used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading From a corner of the room the rasping sound of a rat, gnawing, broke the stillness, then suddenly ceased.
Amy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Where were you on the night this woman, Amy Gerard, was found dead?"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He had ceased writing; for the moment he leaned back, his vigilant gaze on the figure near-by.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before John Steele lay paper and ink, procured from some niche.
lacking funds
From this reading From a corner of the room the rasping sound of a rat, gnawing, broke the stillness, then suddenly ceased.
treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading He had ceased writing; for the moment he leaned back, his vigilant gaze on the figure near-by.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading From a corner of the room the rasping sound of a rat, gnawing, broke the stillness, then suddenly ceased.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading "Where were you on the night this woman, Amy Gerard, was found dead?"
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading He had ceased writing; for the moment he leaned back, his vigilant gaze on the figure near-by.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He had ceased writing; for the moment he leaned back, his vigilant gaze on the figure near-by.
set up or found
From this reading "Where were you on the night this woman, Amy Gerard, was found dead?"
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
a long fixed look
From this reading He had ceased writing; for the moment he leaned back, his vigilant gaze on the figure near-by.
Gerard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Where were you on the night this woman, Amy Gerard, was found dead?"
gnawingverbUS /ˈnɔːɪŋ/
-ing form of “gnaw” — bite or chew on with the teeth
From this reading From a corner of the room the rasping sound of a rat, gnawing, broke the stillness, then suddenly ceased.
grimyadjectiveUS /ˈɡraɪmi/
thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had ceased writing; for the moment he leaned back, his vigilant gaze on the figure near-by.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had ceased writing; for the moment he leaned back, his vigilant gaze on the figure near-by.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had ceased writing; for the moment he leaned back, his vigilant gaze on the figure near-by.
inknounUS /ɪŋk/
a liquid used for printing or writing or drawing
From this reading Before John Steele lay paper and ink, procured from some niche.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading Before John Steele lay paper and ink, procured from some niche.
immediately past
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Before John Steele lay paper and ink, procured from some niche.
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading He had ceased writing; for the moment he leaned back, his vigilant gaze on the figure near-by.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
the force of workers available
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
a particular point in time
From this reading He had ceased writing; for the moment he leaned back, his vigilant gaze on the figure near-by.
near-by
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had ceased writing; for the moment he leaned back, his vigilant gaze on the figure near-by.
nichenounUS /nɪtʃ/
a position particularly well suited to the person who occupies it
From this reading Before John Steele lay paper and ink, procured from some niche.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading "Where were you on the night this woman, Amy Gerard, was found dead?"
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading Before John Steele lay paper and ink, procured from some niche.
procuredverbUS /proʊˈkjʊrd/
past form of “procure” — get by special effort
From this reading Before John Steele lay paper and ink, procured from some niche.
raspingadjective
unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound
From this reading From a corner of the room the rasping sound of a rat, gnawing, broke the stillness, then suddenly ceased.
ratnounUS /ræt/
any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
From this reading From a corner of the room the rasping sound of a rat, gnawing, broke the stillness, then suddenly ceased.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading From a corner of the room the rasping sound of a rat, gnawing, broke the stillness, then suddenly ceased.
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
SHIFTverbUS /ʃɪft/
make a shift in or exchange of
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Before John Steele lay paper and ink, procured from some niche.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading From a corner of the room the rasping sound of a rat, gnawing, broke the stillness, then suddenly ceased.
SteelenounUS /stiːl/
English writer (1672-1729)
From this reading Before John Steele lay paper and ink, procured from some niche.
stillnessnounUS /ˈstɪlnəs/
(poetic) tranquil silence
From this reading From a corner of the room the rasping sound of a rat, gnawing, broke the stillness, then suddenly ceased.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading From a corner of the room the rasping sound of a rat, gnawing, broke the stillness, then suddenly ceased.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading From a corner of the room the rasping sound of a rat, gnawing, broke the stillness, then suddenly ceased.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Where were you on the night this woman, Amy Gerard, was found dead?"
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
vigilantadjectiveUS /ˈvɪdʒələnt/
carefully observant or attentive; on the lookout for possible danger
From this reading He had ceased writing; for the moment he leaned back, his vigilant gaze on the figure near-by.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading THE LAST SHIFT The candle burned low; it threw now on grimy floor and wall the shadows of the two men, one seated at the table, the other not far from it.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Where were you on the night this woman, Amy Gerard, was found dead?"
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Where were you on the night this woman, Amy Gerard, was found dead?"
in or at the place that
From this reading "Where were you on the night this woman, Amy Gerard, was found dead?"
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading "Where were you on the night this woman, Amy Gerard, was found dead?"
the act of creating written works
From this reading He had ceased writing; for the moment he leaned back, his vigilant gaze on the figure near-by.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Where were you on the night this woman, Amy Gerard, was found dead?"
