used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading First there came a diminishing of the sounds that filled the place.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Then the chill sweep of air from the door surged across the room, like a great fear congealing the blood.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Then the chill sweep of air from the door surged across the room, like a great fear congealing the blood.
(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 In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
AVALON
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading They died away like a fading wind.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading Then the chill sweep of air from the door surged across the room, like a great fear congealing the blood.
inflected form of “bear” — have
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading First there came a diminishing of the sounds that filled the place.
chillnounUS /tʃɪl/
coldness due to a cold environment
From this reading Then the chill sweep of air from the door surged across the room, like a great fear congealing the blood.
congealing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then the chill sweep of air from the door surged across the room, like a great fear congealing the blood.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading They died away like a fading wind.
diminishingadjectiveUS /dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪŋ/
becoming smaller or less or appearing to do so
From this reading First there came a diminishing of the sounds that filled the place.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Then the chill sweep of air from the door surged across the room, like a great fear congealing the blood.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
fadingnounUS /ˈfeɪdɪŋ/
weakening in force or intensity
From this reading They died away like a fading wind.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading Then the chill sweep of air from the door surged across the room, like a great fear congealing the blood.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading First there came a diminishing of the sounds that filled the place.
FirstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading First there came a diminishing of the sounds that filled the place.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Then the chill sweep of air from the door surged across the room, like a great fear congealing the blood.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Then the chill sweep of air from the door surged across the room, like a great fear congealing the blood.
groupedadjectiveUS /ɡruːpt/
arranged into groups
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
instinctivelyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈstɪŋktɪvliː/
as a matter of instinct
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading They died away like a fading wind.
the force of workers available
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
menacingadjectiveUS /ˈmenəsɪŋ/
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
messnounUS /mes/
a state of confusion and disorderliness
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
in motion
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading First there came a diminishing of the sounds that filled the place.
with speed
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Then the chill sweep of air from the door surged across the room, like a great fear congealing the blood.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
sloppyadjectiveUS /ˈslɑːpi/
lacking neatness or order
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading First there came a diminishing of the sounds that filled the place.
splashingnounUS /ˈsplæʃɪŋ/
the act of splashing a (liquid) substance on a surface
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
suckingnounUS /ˈsʌkɪŋ/
the act of sucking
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
surgedverbUS /sɜːrdʒd/
past form of “surge” — rise and move, as in waves or billows
From this reading Then the chill sweep of air from the door surged across the room, like a great fear congealing the blood.
sweepverbUS /swiːp/
sweep across or over
From this reading Then the chill sweep of air from the door surged across the room, like a great fear congealing the blood.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading First there came a diminishing of the sounds that filled the place.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then the chill sweep of air from the door surged across the room, like a great fear congealing the blood.
in or at that place or location
From this reading First there came a diminishing of the sounds that filled the place.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They died away like a fading wind.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
underfootadverbUS /ˌʌndərˈfʊt/
under the feet
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
VALEnounUS /veɪl/
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading In the sloppy mess underfoot could be heard the sucking, splashing sound of feet moving, as men all about drew back instinctively and rapidly to be out of the way.
which person or people
From this reading TO THE VALE OF AVALON Slowly the sense of something terrible and menacing was borne in on those who grouped themselves at the table.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading They died away like a fading wind.
