used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
acted upon; influenced
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
any thing at all
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
beginsnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnz/
plural of “begin” — Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as prime minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat (then the president of Egypt) (1913-1992)
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
highly favored or fortunate (as e.g. by divine grace)
From this reading Have they the souls of night-things, and is the whole blessed town in the hands of the cats?”
possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
catsnounUS /kæts/
plural of “cat” — feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats
From this reading Have they the souls of night-things, and is the whole blessed town in the hands of the cats?”
a low-lying region in central France
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
cordsnounUS /kɔːrdz/
cotton trousers made of corduroy cloth
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
deprecatingadjectiveUS /ˈdeprəkeɪtɪŋ/
tending to diminish or disparage
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
dismaynounUS /dɪˈsmeɪ/
the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
From this reading The fancy somehow electrified him with little shocks of shrinking and dismay.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
dusknounUS /dʌsk/
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
electrifiedverbUS /ɪˈlektrəfaɪd/
inflected form of “electrify” — excite suddenly and intensely
From this reading The fancy somehow electrified him with little shocks of shrinking and dismay.
something many people believe that is false
From this reading The fancy somehow electrified him with little shocks of shrinking and dismay.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
plural of “force” — a powerful effect or influence
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Have they the souls of night-things, and is the whole blessed town in the hands of the cats?”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The fancy somehow electrified him with little shocks of shrinking and dismay.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
honestlyadverbUS /ˈɑːnəstli/
(used as intensives reflecting the speaker's attitude) it is sincerely the case that
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Have they the souls of night-things, and is the whole blessed town in the hands of the cats?”
invisibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈvɪzəbəl/
impossible or nearly impossible to see; imperceptible by the eye
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
the sound of laughing
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The fancy somehow electrified him with little shocks of shrinking and dismay.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
engage in
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
night-things
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Have they the souls of night-things, and is the whole blessed town in the hands of the cats?”
not divisible by two
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
and nothing more
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
pretencenoun
a false or unsupportable quality
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
shamnounUS /ʃæm/
something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
shocksnounUS /ʃɑːks/
plural of “shock” — the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading The fancy somehow electrified him with little shocks of shrinking and dismay.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
shrinkingnounUS /ˈʃrɪŋkɪŋ/
process or result of becoming less or smaller
From this reading The fancy somehow electrified him with little shocks of shrinking and dismay.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
in some unspecified way or manner; or by some unspecified means
From this reading The fancy somehow electrified him with little shocks of shrinking and dismay.
plural of “soul” — the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading Have they the souls of night-things, and is the whole blessed town in the hands of the cats?”
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
in spite of the fact that
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Have they the souls of night-things, and is the whole blessed town in the hands of the cats?”
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
tuggingverbUS /ˈtʌɡɪŋ/
inflected form of “tug” — pull hard
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
twilightnounUS /ˈtwaɪlaɪt/
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
uneasyadjectiveUS /əˈniːzi/
lacking a sense of security or affording no ease or reassurance
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
precisely as stated
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading Have they the souls of night-things, and is the whole blessed town in the hands of the cats?”
in the company of; together with
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
but in spite of that
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
