used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The fresh air, which blew in his face, greatly revived him.
(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 He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
AscendingadjectiveUS /əˈsendɪŋ/
moving or going or growing upward
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
battlementsnounUS /ˈbætəlmənts/
plural of “battlement” — a rampart built around the top of a castle with regular gaps for firing arrows or guns
From this reading On the north stood the battlements of one of the towers of the gate.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard
From this reading The fresh air, which blew in his face, greatly revived him.
boltedverbUS /ˈboʊltəd/
past form of “bolt” — move or jump suddenly
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
contiguousadjectiveUS /kənˈtɪɡjuːəs/
very close or connected in space or time
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
coveringnounUS /ˈkʌvərɪŋ/
a natural object that covers or envelops
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The fresh air, which blew in his face, greatly revived him.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
set up or found
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
fourteennounUS /ˈfɔːrˈtiːn/
the cardinal number that is the sum of thirteen and one
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading The fresh air, which blew in his face, greatly revived him.
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading On the north stood the battlements of one of the towers of the gate.
gatewaynounUS /ˈɡeɪtweɪ/
an entrance that can be closed by a gate
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
to an extraordinary extent or degree
From this reading The fresh air, which blew in his face, greatly revived him.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
hand-rail
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On this side a flight of wooden steps, protected by a hand-rail, led to a door opening upon the summit of the prison.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The fresh air, which blew in his face, greatly revived him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The fresh air, which blew in his face, greatly revived him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
a small worthless amount
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
LeadsnounUS /liːdz/
plural of “lead” — an advantage held by a competitor in a race
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading On this side a flight of wooden steps, protected by a hand-rail, led to a door opening upon the summit of the prison.
move something or somebody to a lower position
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading On the north stood the battlements of one of the towers of the gate.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading On the north stood the battlements of one of the towers of the gate.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading On this side a flight of wooden steps, protected by a hand-rail, led to a door opening upon the summit of the prison.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
protectedadjectiveUS /prəˈtektɪd/
kept safe or defended from danger or injury or loss
From this reading On this side a flight of wooden steps, protected by a hand-rail, led to a door opening upon the summit of the prison.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
revivedadjectiveUS /rɪˈvaɪvd/
restored to consciousness or life or vigor
From this reading The fresh air, which blew in his face, greatly revived him.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading On this side a flight of wooden steps, protected by a hand-rail, led to a door opening upon the summit of the prison.
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
speedilyadverbUS /ˈspiːdəli/
with speed
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading On the north stood the battlements of one of the towers of the gate.
summitnounUS /ˈsʌmət/
the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
confined on all sides
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading On this side a flight of wooden steps, protected by a hand-rail, led to a door opening upon the summit of the prison.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
towersnounUS /ˈtaʊərz/
plural of “tower” — a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building
From this reading On the north stood the battlements of one of the towers of the gate.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading On this side a flight of wooden steps, protected by a hand-rail, led to a door opening upon the summit of the prison.
plural of “wall” — 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 He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He had now reached what was called the Lower Leads,--a flat, covering a part of the prison contiguous to the gateway, and surrounded on all sides by walls about fourteen feet high.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Ascending a short flight of steps, Jack found at the summit a door, which being bolted in the inside he speedily opened.
made or consisting of (entirely or in part) or employing wood
From this reading On this side a flight of wooden steps, protected by a hand-rail, led to a door opening upon the summit of the prison.
