adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
abandonmentnounUS /əˈbændənmənt/
the act of giving something up
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/
anew
From this reading When the worst of the crackling and flashing was over, the girl glanced at her watch again.
airnounUS /er/
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Harriet slept in the room with Julia and Josephine that night, or rather tossed and lay wakeful there.
anywhereadverbUS /ˈeniwer/
at or in or to any place
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
AtprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
attitudesnounUS /ˈætətuːdz/
plural of “attitude” — a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
awakenedadjectiveUS /əˈweɪkənd/
aroused or activated
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
breathnounUS /breθ/
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
ceilingnounUS /ˈsiːlɪŋ/
the overhead upper surface of a covered space
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
comfortingadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmfərtɪŋ/
providing freedom from worry
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
cracklingnounUS /ˈkræklɪŋ/
the residue that remains after animal fat has been rendered
From this reading When the worst of the crackling and flashing was over, the girl glanced at her watch again.
doornounUS /dɔːr/
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
encounteredverbUS /ɪnˈkaʊntərd/
past form of “encounter” — come together
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
errandnounUS /ˈerənd/
a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
fastadverbUS /fæst/
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
flashingnounUS /ˈflæʃɪŋ/
a short vivid experience
From this reading When the worst of the crackling and flashing was over, the girl glanced at her watch again.
Fred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/
a young female
From this reading When the worst of the crackling and flashing was over, the girl glanced at her watch again.
glancedverbUS /ɡlænst/
past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading When the worst of the crackling and flashing was over, the girl glanced at her watch again.
hallnounUS /hɔːl/
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
Harriet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Harriet slept in the room with Julia and Josephine that night, or rather tossed and lay wakeful there.
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When the worst of the crackling and flashing was over, the girl glanced at her watch again.
hotadjectiveUS /hɑːt/
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
imagineverbUS /ˌɪˈmædʒən/
form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Harriet slept in the room with Julia and Josephine that night, or rather tossed and lay wakeful there.
intervalnounUS /ˈɪntərvəl/
a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
Josephine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Harriet slept in the room with Julia and Josephine that night, or rather tossed and lay wakeful there.
Julia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Harriet slept in the room with Julia and Josephine that night, or rather tossed and lay wakeful there.
lampnounUS /læmp/
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
layverbUS /leɪ/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Harriet slept in the room with Julia and Josephine that night, or rather tossed and lay wakeful there.
lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
Linda
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
makeverbUS /meɪk/
engage in
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
maternaladjectiveUS /məˈtɜːrnəl/
characteristic of a mother
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
mercifullyadverbUS /ˈmɜːrsɪfəliː/
in a compassionate manner
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
movingadjectiveUS /ˈmuːvɪŋ/
in motion
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
murmuringnounUS /ˈmɜːrmərɪŋ/
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
Nammy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
nightnounUS /naɪt/
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Harriet slept in the room with Julia and Josephine that night, or rather tossed and lay wakeful there.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Harriet slept in the room with Julia and Josephine that night, or rather tossed and lay wakeful there.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading When the worst of the crackling and flashing was over, the girl glanced at her watch again.
propheticadjectiveUS /prəˈfetɪk/
foretelling events as if by supernatural intervention
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
rainnounUS /reɪn/
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/
on the contrary
From this reading Harriet slept in the room with Julia and Josephine that night, or rather tossed and lay wakeful there.
roomnounUS /ruːm/
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Harriet slept in the room with Julia and Josephine that night, or rather tossed and lay wakeful there.
sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/
Identical; not different.
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
sleptverbUS /slept/
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading Harriet slept in the room with Julia and Josephine that night, or rather tossed and lay wakeful there.
spokenounUS /spoʊk/
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
squarelyadverbUS /ˈskwerli/
directly and without evasion; not roundabout
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
steadilyadverbUS /ˈstedəli/
at a steady rate or pace
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
streamedverbUS /striːmd/
past form of “stream” — to extend, wave or float outward, as if in the wind
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
streetnounUS /striːt/
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Harriet slept in the room with Julia and Josephine that night, or rather tossed and lay wakeful there.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Harriet slept in the room with Julia and Josephine that night, or rather tossed and lay wakeful there.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading Harriet slept in the room with Julia and Josephine that night, or rather tossed and lay wakeful there.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
thickadjectiveUS /θɪk/
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
tossedverbUS /tɔːst/
past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading Harriet slept in the room with Julia and Josephine that night, or rather tossed and lay wakeful there.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
wakefuladjective
carefully observant or attentive; on the lookout for possible danger
From this reading Harriet slept in the room with Julia and Josephine that night, or rather tossed and lay wakeful there.
wanderingadjectiveUS /ˈwɑːndərɪŋ/
migratory
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/
look attentively
From this reading When the worst of the crackling and flashing was over, the girl glanced at her watch again.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When the worst of the crackling and flashing was over, the girl glanced at her watch again.
whitenounUS /waɪt/
a Caucasian
From this reading The light of a street lamp came squarely in on the white ceiling, and although the hall door was open, there was no breath of air moving anywhere.
windnounUS /waɪnd/
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading At about two o'clock the wind streamed mercifully in, hot and thick, but prophetic of rain, and Harriet, wandering about to make windows fast, encountered Linda, on the same errand.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Harriet slept in the room with Julia and Josephine that night, or rather tossed and lay wakeful there.
worstnounUS /wɜːrst/
the least favorable outcome
From this reading When the worst of the crackling and flashing was over, the girl glanced at her watch again.
youthfuladjectiveUS /ˈjuːθfəl/
suggestive of youth; vigorous and fresh
From this reading The children slept in attitudes of youthful abandonment; Harriet heard Fred and Linda murmuring steadily, and could imagine of what they spoke; little Nammy awakened, and there was an interval of maternal comforting, and then silence.
