used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
annoyedadjectiveUS /əˈnɔɪd/
aroused to impatience or anger
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
assassinsnounUS /əˈsæsənz/
plural of “assassin” — 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 Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading It was a sound like two pieces of flat board being smacked together sharply.
a committee having supervisory powers
From this reading It was a sound like two pieces of flat board being smacked together sharply.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading He made a point of walking entirely round the house twice in every hour, and it was on one of these excursions that he heard a sound which brought him to a standstill.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading He made a point of walking entirely round the house twice in every hour, and it was on one of these excursions that he heard a sound which brought him to a standstill.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading He made a point of walking entirely round the house twice in every hour, and it was on one of these excursions that he heard a sound which brought him to a standstill.
excursionsnounUS /ɪkˈskɜːrʒənz/
plural of “excursion” — a journey taken for pleasure
From this reading He made a point of walking entirely round the house twice in every hour, and it was on one of these excursions that he heard a sound which brought him to a standstill.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading It was a sound like two pieces of flat board being smacked together sharply.
set up or found
From this reading THE self-appointed watcher found time pass very slowly.
fro
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
a quick look
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading He made a point of walking entirely round the house twice in every hour, and it was on one of these excursions that he heard a sound which brought him to a standstill.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading He made a point of walking entirely round the house twice in every hour, and it was on one of these excursions that he heard a sound which brought him to a standstill.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
irritatedadjectiveUS /ˈɪrəteɪtəd/
aroused to impatience or anger
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He made a point of walking entirely round the house twice in every hour, and it was on one of these excursions that he heard a sound which brought him to a standstill.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It was a sound like two pieces of flat board being smacked together sharply.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading He made a point of walking entirely round the house twice in every hour, and it was on one of these excursions that he heard a sound which brought him to a standstill.
Mary'snounUS /ˈmeriz/
possessive form of “mary” — the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
not any; not one
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He made a point of walking entirely round the house twice in every hour, and it was on one of these excursions that he heard a sound which brought him to a standstill.
on one occasion
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
pacedverbUS /peɪst/
past form of “pace” — walk with slow or fast paces
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
go across or through
From this reading THE self-appointed watcher found time pass very slowly.
plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole
From this reading It was a sound like two pieces of flat board being smacked together sharply.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading He made a point of walking entirely round the house twice in every hour, and it was on one of these excursions that he heard a sound which brought him to a standstill.
precautionnounUS /priˈkɔːʃən/
a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
roadwaynounUS /ˈroʊdweɪ/
a road (especially that part of a road) over which vehicles travel
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading He made a point of walking entirely round the house twice in every hour, and it was on one of these excursions that he heard a sound which brought him to a standstill.
rubber-soled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
cut with a saw
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
self-appointedadjective
designated or chosen by yourself
From this reading THE self-appointed watcher found time pass very slowly.
in an aggressive manner
From this reading It was a sound like two pieces of flat board being smacked together sharply.
a particular situation
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
without speaking
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading THE self-appointed watcher found time pass very slowly.
smackedverbUS /smækt/
past form of “smack” — deliver a hard blow to
From this reading It was a sound like two pieces of flat board being smacked together sharply.
dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading He made a point of walking entirely round the house twice in every hour, and it was on one of these excursions that he heard a sound which brought him to a standstill.
standstillnounUS /ˈstændstɪl/
a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible
From this reading He made a point of walking entirely round the house twice in every hour, and it was on one of these excursions that he heard a sound which brought him to a standstill.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He made a point of walking entirely round the house twice in every hour, and it was on one of these excursions that he heard a sound which brought him to a standstill.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE self-appointed watcher found time pass very slowly.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading He made a point of walking entirely round the house twice in every hour, and it was on one of these excursions that he heard a sound which brought him to a standstill.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading THE self-appointed watcher found time pass very slowly.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading It was a sound like two pieces of flat board being smacked together sharply.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
two times
From this reading He made a point of walking entirely round the house twice in every hour, and it was on one of these excursions that he heard a sound which brought him to a standstill.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading It was a sound like two pieces of flat board being smacked together sharply.
precisely as stated
From this reading THE self-appointed watcher found time pass very slowly.
close enough to be walked to
From this reading He made a point of walking entirely round the house twice in every hour, and it was on one of these excursions that he heard a sound which brought him to a standstill.
waningnounUS /ˈweɪnɪŋ/
a gradual decrease in magnitude or extent
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Twelve and one o’clock struck from a distant church, but there was no sign of midnight assassins, and the house, looking very solemn and quiet in the light of a waning moon, irritated and annoyed him.
watchernounUS /ˈwɑːtʃər/
a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)
From this reading THE self-appointed watcher found time pass very slowly.
(geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it)
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
in or at the place that
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He made a point of walking entirely round the house twice in every hour, and it was on one of these excursions that he heard a sound which brought him to a standstill.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading From the roadway where he paced silently to and fro—he had taken the precaution of wearing a pair of rubber-soled shoes—he could glimpse Mary’s window, and once he thought he saw her looking out.
