used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading To bait the Englishman in Huron seemed a good-natured enough jest, and full of possibilities.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading To bait the Englishman in Huron seemed a good-natured enough jest, and full of possibilities.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading He was lying on a bench, his face hidden in his out-flung arms, and his slenderness and helplessness pulled at me hard.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But one look at the prisoner drained my laughter.
baitverbUS /beɪt/
harass with persistent criticism or carping
From this reading To bait the Englishman in Huron seemed a good-natured enough jest, and full of possibilities.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading BEHIND THE COMMANDANT'S DOOR The commandant's door had come to be the portal through which I stepped from safety into meddling.
BEHINDprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading BEHIND THE COMMANDANT'S DOOR The commandant's door had come to be the portal through which I stepped from safety into meddling.
a long seat for more than one person
From this reading He was lying on a bench, his face hidden in his out-flung arms, and his slenderness and helplessness pulled at me hard.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But one look at the prisoner drained my laughter.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading BEHIND THE COMMANDANT'S DOOR The commandant's door had come to be the portal through which I stepped from safety into meddling.
COMMANDANT'S
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BEHIND THE COMMANDANT'S DOOR The commandant's door had come to be the portal through which I stepped from safety into meddling.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading BEHIND THE COMMANDANT'S DOOR The commandant's door had come to be the portal through which I stepped from safety into meddling.
drainedadjectiveUS /dreɪnd/
emptied or exhausted of (as by drawing off e.g. water or other liquid)
From this reading But one look at the prisoner drained my laughter.
a man who is a native or inhabitant of England
From this reading To bait the Englishman in Huron seemed a good-natured enough jest, and full of possibilities.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading To bait the Englishman in Huron seemed a good-natured enough jest, and full of possibilities.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading He was lying on a bench, his face hidden in his out-flung arms, and his slenderness and helplessness pulled at me hard.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading BEHIND THE COMMANDANT'S DOOR The commandant's door had come to be the portal through which I stepped from safety into meddling.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading To bait the Englishman in Huron seemed a good-natured enough jest, and full of possibilities.
good-naturedadjective
having an easygoing and cheerful disposition
From this reading To bait the Englishman in Huron seemed a good-natured enough jest, and full of possibilities.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading BEHIND THE COMMANDANT'S DOOR The commandant's door had come to be the portal through which I stepped from safety into meddling.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading He was lying on a bench, his face hidden in his out-flung arms, and his slenderness and helplessness pulled at me hard.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was lying on a bench, his face hidden in his out-flung arms, and his slenderness and helplessness pulled at me hard.
helplessnessnounUS /ˈhelpləsnəs/
powerlessness revealed by an inability to act
From this reading He was lying on a bench, his face hidden in his out-flung arms, and his slenderness and helplessness pulled at me hard.
not accessible to view
From this reading He was lying on a bench, his face hidden in his out-flung arms, and his slenderness and helplessness pulled at me hard.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was lying on a bench, his face hidden in his out-flung arms, and his slenderness and helplessness pulled at me hard.
HuronnounUS /ˈhjuːrɑːn/
the 2nd largest of the Great Lakes
From this reading To bait the Englishman in Huron seemed a good-natured enough jest, and full of possibilities.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading BEHIND THE COMMANDANT'S DOOR The commandant's door had come to be the portal through which I stepped from safety into meddling.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading To bait the Englishman in Huron seemed a good-natured enough jest, and full of possibilities.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading BEHIND THE COMMANDANT'S DOOR The commandant's door had come to be the portal through which I stepped from safety into meddling.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Yet I opened it now with laughter peeping from my sleeve.
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading To bait the Englishman in Huron seemed a good-natured enough jest, and full of possibilities.
the sound of laughing
From this reading Yet I opened it now with laughter peeping from my sleeve.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading But one look at the prisoner drained my laughter.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading He was lying on a bench, his face hidden in his out-flung arms, and his slenderness and helplessness pulled at me hard.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He was lying on a bench, his face hidden in his out-flung arms, and his slenderness and helplessness pulled at me hard.
meddlingnounUS /ˈmedəlɪŋ/
the act of altering something secretly or improperly
From this reading BEHIND THE COMMANDANT'S DOOR The commandant's door had come to be the portal through which I stepped from safety into meddling.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Yet I opened it now with laughter peeping from my sleeve.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Yet I opened it now with laughter peeping from my sleeve.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading To bait the Englishman in Huron seemed a good-natured enough jest, and full of possibilities.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He was lying on a bench, his face hidden in his out-flung arms, and his slenderness and helplessness pulled at me hard.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading But one look at the prisoner drained my laughter.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Yet I opened it now with laughter peeping from my sleeve.
out-flung
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was lying on a bench, his face hidden in his out-flung arms, and his slenderness and helplessness pulled at me hard.
peepingverbUS /ˈpiːpɪŋ/
-ing form of “peep” — look furtively
From this reading Yet I opened it now with laughter peeping from my sleeve.
portalnounUS /ˈpɔːrtəl/
a grand and imposing entrance (often extended metaphorically)
From this reading BEHIND THE COMMANDANT'S DOOR The commandant's door had come to be the portal through which I stepped from safety into meddling.
possibilitiesnounUS /ˌpɑːsəˈbɪlətiz/
plural of “possibility” — a future prospect or potential
From this reading To bait the Englishman in Huron seemed a good-natured enough jest, and full of possibilities.
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading But one look at the prisoner drained my laughter.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading He was lying on a bench, his face hidden in his out-flung arms, and his slenderness and helplessness pulled at me hard.
the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions
From this reading BEHIND THE COMMANDANT'S DOOR The commandant's door had come to be the portal through which I stepped from safety into meddling.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading To bait the Englishman in Huron seemed a good-natured enough jest, and full of possibilities.
sleevenounUS /sliːv/
the part of a garment that is attached at the armhole and that provides a cloth covering for the arm
From this reading Yet I opened it now with laughter peeping from my sleeve.
slendernessnoun
the quality of being slight or inadequate
From this reading He was lying on a bench, his face hidden in his out-flung arms, and his slenderness and helplessness pulled at me hard.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading BEHIND THE COMMANDANT'S DOOR The commandant's door had come to be the portal through which I stepped from safety into meddling.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading BEHIND THE COMMANDANT'S DOOR The commandant's door had come to be the portal through which I stepped from safety into meddling.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading BEHIND THE COMMANDANT'S DOOR The commandant's door had come to be the portal through which I stepped from safety into meddling.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading BEHIND THE COMMANDANT'S DOOR The commandant's door had come to be the portal through which I stepped from safety into meddling.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was lying on a bench, his face hidden in his out-flung arms, and his slenderness and helplessness pulled at me hard.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading BEHIND THE COMMANDANT'S DOOR The commandant's door had come to be the portal through which I stepped from safety into meddling.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Yet I opened it now with laughter peeping from my sleeve.
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet I opened it now with laughter peeping from my sleeve.
