used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading At first I concluded it must be due to something the murderer had dragged after him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There was another blood-trail, too, and of a less easily explainable kind; a broadish, continuous line, as if marking the path of some huge snake.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading There was another blood-trail, too, and of a less easily explainable kind; a broadish, continuous line, as if marking the path of some huge snake.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
assassinnounUS /əˈsæsən/
a murderer (especially one who kills a prominent political figure) who kills by a surprise attack and often is hired to do the deed
From this reading But what crawling entity could have been in that room with the victim and her assassin, leaving before the killer when the deed was done?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At first I concluded it must be due to something the murderer had dragged after him.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading At first I concluded it must be due to something the murderer had dragged after him.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Then, noting the way some of the footprints seemed to be superimposed on it, I was forced to believe that it had been there when the murderer left.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading But what crawling entity could have been in that room with the victim and her assassin, leaving before the killer when the deed was done?
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading Then, noting the way some of the footprints seemed to be superimposed on it, I was forced to believe that it had been there when the murderer left.
blood-trail
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was another blood-trail, too, and of a less easily explainable kind; a broadish, continuous line, as if marking the path of some huge snake.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
broadish
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was another blood-trail, too, and of a less easily explainable kind; a broadish, continuous line, as if marking the path of some huge snake.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But what crawling entity could have been in that room with the victim and her assassin, leaving before the killer when the deed was done?
having come or been brought to a conclusion
From this reading At first I concluded it must be due to something the murderer had dragged after him.
continuousadjectiveUS /kənˈtɪnjuːəs/
continuing in time or space without interruption
From this reading There was another blood-trail, too, and of a less easily explainable kind; a broadish, continuous line, as if marking the path of some huge snake.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading But what crawling entity could have been in that room with the victim and her assassin, leaving before the killer when the deed was done?
crawlingnounUS /ˈkrɔːlɪŋ/
a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body
From this reading But what crawling entity could have been in that room with the victim and her assassin, leaving before the killer when the deed was done?
a legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it
From this reading But what crawling entity could have been in that room with the victim and her assassin, leaving before the killer when the deed was done?
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading But what crawling entity could have been in that room with the victim and her assassin, leaving before the killer when the deed was done?
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance
From this reading At first I concluded it must be due to something the murderer had dragged after him.
owed and payable immediately or on demand
From this reading At first I concluded it must be due to something the murderer had dragged after him.
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading There was another blood-trail, too, and of a less easily explainable kind; a broadish, continuous line, as if marking the path of some huge snake.
entitynounUS /ˈentəti/
that which is perceived or known or inferred to have its own distinct existence (living or nonliving)
From this reading But what crawling entity could have been in that room with the victim and her assassin, leaving before the killer when the deed was done?
explainableadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspleɪnəbəl/
capable of being understood
From this reading There was another blood-trail, too, and of a less easily explainable kind; a broadish, continuous line, as if marking the path of some huge snake.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading At first I concluded it must be due to something the murderer had dragged after him.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
footprintsnounUS /ˈfʊtprɪnts/
plural of “footprint” — a mark of a foot or shoe on a surface
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading Then, noting the way some of the footprints seemed to be superimposed on it, I was forced to believe that it had been there when the murderer left.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading At first I concluded it must be due to something the murderer had dragged after him.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading But what crawling entity could have been in that room with the victim and her assassin, leaving before the killer when the deed was done?
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading But what crawling entity could have been in that room with the victim and her assassin, leaving before the killer when the deed was done?
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading At first I concluded it must be due to something the murderer had dragged after him.
intense and profound fear
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading There was another blood-trail, too, and of a less easily explainable kind; a broadish, continuous line, as if marking the path of some huge snake.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading There was another blood-trail, too, and of a less easily explainable kind; a broadish, continuous line, as if marking the path of some huge snake.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But what crawling entity could have been in that room with the victim and her assassin, leaving before the killer when the deed was done?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading At first I concluded it must be due to something the murderer had dragged after him.
killernounUS /ˈkɪlər/
someone who causes the death of a person or animal
From this reading But what crawling entity could have been in that room with the victim and her assassin, leaving before the killer when the deed was done?
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading There was another blood-trail, too, and of a less easily explainable kind; a broadish, continuous line, as if marking the path of some huge snake.
the act of departing
From this reading But what crawling entity could have been in that room with the victim and her assassin, leaving before the killer when the deed was done?
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Then, noting the way some of the footprints seemed to be superimposed on it, I was forced to believe that it had been there when the murderer left.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading There was another blood-trail, too, and of a less easily explainable kind; a broadish, continuous line, as if marking the path of some huge snake.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
markingnounUS /ˈmɑːrkɪŋ/
a distinguishing symbol
From this reading There was another blood-trail, too, and of a less easily explainable kind; a broadish, continuous line, as if marking the path of some huge snake.
murderernounUS /ˈmɜːrdərər/
a criminal who commits homicide (who performs the unlawful premeditated killing of another human being)
From this reading At first I concluded it must be due to something the murderer had dragged after him.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading At first I concluded it must be due to something the murderer had dragged after him.
notingverbUS /ˈnoʊtɪŋ/
-ing form of “note” — make mention of
From this reading Then, noting the way some of the footprints seemed to be superimposed on it, I was forced to believe that it had been there when the murderer left.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
a course of conduct
From this reading There was another blood-trail, too, and of a less easily explainable kind; a broadish, continuous line, as if marking the path of some huge snake.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading But what crawling entity could have been in that room with the victim and her assassin, leaving before the killer when the deed was done?
cut with a saw
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Then, noting the way some of the footprints seemed to be superimposed on it, I was forced to believe that it had been there when the murderer left.
snakenounUS /sneɪk/
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading There was another blood-trail, too, and of a less easily explainable kind; a broadish, continuous line, as if marking the path of some huge snake.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading There was another blood-trail, too, and of a less easily explainable kind; a broadish, continuous line, as if marking the path of some huge snake.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading At first I concluded it must be due to something the murderer had dragged after him.
stickyadjectiveUS /ˈstɪki/
having the sticky properties of an adhesive
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
produced or marked by conscious design or premeditation
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
superimposedadjectiveUS /ˌsuːpərəmˈpoʊzd/
placed on or over something else
From this reading Then, noting the way some of the footprints seemed to be superimposed on it, I was forced to believe that it had been there when the murderer left.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, noting the way some of the footprints seemed to be superimposed on it, I was forced to believe that it had been there when the murderer left.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was another blood-trail, too, and of a less easily explainable kind; a broadish, continuous line, as if marking the path of some huge snake.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "As I studied the floor I saw that a line of sticky footprints like the one on the body led away from the horror to the door.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading There was another blood-trail, too, and of a less easily explainable kind; a broadish, continuous line, as if marking the path of some huge snake.
an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
From this reading But what crawling entity could have been in that room with the victim and her assassin, leaving before the killer when the deed was done?
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was another blood-trail, too, and of a less easily explainable kind; a broadish, continuous line, as if marking the path of some huge snake.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Then, noting the way some of the footprints seemed to be superimposed on it, I was forced to believe that it had been there when the murderer left.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But what crawling entity could have been in that room with the victim and her assassin, leaving before the killer when the deed was done?
at the time that
From this reading Then, noting the way some of the footprints seemed to be superimposed on it, I was forced to believe that it had been there when the murderer left.
in the company of; together with
From this reading But what crawling entity could have been in that room with the victim and her assassin, leaving before the killer when the deed was done?
