used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
the performance of a part or role in a drama
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
anew
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
cautiousadjectiveUS /ˈkɔːʃəs/
showing careful forethought
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
crawlverbUS /krɔːl/
move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading “Whoever he is, he is not my father,” said he, to himself, “for my father had gray hair.
plural of “feature” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading THE FLIGHT.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Whoever he is, he is not my father,” said he, to himself, “for my father had gray hair.
a man of refinement
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
destroyed or killed
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading “Whoever he is, he is not my father,” said he, to himself, “for my father had gray hair.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “Whoever he is, he is not my father,” said he, to himself, “for my father had gray hair.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading “Whoever he is, he is not my father,” said he, to himself, “for my father had gray hair.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Whoever he is, he is not my father,” said he, to himself, “for my father had gray hair.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading “Whoever he is, he is not my father,” said he, to himself, “for my father had gray hair.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
husksnounUS /hʌsks/
plural of “husk” — material consisting of seed coverings and small pieces of stem or leaves that have been separated from the seeds
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Whoever he is, he is not my father,” said he, to himself, “for my father had gray hair.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
JuliannounUS /ˈdʒuːliən/
Roman Emperor and nephew of Constantine; he restored paganism as the official religion of the Roman Empire and destroyed Christian temples but his decision was reversed after his death (331?-363)
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
hear with intention
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
loftnounUS /lɔːft/
floor consisting of a large unpartitioned space over a factory or warehouse or other commercial space
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “Whoever he is, he is not my father,” said he, to himself, “for my father had gray hair.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “Whoever he is, he is not my father,” said he, to himself, “for my father had gray hair.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
a formal expression by a meeting; agreed to by a vote
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
(military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Whoever he is, he is not my father,” said he, to himself, “for my father had gray hair.
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE FLIGHT.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Acting upon this resolution Julian began a slow and cautious retreat; but he had not gone far when a thought struck him, and he crept back to the edge of the loft and looked over into the room again.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Whoever he is, he is not my father,” said he, to himself, “for my father had gray hair.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
at the time that
From this reading WHEN THE gentleman came out of his dark corner, and the light of the candle fell upon his features, Julian took a good look at him, and an expression of great disappointment settled on his face.
Whoever
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Whoever he is, he is not my father,” said he, to himself, “for my father had gray hair.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading This man is a stranger, and as it would be a mean piece of business in me to stay here and listen to his conversation I will crawl back to my pile of husks and go to sleep.”
