used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
admiringverbUS /ædˈmaɪrɪŋ/
-ing form of “admire” — feel admiration for
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
at or in the front
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
alleynounUS /ˈæli/
a narrow street with walls on both sides
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The steady swinging stride of the taller of the two girls, as they marched on before her, suggested that she might be a WAC.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The steady swinging stride of the taller of the two girls, as they marched on before her, suggested that she might be a WAC.
Beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “Been taking a short cut,” she thought.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The steady swinging stride of the taller of the two girls, as they marched on before her, suggested that she might be a WAC.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “But she’s wearing civilian clothes,” she told herself in surprise.
civiliannounUS /səˈvɪljən/
a nonmilitary citizen
From this reading “But she’s wearing civilian clothes,” she told herself in surprise.
clothing in general
From this reading “But she’s wearing civilian clothes,” she told herself in surprise.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading “Been taking a short cut,” she thought.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
emergedverbUS /ɪˈmɜːrdʒd/
past form of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
well known or easily recognized
From this reading The two shadowy figures seemed vaguely familiar.
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading The steady swinging stride of the taller of the two girls, as they marched on before her, suggested that she might be a WAC.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading “But she’s wearing civilian clothes,” she told herself in surprise.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
jaggedadjectiveUS /ˈdʒæɡəd/
having a sharply uneven surface or outline
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
past form of “march” — march in a procession
From this reading The steady swinging stride of the taller of the two girls, as they marched on before her, suggested that she might be a WAC.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The steady swinging stride of the taller of the two girls, as they marched on before her, suggested that she might be a WAC.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The steady swinging stride of the taller of the two girls, as they marched on before her, suggested that she might be a WAC.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
rooftopsnounUS /ˈruːftɑːps/
plural of “rooftop” — the top of a (usually flat) roof
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
roundedadjectiveUS /ˈraʊndəd/
curving and somewhat round in shape rather than jagged
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The two shadowy figures seemed vaguely familiar.
shadowyadjectiveUS /ˈʃædoʊi/
filled with shade
From this reading The two shadowy figures seemed vaguely familiar.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
she's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “But she’s wearing civilian clothes,” she told herself in surprise.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading “Been taking a short cut,” she thought.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
make steady
From this reading The steady swinging stride of the taller of the two girls, as they marched on before her, suggested that she might be a WAC.
stridenounUS /straɪd/
a step in walking or running
From this reading The steady swinging stride of the taller of the two girls, as they marched on before her, suggested that she might be a WAC.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading The steady swinging stride of the taller of the two girls, as they marched on before her, suggested that she might be a WAC.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading “But she’s wearing civilian clothes,” she told herself in surprise.
swingingnounUS /ˈswɪŋɪŋ/
changing location by moving back and forth
From this reading The steady swinging stride of the taller of the two girls, as they marched on before her, suggested that she might be a WAC.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading “Been taking a short cut,” she thought.
talleradjectiveUS /ˈtɔːlər/
comparative of “tall” — great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading The steady swinging stride of the taller of the two girls, as they marched on before her, suggested that she might be a WAC.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The steady swinging stride of the taller of the two girls, as they marched on before her, suggested that she might be a WAC.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The steady swinging stride of the taller of the two girls, as they marched on before her, suggested that she might be a WAC.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading “Been taking a short cut,” she thought.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading “But she’s wearing civilian clothes,” she told herself in surprise.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
vaguelyadverbUS /ˈveɪɡli/
in a vague way
From this reading The two shadowy figures seemed vaguely familiar.
WACnoun
a member of the Women's Army Corps
From this reading The steady swinging stride of the taller of the two girls, as they marched on before her, suggested that she might be a WAC.
close enough to be walked to
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
(geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it)
From this reading “But she’s wearing civilian clothes,” she told herself in surprise.
at the time that
From this reading A HAND IN THE DARK She had rounded a corner and was walking slowly north, admiring the sight of the moon shining over the jagged line of rooftops, when suddenly two figures emerged from a narrow alley to turn in ahead of her.
