used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Hartwell and Mason were watching him with the air of uneasy conspirators.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Hartwell and Mason were watching him with the air of uneasy conspirators.
from appearances alone
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The black man who he had been told was the leader of the newest Jazz band, come to give the young lady some hints as to music, had disappeared.
an unofficial association of people or groups
From this reading The black man who he had been told was the leader of the newest Jazz band, come to give the young lady some hints as to music, had disappeared.
basementnounUS /ˈbeɪsmənt/
the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The black man who he had been told was the leader of the newest Jazz band, come to give the young lady some hints as to music, had disappeared.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
cigarettenounUS /ˌsɪɡərˈet/
finely ground tobacco wrapped in paper; for smoking
From this reading Sybil, perfectly composed, was lounging in a wicker chair a little way off, smoking a cigarette.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The black man who he had been told was the leader of the newest Jazz band, come to give the young lady some hints as to music, had disappeared.
providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
serenely self-possessed and free from agitation especially in times of stress
From this reading Sybil, perfectly composed, was lounging in a wicker chair a little way off, smoking a cigarette.
conspiratorsnounUS /kənˈspɪrətərz/
plural of “conspirator” — a member of a conspiracy
From this reading Hartwell and Mason were watching him with the air of uneasy conspirators.
cordsnounUS /kɔːrdz/
cotton trousers made of corduroy cloth
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
recognizable; marked
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading The black man who he had been told was the leader of the newest Jazz band, come to give the young lady some hints as to music, had disappeared.
environmentnounUS /ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt/
the totality of surrounding conditions
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
existingadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzɪstɪŋ/
presently existing
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The black man who he had been told was the leader of the newest Jazz band, come to give the young lady some hints as to music, had disappeared.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
Hartwell
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hartwell and Mason were watching him with the air of uneasy conspirators.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Hartwell and Mason were watching him with the air of uneasy conspirators.
hintsnounUS /hɪnts/
plural of “hint” — an indirect suggestion
From this reading The black man who he had been told was the leader of the newest Jazz band, come to give the young lady some hints as to music, had disappeared.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
JacobnounUS /ˈdʒeɪkəb/
French biochemist who (with Jacques Monod) studied regulatory processes in cells (born in 1920)
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
JazznounUS /dʒæz/
empty rhetoric or insincere or exaggerated talk
From this reading The black man who he had been told was the leader of the newest Jazz band, come to give the young lady some hints as to music, had disappeared.
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading The black man who he had been told was the leader of the newest Jazz band, come to give the young lady some hints as to music, had disappeared.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
a person who rules or guides or inspires others
From this reading The black man who he had been told was the leader of the newest Jazz band, come to give the young lady some hints as to music, had disappeared.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Sybil, perfectly composed, was lounging in a wicker chair a little way off, smoking a cigarette.
loungingverbUS /ˈlaʊndʒɪŋ/
-ing form of “lounge” — sit or recline comfortably
From this reading Sybil, perfectly composed, was lounging in a wicker chair a little way off, smoking a cigarette.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The black man who he had been told was the leader of the newest Jazz band, come to give the young lady some hints as to music, had disappeared.
MasonnounUS /ˈmeɪsən/
American Revolutionary leader from Virginia whose objections led to the drafting of the Bill of Rights (1725-1792)
From this reading Hartwell and Mason were watching him with the air of uneasy conspirators.
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading The black man who he had been told was the leader of the newest Jazz band, come to give the young lady some hints as to music, had disappeared.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
newestadjectiveUS /ˈnuːəst/
superlative of “new” — not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The black man who he had been told was the leader of the newest Jazz band, come to give the young lady some hints as to music, had disappeared.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Sybil, perfectly composed, was lounging in a wicker chair a little way off, smoking a cigarette.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading Sybil, perfectly composed, was lounging in a wicker chair a little way off, smoking a cigarette.
readjustedverbUS /ˌriːəˈdʒʌstɪd/
past form of “readjust” — adjust anew
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
situatedadjectiveUS /ˈsɪtʃuːeɪtɪd/
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
the act of smoking tobacco or other substances
From this reading Sybil, perfectly composed, was lounging in a wicker chair a little way off, smoking a cigarette.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The black man who he had been told was the leader of the newest Jazz band, come to give the young lady some hints as to music, had disappeared.
Sybil
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sybil, perfectly composed, was lounging in a wicker chair a little way off, smoking a cigarette.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
bound or secured closely
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading The black man who he had been told was the leader of the newest Jazz band, come to give the young lady some hints as to music, had disappeared.
uneasyadjectiveUS /əˈniːzi/
lacking a sense of security or affording no ease or reassurance
From this reading Hartwell and Mason were watching him with the air of uneasy conspirators.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading Hartwell and Mason were watching him with the air of uneasy conspirators.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Sybil, perfectly composed, was lounging in a wicker chair a little way off, smoking a cigarette.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Hartwell and Mason were watching him with the air of uneasy conspirators.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
at the time that
From this reading It must have been, Jacob decided, about half an hour later when his senses readjusted themselves to his existing environment.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He was in what had apparently been the kitchen, situated in the basement of the house, seated in a fairly comfortable chair to which he was tied by cords.
which person or people
From this reading The black man who he had been told was the leader of the newest Jazz band, come to give the young lady some hints as to music, had disappeared.
wickernounUS /ˈwɪkər/
slender flexible branches or twigs (especially of willow or some canes); used for wickerwork
From this reading Sybil, perfectly composed, was lounging in a wicker chair a little way off, smoking a cigarette.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Hartwell and Mason were watching him with the air of uneasy conspirators.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The black man who he had been told was the leader of the newest Jazz band, come to give the young lady some hints as to music, had disappeared.
