used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
(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 In the dead time of night we heard footsteps, and voices in the room below our dormitory, and gave all up for lost.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
anxietiesnounUS /æŋˈzaɪətiz/
plural of “anxiety” — (psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
bedsnounUS /bedz/
plural of “bed” — a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading We stole into our beds, and lay in that painful state of shortened breath and quickened pulse which the expectation of ill induces.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading In the dead time of night we heard footsteps, and voices in the room below our dormitory, and gave all up for lost.
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading We stole into our beds, and lay in that painful state of shortened breath and quickened pulse which the expectation of ill induces.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
-ing form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
cementnounUS /səˈment/
concrete pavement is sometimes referred to as cement
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
chroniclenounUS /ˈkrɑː.nɪ.kəl/
A detailed written record of historical events in order. (Sử ký, biên niên sử lịch sử.)
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
courtyardnounUS /ˈkɔːrt.jɑːrd/
An unroofed area that is completely or partially enclosed by the walls of a house.
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading In the dead time of night we heard footsteps, and voices in the room below our dormitory, and gave all up for lost.
disposingverbUS /dɪˈspoʊzɪŋ/
-ing form of “dispose” — give, sell, or transfer to another
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
dormitorynounUS /ˈdɔːrmətɔːri/
a college or university building containing living quarters for students
From this reading In the dead time of night we heard footsteps, and voices in the room below our dormitory, and gave all up for lost.
remove the dust from
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
expectationnounUS /ˌekspekˈteɪʃən/
belief about (or mental picture of) the future
From this reading We stole into our beds, and lay in that painful state of shortened breath and quickened pulse which the expectation of ill induces.
plural of “fear” — an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading In the dead time of night we heard footsteps, and voices in the room below our dormitory, and gave all up for lost.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading In the dead time of night we heard footsteps, and voices in the room below our dormitory, and gave all up for lost.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Once we had a great scare.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Once we had a great scare.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading In the dead time of night we heard footsteps, and voices in the room below our dormitory, and gave all up for lost.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
plural of “hope” — a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading We stole into our beds, and lay in that painful state of shortened breath and quickened pulse which the expectation of ill induces.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
inducesverbUS /ˌɪnˈduːsɪz/
third-person singular of “induce” — cause to arise
From this reading We stole into our beds, and lay in that painful state of shortened breath and quickened pulse which the expectation of ill induces.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading We stole into our beds, and lay in that painful state of shortened breath and quickened pulse which the expectation of ill induces.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
set down according to a plan
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading We stole into our beds, and lay in that painful state of shortened breath and quickened pulse which the expectation of ill induces.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading In the dead time of night we heard footsteps, and voices in the room below our dormitory, and gave all up for lost.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
on one occasion
From this reading Once we had a great scare.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
causing physical or psychological pain
From this reading We stole into our beds, and lay in that painful state of shortened breath and quickened pulse which the expectation of ill induces.
pitchnounUS /pɪtʃ/
the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
plural of “pocket” — a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
gradual improvement or growth or development
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
pulsenounUS /pʌls/
(electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients)
From this reading We stole into our beds, and lay in that painful state of shortened breath and quickened pulse which the expectation of ill induces.
quickenedverbUS /ˈkwɪkənd/
past form of “quicken” — move faster
From this reading We stole into our beds, and lay in that painful state of shortened breath and quickened pulse which the expectation of ill induces.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading In the dead time of night we heard footsteps, and voices in the room below our dormitory, and gave all up for lost.
scareverbUS /sker/
cause fear in
From this reading Once we had a great scare.
scrapedverbUS /skreɪpt/
past form of “scrape” — scratch repeatedly
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
shortenedadjectiveUS /ˈʃɔːrtənd/
cut short
From this reading We stole into our beds, and lay in that painful state of shortened breath and quickened pulse which the expectation of ill induces.
stagesnounUS /ˈsteɪdʒəz/
plural of “stage” — any distinct time period in a sequence of events
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading We stole into our beds, and lay in that painful state of shortened breath and quickened pulse which the expectation of ill induces.
a wide scarf worn about their shoulders by women
From this reading We stole into our beds, and lay in that painful state of shortened breath and quickened pulse which the expectation of ill induces.
suspensenounUS /səˈspens/
apprehension about what is going to happen
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
sweepings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
tediousadjectiveUS /ˈtiːdiəs/
so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading In the dead time of night we heard footsteps, and voices in the room below our dormitory, and gave all up for lost.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading In the dead time of night we heard footsteps, and voices in the room below our dormitory, and gave all up for lost.
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading In the dead time of night we heard footsteps, and voices in the room below our dormitory, and gave all up for lost.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading Night by night for a week, in pitch darkness and bitter cold, we scraped away the cement, carrying away in the morning in our pockets the dust that fell, and disposing of it in the sweepings of the courtyard.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It would be tedious to chronicle the stages of our progress, the hopes and fears, the anxieties and suspense, which in turn laid hold of me.
