used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
Alice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Now she could hear it whine, and, despite her knowledge that the gesture was an idle one, she could not help once more feeling the bolt behind the door.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They flew, crawled, snarled, howled, burrowed up under the floors, chewed at doors and windows.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They flew, crawled, snarled, howled, burrowed up under the floors, chewed at doors and windows.
for the reason that
From this reading _Colonizing Mars was hell, because of one thing--large, hungry critters.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Now she could hear it whine, and, despite her knowledge that the gesture was an idle one, she could not help once more feeling the bolt behind the door.
boltnounUS /boʊlt/
a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
From this reading Now she could hear it whine, and, despite her knowledge that the gesture was an idle one, she could not help once more feeling the bolt behind the door.
burrowed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They flew, crawled, snarled, howled, burrowed up under the floors, chewed at doors and windows.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
chewedverbUS /tʃuːd/
past form of “chew” — chew (food); to bite and grind with the teeth
From this reading They flew, crawled, snarled, howled, burrowed up under the floors, chewed at doors and windows.
chillnounUS /tʃɪl/
coldness due to a cold environment
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
Colonizing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Colonizing Mars was hell, because of one thing--large, hungry critters.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Now she could hear it whine, and, despite her knowledge that the gesture was an idle one, she could not help once more feeling the bolt behind the door.
crawledverbUS /krɔːld/
past form of “crawl” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading They flew, crawled, snarled, howled, burrowed up under the floors, chewed at doors and windows.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
crittersnounUS /ˈkrɪtərz/
plural of “critter” — a regional term for “creature” (especially for domestic animals)
From this reading _Colonizing Mars was hell, because of one thing--large, hungry critters.
although something is true; in spite of
From this reading Now she could hear it whine, and, despite her knowledge that the gesture was an idle one, she could not help once more feeling the bolt behind the door.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading They flew, crawled, snarled, howled, burrowed up under the floors, chewed at doors and windows.
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
with eagerness; in an eager manner
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
fearfullyadverb
in fear
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading Now she could hear it whine, and, despite her knowledge that the gesture was an idle one, she could not help once more feeling the bolt behind the door.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading They flew, crawled, snarled, howled, burrowed up under the floors, chewed at doors and windows.
floorsnounUS /flɔːrz/
plural of “floor” — the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading They flew, crawled, snarled, howled, burrowed up under the floors, chewed at doors and windows.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading Now she could hear it whine, and, despite her knowledge that the gesture was an idle one, she could not help once more feeling the bolt behind the door.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading Now she could hear it whine, and, despite her knowledge that the gesture was an idle one, she could not help once more feeling the bolt behind the door.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
any place of pain and turmoil
From this reading _Colonizing Mars was hell, because of one thing--large, hungry critters.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading Now she could hear it whine, and, despite her knowledge that the gesture was an idle one, she could not help once more feeling the bolt behind the door.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
howledverbUS /haʊld/
past form of “howl” — emit long loud cries
From this reading They flew, crawled, snarled, howled, burrowed up under the floors, chewed at doors and windows.
feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food
From this reading _Colonizing Mars was hell, because of one thing--large, hungry critters.
not in action or at work
From this reading Now she could hear it whine, and, despite her knowledge that the gesture was an idle one, she could not help once more feeling the bolt behind the door.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
KiddnounUS /kɪd/
Scottish sea captain who was hired to protect British shipping in the Indian Ocean and then was accused of piracy and hanged (1645-1701)
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading Now she could hear it whine, and, despite her knowledge that the gesture was an idle one, she could not help once more feeling the bolt behind the door.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading _Colonizing Mars was hell, because of one thing--large, hungry critters.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
for more time
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
engage in
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
MarsnounUS /mɑːrz/
a small reddish planet that is the 4th from the sun and is periodically visible to the naked eye; minerals rich in iron cover its surface and are responsible for its characteristic color
From this reading _Colonizing Mars was hell, because of one thing--large, hungry critters.
MonsternounUS /ˈmɑːnstər/
an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Now she could hear it whine, and, despite her knowledge that the gesture was an idle one, she could not help once more feeling the bolt behind the door.
not any; not one
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now she could hear it whine, and, despite her knowledge that the gesture was an idle one, she could not help once more feeling the bolt behind the door.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _Colonizing Mars was hell, because of one thing--large, hungry critters.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
on one occasion
From this reading Now she could hear it whine, and, despite her knowledge that the gesture was an idle one, she could not help once more feeling the bolt behind the door.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading _Colonizing Mars was hell, because of one thing--large, hungry critters.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
pantingnounUS /ˈpæntɪŋ/
breathing heavily (as after exertion)
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
preciselyadverbUS /prɪˈsaɪsli/
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
scratchingnounUS /ˈskrætʃɪŋ/
a harsh noise made by scraping
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
snarledadjectiveUS /ˈsnɑːrəld/
tangled in knots or snarls
From this reading They flew, crawled, snarled, howled, burrowed up under the floors, chewed at doors and windows.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They flew, crawled, snarled, howled, burrowed up under the floors, chewed at doors and windows.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
in or at that place or location
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They flew, crawled, snarled, howled, burrowed up under the floors, chewed at doors and windows.
a special situation
From this reading _Colonizing Mars was hell, because of one thing--large, hungry critters.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading They flew, crawled, snarled, howled, burrowed up under the floors, chewed at doors and windows.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading They flew, crawled, snarled, howled, burrowed up under the floors, chewed at doors and windows.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _Colonizing Mars was hell, because of one thing--large, hungry critters.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading But, as she came close to the doorway, it was no longer possible to doubt, and a chill went through her at the thought of the creature panting eagerly on the other side.
whineverbUS /waɪn/
move with a whining sound
From this reading Now she could hear it whine, and, despite her knowledge that the gesture was an idle one, she could not help once more feeling the bolt behind the door.
which person or people
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading They flew, crawled, snarled, howled, burrowed up under the floors, chewed at doors and windows.
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading And then, to make things worse, came the Monster...._ There was a faint scratching at the door, so faint that Alice Kidd, who had been listening fearfully for precisely that sound, was at first not certain that she heard it.
