used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The clearing of Andrew Brown made a sensation in Chicago.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading At the trial McGregor was able to introduce one of those breath-taking dramatic climaxes that catch the attention of the mob.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
age-oldadjective
belonging to or lasting from times long ago
From this reading For a moment Beaut McGregor had given them a peep under the crust of civilisation that awoke an age-old trembling in their hearts.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For a moment Beaut McGregor had given them a peep under the crust of civilisation that awoke an age-old trembling in their hearts.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
AndrewnounUS /ˈændruː/
(New Testament) disciple of Jesus; brother of Peter; patron saint of Scotland
From this reading The clearing of Andrew Brown made a sensation in Chicago.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the trial McGregor was able to introduce one of those breath-taking dramatic climaxes that catch the attention of the mob.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading At the trial McGregor was able to introduce one of those breath-taking dramatic climaxes that catch the attention of the mob.
inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping
From this reading For a moment Beaut McGregor had given them a peep under the crust of civilisation that awoke an age-old trembling in their hearts.
Beautnoun
an outstanding example of its kind
From this reading For a moment Beaut McGregor had given them a peep under the crust of civilisation that awoke an age-old trembling in their hearts.
dearly loved
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading A chill of fear ran over the bodies of women.
breath-taking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the trial McGregor was able to introduce one of those breath-taking dramatic climaxes that catch the attention of the mob.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading The clearing of Andrew Brown made a sensation in Chicago.
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading At the trial McGregor was able to introduce one of those breath-taking dramatic climaxes that catch the attention of the mob.
ChicagonounUS /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/
largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan
From this reading The clearing of Andrew Brown made a sensation in Chicago.
chillnounUS /tʃɪl/
coldness due to a cold environment
From this reading A chill of fear ran over the bodies of women.
civilisationnoun
the social process whereby societies achieve an advanced stage of development and organization
From this reading For a moment Beaut McGregor had given them a peep under the crust of civilisation that awoke an age-old trembling in their hearts.
clearingnounUS /ˈklɪrɪŋ/
a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area
From this reading The clearing of Andrew Brown made a sensation in Chicago.
climaxesnounUS /ˈklɪmæksɪz/
plural of “climax” — the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding
From this reading At the trial McGregor was able to introduce one of those breath-taking dramatic climaxes that catch the attention of the mob.
an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
crustnounUS /krʌst/
the outer layer of the Earth
From this reading For a moment Beaut McGregor had given them a peep under the crust of civilisation that awoke an age-old trembling in their hearts.
dramaticadjectiveUS /drəˈmætɪk/
suitable to or characteristic of drama
From this reading At the trial McGregor was able to introduce one of those breath-taking dramatic climaxes that catch the attention of the mob.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading A chill of fear ran over the bodies of women.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a moment Beaut McGregor had given them a peep under the crust of civilisation that awoke an age-old trembling in their hearts.
made afraid
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading For a moment Beaut McGregor had given them a peep under the crust of civilisation that awoke an age-old trembling in their hearts.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For a moment Beaut McGregor had given them a peep under the crust of civilisation that awoke an age-old trembling in their hearts.
a form of whist in which players avoid winning tricks containing hearts or the queen of spades
From this reading For a moment Beaut McGregor had given them a peep under the crust of civilisation that awoke an age-old trembling in their hearts.
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
become quiet or still; fall silent
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The clearing of Andrew Brown made a sensation in Chicago.
instinctivelyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈstɪŋktɪvliː/
as a matter of instinct
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
introduceverbUS /ˌɪntrəˈduːs/
cause to come to know personally
From this reading At the trial McGregor was able to introduce one of those breath-taking dramatic climaxes that catch the attention of the mob.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The clearing of Andrew Brown made a sensation in Chicago.
McGregor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the trial McGregor was able to introduce one of those breath-taking dramatic climaxes that catch the attention of the mob.
the force of workers available
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
mobnounUS /mɑːb/
a disorderly crowd of people
From this reading At the trial McGregor was able to introduce one of those breath-taking dramatic climaxes that catch the attention of the mob.
a particular point in time
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The clearing of Andrew Brown made a sensation in Chicago.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading At the trial McGregor was able to introduce one of those breath-taking dramatic climaxes that catch the attention of the mob.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading A chill of fear ran over the bodies of women.
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
peepverbUS /piːp/
look furtively
From this reading For a moment Beaut McGregor had given them a peep under the crust of civilisation that awoke an age-old trembling in their hearts.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading A chill of fear ran over the bodies of women.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation
From this reading The clearing of Andrew Brown made a sensation in Chicago.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
tensenounUS /tens/
a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading At the trial McGregor was able to introduce one of those breath-taking dramatic climaxes that catch the attention of the mob.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The clearing of Andrew Brown made a sensation in Chicago.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading At the trial McGregor was able to introduce one of those breath-taking dramatic climaxes that catch the attention of the mob.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At the trial McGregor was able to introduce one of those breath-taking dramatic climaxes that catch the attention of the mob.
a shaky motion
From this reading For a moment Beaut McGregor had given them a peep under the crust of civilisation that awoke an age-old trembling in their hearts.
the act of testing something
From this reading At the trial McGregor was able to introduce one of those breath-taking dramatic climaxes that catch the attention of the mob.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading For a moment Beaut McGregor had given them a peep under the crust of civilisation that awoke an age-old trembling in their hearts.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading At the tense dramatic moment of the trial a frightened hush fell upon the court room and that evening in their houses men turned instinctively from the reading of the papers to look at their beloved sitting about them.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At the trial McGregor was able to introduce one of those breath-taking dramatic climaxes that catch the attention of the mob.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading A chill of fear ran over the bodies of women.
