used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A Nursery Entertainment Chris was delighted to have an excuse to go out in the rain.
ajaradjectiveUS /əˈdʒɑːr/
slightly open
From this reading He had the door ajar, and to Chris's mystification seemed to be peeping through the opening.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A Nursery Entertainment Chris was delighted to have an excuse to go out in the rain.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had the door ajar, and to Chris's mystification seemed to be peeping through the opening.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Have you seen my little brother?" he asked him.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He sped away, down the garden, but there were no signs of Noel, then into the churchyard.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He had the door ajar, and to Chris's mystification seemed to be peeping through the opening.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading "Have you seen my little brother?" he asked him.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He sped away, down the garden, but there were no signs of Noel, then into the churchyard.
Chris
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A Nursery Entertainment Chris was delighted to have an excuse to go out in the rain.
Chris's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had the door ajar, and to Chris's mystification seemed to be peeping through the opening.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading When he got there, he found the young vicar, Mr. Wargrave, in the church porch.
churchyardnounUS /ˈtʃɜːrtʃjɑːrd/
the yard associated with a church
From this reading He sped away, down the garden, but there were no signs of Noel, then into the churchyard.
greatly pleased
From this reading A Nursery Entertainment Chris was delighted to have an excuse to go out in the rain.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading He had the door ajar, and to Chris's mystification seemed to be peeping through the opening.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He sped away, down the garden, but there were no signs of Noel, then into the churchyard.
EntertainmentnounUS /ˌentərˈteɪnmənt/
an activity that is diverting and that holds the attention
From this reading A Nursery Entertainment Chris was delighted to have an excuse to go out in the rain.
accept an excuse for
From this reading A Nursery Entertainment Chris was delighted to have an excuse to go out in the rain.
set up or found
From this reading When he got there, he found the young vicar, Mr. Wargrave, in the church porch.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading He sped away, down the garden, but there were no signs of Noel, then into the churchyard.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading A Nursery Entertainment Chris was delighted to have an excuse to go out in the rain.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading When he got there, he found the young vicar, Mr. Wargrave, in the church porch.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had the door ajar, and to Chris's mystification seemed to be peeping through the opening.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading A Nursery Entertainment Chris was delighted to have an excuse to go out in the rain.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He sped away, down the garden, but there were no signs of Noel, then into the churchyard.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Have you seen my little brother?" he asked him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A Nursery Entertainment Chris was delighted to have an excuse to go out in the rain.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He sped away, down the garden, but there were no signs of Noel, then into the churchyard.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Have you seen my little brother?" he asked him.
a form of address for a man
From this reading When he got there, he found the young vicar, Mr. Wargrave, in the church porch.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Have you seen my little brother?" he asked him.
mystificationnoun
confusion resulting from failure to understand
From this reading He had the door ajar, and to Chris's mystification seemed to be peeping through the opening.
not any; not one
From this reading He sped away, down the garden, but there were no signs of Noel, then into the churchyard.
NoelnounUS /noʊˈel/
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading He sped away, down the garden, but there were no signs of Noel, then into the churchyard.
NurserynounUS /ˈnɜːrsəri/
a child's room for a baby
From this reading A Nursery Entertainment Chris was delighted to have an excuse to go out in the rain.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He sped away, down the garden, but there were no signs of Noel, then into the churchyard.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading He had the door ajar, and to Chris's mystification seemed to be peeping through the opening.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading A Nursery Entertainment Chris was delighted to have an excuse to go out in the rain.
peepingverbUS /ˈpiːpɪŋ/
-ing form of “peep” — look furtively
From this reading He had the door ajar, and to Chris's mystification seemed to be peeping through the opening.
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading When he got there, he found the young vicar, Mr. Wargrave, in the church porch.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading A Nursery Entertainment Chris was delighted to have an excuse to go out in the rain.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading He had the door ajar, and to Chris's mystification seemed to be peeping through the opening.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "Have you seen my little brother?" he asked him.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading He sped away, down the garden, but there were no signs of Noel, then into the churchyard.
spedverbUS /sped/
inflected form of “speed” — move hurridly
From this reading He sped away, down the garden, but there were no signs of Noel, then into the churchyard.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A Nursery Entertainment Chris was delighted to have an excuse to go out in the rain.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He sped away, down the garden, but there were no signs of Noel, then into the churchyard.
in or at that place or location
From this reading He sped away, down the garden, but there were no signs of Noel, then into the churchyard.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading He had the door ajar, and to Chris's mystification seemed to be peeping through the opening.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A Nursery Entertainment Chris was delighted to have an excuse to go out in the rain.
vicarnounUS /ˈvɪkər/
a Roman Catholic priest who acts for another higher-ranking clergyman
From this reading When he got there, he found the young vicar, Mr. Wargrave, in the church porch.
Wargrave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When he got there, he found the young vicar, Mr. Wargrave, in the church porch.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A Nursery Entertainment Chris was delighted to have an excuse to go out in the rain.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He sped away, down the garden, but there were no signs of Noel, then into the churchyard.
at the time that
From this reading When he got there, he found the young vicar, Mr. Wargrave, in the church porch.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Have you seen my little brother?" he asked him.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading When he got there, he found the young vicar, Mr. Wargrave, in the church porch.
