used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
(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 was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A few seconds later there was an apologetic knock at his own door, and Morse presented himself.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
apologeticadjectiveUS /əˌpɑːləˈdʒetɪk/
offering or expressing apology
From this reading A few seconds later there was an apologetic knock at his own door, and Morse presented himself.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A few seconds later there was an apologetic knock at his own door, and Morse presented himself.
attirenounUS /əˈtaɪər/
clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion
From this reading His evening attire was slightly ruffled, he was not remarkably steady upon his feet, and his speech was a little less precise than usual.
aroused or activated
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
an onerous or difficult concern
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
-ing form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
companion's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
intentionally conceived
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
dissipationnounUS /ˌdɪsɪˈpeɪʃən/
breaking up and scattering by dispersion
From this reading Otherwise, he showed no signs of a night of dissipation.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading His evening attire was slightly ruffled, he was not remarkably steady upon his feet, and his speech was a little less precise than usual.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading His evening attire was slightly ruffled, he was not remarkably steady upon his feet, and his speech was a little less precise than usual.
Felixstowe's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading A few seconds later there was an apologetic knock at his own door, and Morse presented himself.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading A few seconds later there was an apologetic knock at his own door, and Morse presented himself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
JacobnounUS /ˈdʒeɪkəb/
French biochemist who (with Jacques Monod) studied regulatory processes in cells (born in 1920)
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading A few seconds later there was an apologetic knock at his own door, and Morse presented himself.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading A few seconds later there was an apologetic knock at his own door, and Morse presented himself.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading His evening attire was slightly ruffled, he was not remarkably steady upon his feet, and his speech was a little less precise than usual.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading His evening attire was slightly ruffled, he was not remarkably steady upon his feet, and his speech was a little less precise than usual.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
the force of workers available
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
MorsenounUS /mɔːrs/
a telegraph code in which letters and numbers are represented by strings of dots and dashes (short and long signals)
From this reading A few seconds later there was an apologetic knock at his own door, and Morse presented himself.
muffledadjectiveUS /ˈmʌfəld/
being or made softer or less loud or clear
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Otherwise, he showed no signs of a night of dissipation.
not any; not one
From this reading Otherwise, he showed no signs of a night of dissipation.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading His evening attire was slightly ruffled, he was not remarkably steady upon his feet, and his speech was a little less precise than usual.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
in other respects or ways
From this reading Otherwise, he showed no signs of a night of dissipation.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading A few seconds later there was an apologetic knock at his own door, and Morse presented himself.
preciseadjectiveUS /prɪˈsaɪs/
sharply exact or accurate or delimited
From this reading His evening attire was slightly ruffled, he was not remarkably steady upon his feet, and his speech was a little less precise than usual.
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading A few seconds later there was an apologetic knock at his own door, and Morse presented himself.
remarkablyadverbUS /rɪˈmɑːrkəbli/
to a remarkable degree or extent
From this reading His evening attire was slightly ruffled, he was not remarkably steady upon his feet, and his speech was a little less precise than usual.
ruffledadjectiveUS /ˈrʌfəld/
shaken into waves or undulations as by wind
From this reading His evening attire was slightly ruffled, he was not remarkably steady upon his feet, and his speech was a little less precise than usual.
secondsnounUS /ˈsekəndz/
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading A few seconds later there was an apologetic knock at his own door, and Morse presented himself.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Otherwise, he showed no signs of a night of dissipation.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading Otherwise, he showed no signs of a night of dissipation.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading His evening attire was slightly ruffled, he was not remarkably steady upon his feet, and his speech was a little less precise than usual.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading His evening attire was slightly ruffled, he was not remarkably steady upon his feet, and his speech was a little less precise than usual.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
make steady
From this reading His evening attire was slightly ruffled, he was not remarkably steady upon his feet, and his speech was a little less precise than usual.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading His evening attire was slightly ruffled, he was not remarkably steady upon his feet, and his speech was a little less precise than usual.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
in or at that place or location
From this reading A few seconds later there was an apologetic knock at his own door, and Morse presented himself.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
trampnounUS /træmp/
a vagrant
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading He was first of all conscious of the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the opening of Lord Felixstowe's door, and the muffled tramp of two men evidently carrying some sort of a burden.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading His evening attire was slightly ruffled, he was not remarkably steady upon his feet, and his speech was a little less precise than usual.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading His evening attire was slightly ruffled, he was not remarkably steady upon his feet, and his speech was a little less precise than usual.
vaingloriousadjective
feeling self-importance
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
at the time that
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
the words that are spoken
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading It seemed to Jacob, when he was awakened from a sound sleep about four o'clock the next morning, that his young companion's farewell words had been vainglorious.
