used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A WHISPERING GHOST It was dark as pitch.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I couldn’t see a thing—not even my hand when I held it within an inch of my nose.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The moon and stars were hidden behind a black wall.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A WHISPERING GHOST It was dark as pitch.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The moon and stars were hidden behind a black wall.
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 moon and stars were hidden behind a black wall.
blanketnounUS /ˈblæŋkət/
bedding that keeps a person warm in bed
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
boat'snounUS /boʊts/
possessive form of “boat” — a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
a slight wind (usually refreshing)
From this reading A breeze had sprung up as the day had died and the darkness had crept in.
canal'snounUS /kəˈnælz/
possessive form of “canal” — (astronomy) an indistinct surface feature of Mars once thought to be a system of channels; they are now believed to be an optical illusion
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
couldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I couldn’t see a thing—not even my hand when I held it within an inch of my nose.
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading A breeze had sprung up as the day had died and the darkness had crept in.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading A WHISPERING GHOST It was dark as pitch.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading A breeze had sprung up as the day had died and the darkness had crept in.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading A breeze had sprung up as the day had died and the darkness had crept in.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading A breeze had sprung up as the day had died and the darkness had crept in.
divisible by two
From this reading I couldn’t see a thing—not even my hand when I held it within an inch of my nose.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
fanningverbUS /ˈfænɪŋ/
inflected form of “fan” — strike out (a batter), (of a pitcher)
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
a mental representation of some haunting experience
From this reading A WHISPERING GHOST It was dark as pitch.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A breeze had sprung up as the day had died and the darkness had crept in.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading I couldn’t see a thing—not even my hand when I held it within an inch of my nose.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading I couldn’t see a thing—not even my hand when I held it within an inch of my nose.
not accessible to view
From this reading The moon and stars were hidden behind a black wall.
hungrilyadverbUS /ˈhʌŋɡrəli/
in the manner of someone who is very hungry
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I couldn’t see a thing—not even my hand when I held it within an inch of my nose.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A breeze had sprung up as the day had died and the darkness had crept in.
a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading I couldn’t see a thing—not even my hand when I held it within an inch of my nose.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A WHISPERING GHOST It was dark as pitch.
lapverbUS /læp/
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
lickedadjectiveUS /lɪkt/
having been got the better of
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading The moon and stars were hidden behind a black wall.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I couldn’t see a thing—not even my hand when I held it within an inch of my nose.
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading I couldn’t see a thing—not even my hand when I held it within an inch of my nose.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I couldn’t see a thing—not even my hand when I held it within an inch of my nose.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I couldn’t see a thing—not even my hand when I held it within an inch of my nose.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
pitchnounUS /pɪtʃ/
the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration
From this reading A WHISPERING GHOST It was dark as pitch.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I couldn’t see a thing—not even my hand when I held it within an inch of my nose.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
sprungverbUS /sprʌŋ/
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading A breeze had sprung up as the day had died and the darkness had crept in.
any distinct time period in a sequence of events
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading The moon and stars were hidden behind a black wall.
make steady
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The moon and stars were hidden behind a black wall.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
a special situation
From this reading I couldn’t see a thing—not even my hand when I held it within an inch of my nose.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading A breeze had sprung up as the day had died and the darkness had crept in.
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 The moon and stars were hidden behind a black wall.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A WHISPERING GHOST It was dark as pitch.
plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The moon and stars were hidden behind a black wall.
at the time that
From this reading I couldn’t see a thing—not even my hand when I held it within an inch of my nose.
in or at the place that
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
WHISPERINGnounUS /ˈwɪspərɪŋ/
a light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind
From this reading A WHISPERING GHOST It was dark as pitch.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading I couldn’t see a thing—not even my hand when I held it within an inch of my nose.
covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak
From this reading From where I lay on the stage of our show boat, wrapped in my blanket, the breeze fanning my face, I could hear the steady lap! lap! lap! of the canal’s waves as they hungrily licked the boat’s flat nose.
