used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The palace had been silent for hours; ever since he had relieved the soldier before him he had not heard a sound.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
in a state of sleep
From this reading FRANCE CHALLENGES The sentry on duty at the foot of the great staircase in Hampton Court Palace was nearly asleep.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading FRANCE CHALLENGES The sentry on duty at the foot of the great staircase in Hampton Court Palace was nearly asleep.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The palace had been silent for hours; ever since he had relieved the soldier before him he had not heard a sound.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The palace had been silent for hours; ever since he had relieved the soldier before him he had not heard a sound.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
CHALLENGESnounUS /ˈtʃæləndʒɪz/
plural of “challenge” — a demanding or stimulating situation
From this reading FRANCE CHALLENGES The sentry on duty at the foot of the great staircase in Hampton Court Palace was nearly asleep.
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading Wren’s palace was neither very cheerful nor very well warmed.
an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading FRANCE CHALLENGES The sentry on duty at the foot of the great staircase in Hampton Court Palace was nearly asleep.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading FRANCE CHALLENGES The sentry on duty at the foot of the great staircase in Hampton Court Palace was nearly asleep.
at any time
From this reading The palace had been silent for hours; ever since he had relieved the soldier before him he had not heard a sound.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading FRANCE CHALLENGES The sentry on duty at the foot of the great staircase in Hampton Court Palace was nearly asleep.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The palace had been silent for hours; ever since he had relieved the soldier before him he had not heard a sound.
a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe
From this reading FRANCE CHALLENGES The sentry on duty at the foot of the great staircase in Hampton Court Palace was nearly asleep.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
depressingly dark
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading FRANCE CHALLENGES The sentry on duty at the foot of the great staircase in Hampton Court Palace was nearly asleep.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The palace had been silent for hours; ever since he had relieved the soldier before him he had not heard a sound.
HamptonnounUS /ˈhæmptən/
United States musician who was the first to use the vibraphone as a jazz instrument (1913-2002)
From this reading FRANCE CHALLENGES The sentry on duty at the foot of the great staircase in Hampton Court Palace was nearly asleep.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The palace had been silent for hours; ever since he had relieved the soldier before him he had not heard a sound.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading The palace had been silent for hours; ever since he had relieved the soldier before him he had not heard a sound.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The palace had been silent for hours; ever since he had relieved the soldier before him he had not heard a sound.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading The palace had been silent for hours; ever since he had relieved the soldier before him he had not heard a sound.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading FRANCE CHALLENGES The sentry on duty at the foot of the great staircase in Hampton Court Palace was nearly asleep.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
mid-Novembernoun
the middle part of November
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
become covered with mist
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading FRANCE CHALLENGES The sentry on duty at the foot of the great staircase in Hampton Court Palace was nearly asleep.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading Wren’s palace was neither very cheerful nor very well warmed.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Wren’s palace was neither very cheerful nor very well warmed.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The palace had been silent for hours; ever since he had relieved the soldier before him he had not heard a sound.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading FRANCE CHALLENGES The sentry on duty at the foot of the great staircase in Hampton Court Palace was nearly asleep.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading FRANCE CHALLENGES The sentry on duty at the foot of the great staircase in Hampton Court Palace was nearly asleep.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading FRANCE CHALLENGES The sentry on duty at the foot of the great staircase in Hampton Court Palace was nearly asleep.
(of pain or sorrow) made easier to bear
From this reading The palace had been silent for hours; ever since he had relieved the soldier before him he had not heard a sound.
risenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪzən/
(of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
sentrynounUS /ˈsentri/
a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading FRANCE CHALLENGES The sentry on duty at the foot of the great staircase in Hampton Court Palace was nearly asleep.
shiveredverbUS /ˈʃɪvərd/
past form of “shiver” — tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement
From this reading The sentry yawned and then shivered.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading The palace had been silent for hours; ever since he had relieved the soldier before him he had not heard a sound.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading The palace had been silent for hours; ever since he had relieved the soldier before him he had not heard a sound.
an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army
From this reading The palace had been silent for hours; ever since he had relieved the soldier before him he had not heard a sound.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The palace had been silent for hours; ever since he had relieved the soldier before him he had not heard a sound.
staircasenounUS /ˈsterkeɪs/
a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading FRANCE CHALLENGES The sentry on duty at the foot of the great staircase in Hampton Court Palace was nearly asleep.
stairwaynounUS /ˈsterweɪ/
a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading FRANCE CHALLENGES The sentry on duty at the foot of the great staircase in Hampton Court Palace was nearly asleep.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The sentry yawned and then shivered.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was now nearly three o’clock and beginning to be dark on the huge, gloomy stairway, for it was mid-November and a mist had risen all day from the river.
precisely as stated
From this reading Wren’s palace was neither very cheerful nor very well warmed.
warmedadjectiveUS /wɔːrmd/
having been warmed up
From this reading Wren’s palace was neither very cheerful nor very well warmed.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading FRANCE CHALLENGES The sentry on duty at the foot of the great staircase in Hampton Court Palace was nearly asleep.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Wren’s palace was neither very cheerful nor very well warmed.
Wren's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wren’s palace was neither very cheerful nor very well warmed.
yawnedverbUS /jɔːnd/
past form of “yawn” — utter a yawn, as from lack of oxygen or when one is tired
From this reading The sentry yawned and then shivered.
