used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The ascent of the heights had been exciting, the descent held a sense of satisfaction.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The boy put the question in a whisper, as if fearful of disturbing the strange silence, the close secrecy that hung about them.
(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 On the upward way they had been all anticipation; now, with appetites appeased, they toyed with their sensations like diners with their dessert.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
anticipationnounUS /ænˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən/
an expectation
From this reading On the upward way they had been all anticipation; now, with appetites appeased, they toyed with their sensations like diners with their dessert.
appeasedverbUS /əˈpiːzd/
past form of “appease” — cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
From this reading On the upward way they had been all anticipation; now, with appetites appeased, they toyed with their sensations like diners with their dessert.
appetitesnounUS /ˈæpətaɪts/
plural of “appetite” — a feeling of craving something
From this reading On the upward way they had been all anticipation; now, with appetites appeased, they toyed with their sensations like diners with their dessert.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Who are the people living in these houses?"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The boy put the question in a whisper, as if fearful of disturbing the strange silence, the close secrecy that hung about them.
ascentnounUS /əˈsent/
an upward slope or grade (as in a road)
From this reading The ascent of the heights had been exciting, the descent held a sense of satisfaction.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The ascent of the heights had been exciting, the descent held a sense of satisfaction.
a youthful male person
From this reading The boy put the question in a whisper, as if fearful of disturbing the strange silence, the close secrecy that hung about them.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading The boy put the question in a whisper, as if fearful of disturbing the strange silence, the close secrecy that hung about them.
comradeshipnoun
the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
descentnounUS /dɪˈsent/
An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.
From this reading The ascent of the heights had been exciting, the descent held a sense of satisfaction.
dessertnounUS /dɪˈzɜːrt/
a dish served as the last course of a meal
From this reading On the upward way they had been all anticipation; now, with appetites appeased, they toyed with their sensations like diners with their dessert.
dimlyadverbUS /ˈdɪmli/
in a dim indistinct manner
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
dinersnounUS /ˈdaɪnərz/
plural of “diner” — a person eating a meal (especially in a restaurant)
From this reading On the upward way they had been all anticipation; now, with appetites appeased, they toyed with their sensations like diners with their dessert.
disturbingadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɜːrbɪŋ/
causing distress or worry or anxiety
From this reading The boy put the question in a whisper, as if fearful of disturbing the strange silence, the close secrecy that hung about them.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
Escalier
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
excitingadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ/
creating or arousing excitement
From this reading The ascent of the heights had been exciting, the descent held a sense of satisfaction.
exuberantadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzuːbərənt/
joyously unrestrained
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
experiencing or showing fear
From this reading The boy put the question in a whisper, as if fearful of disturbing the strange silence, the close secrecy that hung about them.
fineradjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnər/
(comparative of “fine”) greater in quality or excellence
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The ascent of the heights had been exciting, the descent held a sense of satisfaction.
hallwaynounUS /ˈhɔːlweɪ/
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
haltingadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːltɪŋ/
disabled in the feet or legs
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
heightsnounUS /haɪts/
a high place
From this reading The ascent of the heights had been exciting, the descent held a sense of satisfaction.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading The ascent of the heights had been exciting, the descent held a sense of satisfaction.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading "Who are the people living in these houses?"
hundred-odd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading The boy put the question in a whisper, as if fearful of disturbing the strange silence, the close secrecy that hung about them.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The boy put the question in a whisper, as if fearful of disturbing the strange silence, the close secrecy that hung about them.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Who are the people living in these houses?"
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
set afire or burning
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading On the upward way they had been all anticipation; now, with appetites appeased, they toyed with their sensations like diners with their dessert.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading "Who are the people living in these houses?"
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
of an obscure nature
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading On the upward way they had been all anticipation; now, with appetites appeased, they toyed with their sensations like diners with their dessert.
occasionaladjectiveUS /əˈkeɪʒənəl/
occurring from time to time
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The ascent of the heights had been exciting, the descent held a sense of satisfaction.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On the upward way they had been all anticipation; now, with appetites appeased, they toyed with their sensations like diners with their dessert.
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
peepverbUS /piːp/
look furtively
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading "Who are the people living in these houses?"
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The boy put the question in a whisper, as if fearful of disturbing the strange silence, the close secrecy that hung about them.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading The boy put the question in a whisper, as if fearful of disturbing the strange silence, the close secrecy that hung about them.
Sainte-Marie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation
From this reading The ascent of the heights had been exciting, the descent held a sense of satisfaction.
secrecynounUS /ˈsiːkrəsi/
the trait of keeping things secret
From this reading The boy put the question in a whisper, as if fearful of disturbing the strange silence, the close secrecy that hung about them.
sensationsnounUS /senˈseɪʃənz/
plural of “sensation” — an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation
From this reading On the upward way they had been all anticipation; now, with appetites appeased, they toyed with their sensations like diners with their dessert.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading The ascent of the heights had been exciting, the descent held a sense of satisfaction.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading The boy put the question in a whisper, as if fearful of disturbing the strange silence, the close secrecy that hung about them.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
soberadjectiveUS /ˈsoʊbər/
not affected by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading The boy put the question in a whisper, as if fearful of disturbing the strange silence, the close secrecy that hung about them.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The boy put the question in a whisper, as if fearful of disturbing the strange silence, the close secrecy that hung about them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The ascent of the heights had been exciting, the descent held a sense of satisfaction.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading On the upward way they had been all anticipation; now, with appetites appeased, they toyed with their sensations like diners with their dessert.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The boy put the question in a whisper, as if fearful of disturbing the strange silence, the close secrecy that hung about them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading "Who are the people living in these houses?"
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading On the upward way they had been all anticipation; now, with appetites appeased, they toyed with their sensations like diners with their dessert.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
toyedverbUS /tɔɪd/
past form of “toy” — behave carelessly or indifferently
From this reading On the upward way they had been all anticipation; now, with appetites appeased, they toyed with their sensations like diners with their dessert.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
upwardadjectiveUS /ˈʌpwərd/
directed up
From this reading On the upward way they had been all anticipation; now, with appetites appeased, they toyed with their sensations like diners with their dessert.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading On the upward way they had been all anticipation; now, with appetites appeased, they toyed with their sensations like diners with their dessert.
speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading The boy put the question in a whisper, as if fearful of disturbing the strange silence, the close secrecy that hung about them.
which person or people
From this reading "Who are the people living in these houses?"
in the company of; together with
From this reading At a more sober pace, with a finer, less exuberant sense of comradeship, the two passed down the hundred-odd steps of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie, taking an occasional peep into some dark and silent corner, halting here and there to glance into the dimly lighted hallway of some mysterious house.
