used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The old clerk had fallen from his seat, and lay in a motionless heap at the bottom of the railway carriage.
in the past
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He was a vagabond and an outcast, and scenes of horror were not new to him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The old clerk had fallen from his seat, and lay in a motionless heap at the bottom of the railway carriage.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The old clerk had fallen from his seat, and lay in a motionless heap at the bottom of the railway carriage.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
next to; at the side of
From this reading Joseph Wilmot knelt beside the stricken man.
the lower side of anything
From this reading The old clerk had fallen from his seat, and lay in a motionless heap at the bottom of the railway carriage.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
a railcar where passengers ride
From this reading The old clerk had fallen from his seat, and lay in a motionless heap at the bottom of the railway carriage.
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading The old clerk had fallen from his seat, and lay in a motionless heap at the bottom of the railway carriage.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading THE STROKE OF DEATH.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading The old clerk had fallen from his seat, and lay in a motionless heap at the bottom of the railway carriage.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The old clerk had fallen from his seat, and lay in a motionless heap at the bottom of the railway carriage.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The old clerk had fallen from his seat, and lay in a motionless heap at the bottom of the railway carriage.
past form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was a vagabond and an outcast, and scenes of horror were not new to him.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading The old clerk had fallen from his seat, and lay in a motionless heap at the bottom of the railway carriage.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The old clerk had fallen from his seat, and lay in a motionless heap at the bottom of the railway carriage.
intense and profound fear
From this reading He was a vagabond and an outcast, and scenes of horror were not new to him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The old clerk had fallen from his seat, and lay in a motionless heap at the bottom of the railway carriage.
inevitableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnevətəbəl/
incapable of being avoided or prevented
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
leader of the Nez Perce in their retreat from United States troops (1840-1904)
From this reading Joseph Wilmot knelt beside the stricken man.
kneltverbUS /nelt/
inflected form of “kneel” — rest one's weight on one's knees
From this reading Joseph Wilmot knelt beside the stricken man.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The old clerk had fallen from his seat, and lay in a motionless heap at the bottom of the railway carriage.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Joseph Wilmot knelt beside the stricken man.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
not in physical motion
From this reading The old clerk had fallen from his seat, and lay in a motionless heap at the bottom of the railway carriage.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading He was a vagabond and an outcast, and scenes of horror were not new to him.
not any; not one
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He was a vagabond and an outcast, and scenes of horror were not new to him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE STROKE OF DEATH.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The old clerk had fallen from his seat, and lay in a motionless heap at the bottom of the railway carriage.
outcastnounUS /ˈaʊtkæst/
a person who is rejected (from society or home)
From this reading He was a vagabond and an outcast, and scenes of horror were not new to him.
paralysisnounUS /pərˈæləsəs/
loss of the ability to move a body part
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
railwaynounUS /ˈreɪlweɪ/
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading The old clerk had fallen from his seat, and lay in a motionless heap at the bottom of the railway carriage.
plural of “scene” — the place where some action occurs
From this reading He was a vagabond and an outcast, and scenes of horror were not new to him.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading The old clerk had fallen from his seat, and lay in a motionless heap at the bottom of the railway carriage.
strickenadjectiveUS /ˈstrɪkən/
grievously affected especially by disease
From this reading Joseph Wilmot knelt beside the stricken man.
(sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand
From this reading THE STROKE OF DEATH.
terminusnounUS /ˈtɜːrmɪnəs/
a place where something ends or is complete
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE STROKE OF DEATH.
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He was a vagabond and an outcast, and scenes of horror were not new to him.
unlooked-foradjective
not anticipated
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
vagabondnounUS /ˈvæɡəbɑːnd/
anything that resembles a vagabond in having no fixed place
From this reading He was a vagabond and an outcast, and scenes of horror were not new to him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was a vagabond and an outcast, and scenes of horror were not new to him.
WaterloonounUS /ˈwɔːtərluː/
a town in central Belgium where in 1815 Napoleon met his final defeat
From this reading The third stroke of paralysis had come upon him; inevitable, no doubt, long ago; but hastened, it may be, by that unlooked-for meeting at the Waterloo terminus.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He was a vagabond and an outcast, and scenes of horror were not new to him.
Wilmot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Joseph Wilmot knelt beside the stricken man.
