used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Yes; come in," replied a woman’s voice.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading So he turned the handle and pushed the door open.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He turned towards the stairs, but, as he did so, the man with the bandaged head tripped him up, so that Jim fell backwards into the room.
backgroundnounUS /ˈbækɡraʊnd/
a person's social heritage: previous experience or training
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
backwardsadverbUS /ˈbækwərdz/
at or to or toward the back or rear
From this reading He turned towards the stairs, but, as he did so, the man with the bandaged head tripped him up, so that Jim fell backwards into the room.
bandagedadjectiveUS /ˈbændədʒd/
covered or wrapped with a bandage
From this reading He turned towards the stairs, but, as he did so, the man with the bandaged head tripped him up, so that Jim fell backwards into the room.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Yes; come in," replied a woman’s voice.
confrontingverbUS /kənˈfrʌntɪŋ/
-ing form of “confront” — oppose, as in hostility or a competition
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He turned towards the stairs, but, as he did so, the man with the bandaged head tripped him up, so that Jim fell backwards into the room.
dimlyadverbUS /ˈdɪmli/
in a dim indistinct manner
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
distinguishverbUS /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/
mark as different
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading So he turned the handle and pushed the door open.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading He turned towards the stairs, but, as he did so, the man with the bandaged head tripped him up, so that Jim fell backwards into the room.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading _It was a trap_--and safety lay only in immediate flight.
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
furnishings that make a room or other area ready for occupancy
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
be in charge of, act on, or dispose of
From this reading So he turned the handle and pushed the door open.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading So he turned the handle and pushed the door open.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He turned towards the stairs, but, as he did so, the man with the bandaged head tripped him up, so that Jim fell backwards into the room.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
of the present time and place
From this reading _It was a trap_--and safety lay only in immediate flight.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Yes; come in," replied a woman’s voice.
free from evil or guilt
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He turned towards the stairs, but, as he did so, the man with the bandaged head tripped him up, so that Jim fell backwards into the room.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading _It was a trap_--and safety lay only in immediate flight.
Jim
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He turned towards the stairs, but, as he did so, the man with the bandaged head tripped him up, so that Jim fell backwards into the room.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading _It was a trap_--and safety lay only in immediate flight.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He turned towards the stairs, but, as he did so, the man with the bandaged head tripped him up, so that Jim fell backwards into the room.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
and nothing more
From this reading _It was a trap_--and safety lay only in immediate flight.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading So he turned the handle and pushed the door open.
past form of “push” — move with force
From this reading So he turned the handle and pushed the door open.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "Yes; come in," replied a woman’s voice.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
roughs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions
From this reading _It was a trap_--and safety lay only in immediate flight.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So he turned the handle and pushed the door open.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading He turned towards the stairs, but, as he did so, the man with the bandaged head tripped him up, so that Jim fell backwards into the room.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He turned towards the stairs, but, as he did so, the man with the bandaged head tripped him up, so that Jim fell backwards into the room.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading So he turned the handle and pushed the door open.
in the direction of
From this reading He turned towards the stairs, but, as he did so, the man with the bandaged head tripped him up, so that Jim fell backwards into the room.
trapnounUS /træp/
a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned
From this reading _It was a trap_--and safety lay only in immediate flight.
trippedverbUS /trɪpt/
inflected form of “trip” — miss a step and fall or nearly fall
From this reading He turned towards the stairs, but, as he did so, the man with the bandaged head tripped him up, so that Jim fell backwards into the room.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading So he turned the handle and pushed the door open.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He turned towards the stairs, but, as he did so, the man with the bandaged head tripped him up, so that Jim fell backwards into the room.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "Yes; come in," replied a woman’s voice.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Instantly he stopped; the room was innocent of any furniture, but confronting him stood half a dozen roughs, and dimly, in the background, he could distinguish a woman’s form.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He turned towards the stairs, but, as he did so, the man with the bandaged head tripped him up, so that Jim fell backwards into the room.
woman'snounUS /ˈwʊmənz/
possessive form of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading "Yes; come in," replied a woman’s voice.
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes; come in," replied a woman’s voice.
