used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
(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 Then all was still.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
aroused or activated
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "Come away, for God's sake!"
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Verdayne was no coward--but his fingers closed instinctively on the butt of the revolver that he had placed within easy reach.
buttverbUS /bʌt/
lie adjacent to another or share a boundary
From this reading Verdayne was no coward--but his fingers closed instinctively on the butt of the revolver that he had placed within easy reach.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading Verdayne was no coward--but his fingers closed instinctively on the butt of the revolver that he had placed within easy reach.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Come away, for God's sake!"
cowardnounUS /ˈkaʊərd/
a person who shows fear or timidity
From this reading Verdayne was no coward--but his fingers closed instinctively on the butt of the revolver that he had placed within easy reach.
clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment
From this reading Then a woman's voice, in low, forceful tones, penetrated the stillness, and Paul heard distinctly:
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading Verdayne was no coward--but his fingers closed instinctively on the butt of the revolver that he had placed within easy reach.
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading Verdayne was no coward--but his fingers closed instinctively on the butt of the revolver that he had placed within easy reach.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
forcefuladjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrsfəl/
characterized by or full of force or strength (often but not necessarily physical)
From this reading Then a woman's voice, in low, forceful tones, penetrated the stillness, and Paul heard distinctly:
God'snounUS /ɡɑːdz/
possessive form of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading "Come away, for God's sake!"
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Verdayne was no coward--but his fingers closed instinctively on the butt of the revolver that he had placed within easy reach.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
instinctivelyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈstɪŋktɪvliː/
as a matter of instinct
From this reading Verdayne was no coward--but his fingers closed instinctively on the butt of the revolver that he had placed within easy reach.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Then a woman's voice, in low, forceful tones, penetrated the stillness, and Paul heard distinctly:
a particular point in time
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
not any; not one
From this reading Verdayne was no coward--but his fingers closed instinctively on the butt of the revolver that he had placed within easy reach.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Verdayne was no coward--but his fingers closed instinctively on the butt of the revolver that he had placed within easy reach.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
United States feminist (1885-1977)
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
penetratedverbUS /ˈpenətreɪtɪd/
past form of “penetrate” — pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance
From this reading Then a woman's voice, in low, forceful tones, penetrated the stillness, and Paul heard distinctly:
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading Verdayne was no coward--but his fingers closed instinctively on the butt of the revolver that he had placed within easy reach.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Verdayne was no coward--but his fingers closed instinctively on the butt of the revolver that he had placed within easy reach.
revolvernounUS /rɪˈvɑːlvər/
a pistol with a revolving cylinder (usually having six chambers for bullets)
From this reading Verdayne was no coward--but his fingers closed instinctively on the butt of the revolver that he had placed within easy reach.
a reason for wanting something done
From this reading "Come away, for God's sake!"
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
not in physical motion
From this reading Then all was still.
stillnessnounUS /ˈstɪlnəs/
(poetic) tranquil silence
From this reading Then a woman's voice, in low, forceful tones, penetrated the stillness, and Paul heard distinctly:
make a strenuous or labored effort
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Verdayne was no coward--but his fingers closed instinctively on the butt of the revolver that he had placed within easy reach.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then a woman's voice, in low, forceful tones, penetrated the stillness, and Paul heard distinctly:
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading Then a woman's voice, in low, forceful tones, penetrated the stillness, and Paul heard distinctly:
Verdayne
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Verdayne was no coward--but his fingers closed instinctively on the butt of the revolver that he had placed within easy reach.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Then a woman's voice, in low, forceful tones, penetrated the stillness, and Paul heard distinctly:
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
whispersnounUS /ˈwɪspərz/
plural of “whisper” — speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading During the night Paul was awakened--for a moment he thought he heard the sound of some struggle in the hall outside his door, and the sound of excited whispers.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading Verdayne was no coward--but his fingers closed instinctively on the butt of the revolver that he had placed within easy reach.
woman'snounUS /ˈwʊmənz/
possessive form of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Then a woman's voice, in low, forceful tones, penetrated the stillness, and Paul heard distinctly:
