used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A NARROW ESCAPE.
alleynounUS /ˈæli/
a narrow street with walls on both sides
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
any thing at all
From this reading He did not forget anything, not even the rubber blanket, powder-horn, or rusty butcher-knife.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
blanketnounUS /ˈblæŋkət/
bedding that keeps a person warm in bed
From this reading He did not forget anything, not even the rubber blanket, powder-horn, or rusty butcher-knife.
bundlingnounUS /ˈbʌndəlɪŋ/
a onetime custom during courtship of unmarried couples occupying the same bed without undressing
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
butcher-knife
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not forget anything, not even the rubber blanket, powder-horn, or rusty butcher-knife.
carriage-house
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did not forget anything, not even the rubber blanket, powder-horn, or rusty butcher-knife.
dilapidatedadjectiveUS /dəˈlæpədeɪtɪd/
in deplorable condition
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
eageradjectiveUS /ˈiːɡər/
having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading A NARROW ESCAPE.
divisible by two
From this reading He did not forget anything, not even the rubber blanket, powder-horn, or rusty butcher-knife.
father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
enclose with a fence
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading He did not forget anything, not even the rubber blanket, powder-horn, or rusty butcher-knife.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
an informal term for a youth or man
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
LockingnounUS /ˈlɑːkɪŋ/
the act of locking something up to protect it
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
nailsnounUS /neɪlz/
plural of “nail” — horny plate covering and protecting part of the dorsal surface of the digits
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading A NARROW ESCAPE.
not any; not one
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He did not forget anything, not even the rubber blanket, powder-horn, or rusty butcher-knife.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He did not forget anything, not even the rubber blanket, powder-horn, or rusty butcher-knife.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
powder-horn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not forget anything, not even the rubber blanket, powder-horn, or rusty butcher-knife.
premisesnounUS /ˈpreməsəz/
land and the buildings on it
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
past form of “provide” — give something useful or necessary to
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
with speed
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
rubbernounUS /ˈrʌbər/
an elastic material obtained from the latex sap of trees (especially trees of the genera Hevea and Ficus) that can be vulcanized and finished into a variety of products
From this reading He did not forget anything, not even the rubber blanket, powder-horn, or rusty butcher-knife.
rustyadjectiveUS /ˈrʌsti/
covered with or consisting of rust
From this reading He did not forget anything, not even the rubber blanket, powder-horn, or rusty butcher-knife.
filled with satisfaction
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
do one's shopping
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
stealthilyadverb
in a stealthy manner
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
surveynounUS /sərˈveɪ/
a detailed critical inspection
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
carry out
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
thicketnounUS /ˈθɪkɪt/
a dense growth of bushes
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
-ing form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
tool-chest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
valisenoun
a small overnight bag for short trips
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
valuablesnounUS /ˈvæljəbəlz/
plural of “valuable” — something of value
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
precisely as stated
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
close enough to be walked to
From this reading WALKING rapidly along the alley that ran behind his father’s garden Guy climbed the fence, dropped down into a thicket of bushes, and stopped to take a survey of the premises.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was no one in sight, and having fully satisfied himself on this point he crept stealthily into the carriage-house and up the stairs to his curiosity shop.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Locking the door behind him he took down from one of the nails a dilapidated valise, which he had provided for this very occasion, and throwing open his tool-chest began bundling his valuables into it with eager haste.
