few minutes nothing broke the stillness but the slow ticking of a clock on the mantelpiece.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading For a few minutes nothing broke the stillness but the slow ticking of a clock on the mantelpiece.
having or expressing strong emotions
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
no longer active in your work or profession
From this reading I The Efficient Baxter had retired to the smoking room shortly before half-past seven.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading I The Efficient Baxter had retired to the smoking room shortly before half-past seven.
seemingadjectiveUS /ˈsiːmɪŋ/
appearing as such but not necessarily so
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading I The Efficient Baxter had retired to the smoking room shortly before half-past seven.
for a short time
From this reading I The Efficient Baxter had retired to the smoking room shortly before half-past seven.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading He desired silence and solitude, and in this cosy haven he got both.
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
From this reading For a few minutes nothing broke the stillness but the slow ticking of a clock on the mantelpiece.
the act of smoking tobacco or other substances
From this reading I The Efficient Baxter had retired to the smoking room shortly before half-past seven.
solitudenounUS /ˈsɑːlətuːd/
a state of social isolation
From this reading He desired silence and solitude, and in this cosy haven he got both.
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading It was that tocsin of the soul, that muezzin of the country house, the dressing-for-dinner gong.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
stillnessnounUS /ˈstɪlnəs/
(poetic) tranquil silence
From this reading For a few minutes nothing broke the stillness but the slow ticking of a clock on the mantelpiece.
swellingnounUS /ˈswelɪŋ/
an abnormal protuberance or localized enlargement
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was that tocsin of the soul, that muezzin of the country house, the dressing-for-dinner gong.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I The Efficient Baxter had retired to the smoking room shortly before half-past seven.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He desired silence and solitude, and in this cosy haven he got both.
throbverbUS /θrɑːb/
pulsate or pound with abnormal force
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
tickingnounUS /ˈtɪkɪŋ/
a metallic tapping sound
From this reading For a few minutes nothing broke the stillness but the slow ticking of a clock on the mantelpiece.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I The Efficient Baxter had retired to the smoking room shortly before half-past seven.
tocsinnoun
the sound of an alarm (usually a bell)
From this reading It was that tocsin of the soul, that muezzin of the country house, the dressing-for-dinner gong.
wailingnounUS /ˈweɪlɪŋ/
loud cries made while weeping
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was that tocsin of the soul, that muezzin of the country house, the dressing-for-dinner gong.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Then from the direction of the hall there came a new sound, faint at first but swelling and swelling to a frenzied blare, seeming to throb through the air with a note of passionate appeal like a woman wailing for her demon lover.
