used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For a good many things occurred which proved to be notes in the chord of the big mystery.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
(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 And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Christmas-time in New York is simply gorgeous, and I loved it.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Once more my bracelet disappeared and reappeared, as it had before--at night.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Once more my bracelet disappeared and reappeared, as it had before--at night.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading For a good many things occurred which proved to be notes in the chord of the big mystery.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading For a good many things occurred which proved to be notes in the chord of the big mystery.
braceletnounUS /ˈbreɪslət/
a band of cloth or leather or metal links attached to a wristwatch and wrapped around the wrist
From this reading Once more my bracelet disappeared and reappeared, as it had before--at night.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
chordnounUS /kɔːrd/
a straight line connecting two points on a curve
From this reading For a good many things occurred which proved to be notes in the chord of the big mystery.
Christmas-time
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Christmas-time in New York is simply gorgeous, and I loved it.
creepverbUS /kriːp/
move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading Once more my bracelet disappeared and reappeared, as it had before--at night.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a good many things occurred which proved to be notes in the chord of the big mystery.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
coins made of gold
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading For a good many things occurred which proved to be notes in the chord of the big mystery.
gorgeousadjectiveUS /ˈɡɔːrdʒəs/
dazzlingly beautiful
From this reading Christmas-time in New York is simply gorgeous, and I loved it.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
holidaysnounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪz/
plural of “holiday” — leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Christmas-time in New York is simply gorgeous, and I loved it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Christmas-time in New York is simply gorgeous, and I loved it.
relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Christmas-time in New York is simply gorgeous, and I loved it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Christmas-time in New York is simply gorgeous, and I loved it.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
held dear
From this reading Christmas-time in New York is simply gorgeous, and I loved it.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading For a good many things occurred which proved to be notes in the chord of the big mystery.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Once more my bracelet disappeared and reappeared, as it had before--at night.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Once more my bracelet disappeared and reappeared, as it had before--at night.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading For a good many things occurred which proved to be notes in the chord of the big mystery.
easily agitated
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading Christmas-time in New York is simply gorgeous, and I loved it.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Once more my bracelet disappeared and reappeared, as it had before--at night.
plural of “note” — a brief written record
From this reading For a good many things occurred which proved to be notes in the chord of the big mystery.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading For a good many things occurred which proved to be notes in the chord of the big mystery.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For a good many things occurred which proved to be notes in the chord of the big mystery.
on one occasion
From this reading Once more my bracelet disappeared and reappeared, as it had before--at night.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
established beyond doubt
From this reading For a good many things occurred which proved to be notes in the chord of the big mystery.
reappearedverbUS /ˌriːəˈpɪrd/
past form of “reappear” — appear again
From this reading Once more my bracelet disappeared and reappeared, as it had before--at night.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
cut with a saw
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
scratchingnounUS /ˈskrætʃɪŋ/
a harsh noise made by scraping
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
and nothing more
From this reading Christmas-time in New York is simply gorgeous, and I loved it.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
come to a halt, stop moving
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
express in words
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading For a good many things occurred which proved to be notes in the chord of the big mystery.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
very small
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading And it was then that all the intense excitement started and that people began to understand what had made me nervous; but I must tell what happened before the holidays came.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading For a good many things occurred which proved to be notes in the chord of the big mystery.
wokeverbUS /woʊk/
inflected form of “wake” — be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading And this time the scratching woke me from a sound sleep, and, as before, I saw a tiny point of light caught in the gold, and in this way watched it creep about a foot inside of the room by my bed and then stop.
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading Christmas-time in New York is simply gorgeous, and I loved it.
