used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Then came a buzz at the switchboard.
anew
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For more than an hour, save for the clock on the wall that ticked loudly, there was silence in the room.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
BEACONnounUS /ˈbiːkən/
a fire (usually on a hill or tower) that can be seen from a distance
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
BethnounUS /beθ/
the 2nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet
From this reading “That’s Beth calling from the Granite Head spotter tower.”
buzzverbUS /bʌz/
make a buzzing sound
From this reading Then came a buzz at the switchboard.
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading “That’s Beth calling from the Granite Head spotter tower.”
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Then came a buzz at the switchboard.
chartsnounUS /tʃɑːrts/
plural of “chart” — a visual display of information
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
a timepiece that shows the time of day
From this reading For more than an hour, save for the clock on the wall that ticked loudly, there was silence in the room.
DECOYnounUS /dəˈkɔɪ/
a beguiler who leads someone into danger (usually as part of a plot)
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
emergencynounUS /ɪˈmɜːrdʒənsi/
a sudden unforeseen crisis (usually involving danger) that requires immediate action
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “That’s Beth calling from the Granite Head spotter tower.”
GranitenounUS /ˈɡrænət/
plutonic igneous rock having visibly crystalline texture; generally composed of feldspar and mica and quartz
From this reading “That’s Beth calling from the Granite Head spotter tower.”
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading “That’s Beth calling from the Granite Head spotter tower.”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading For more than an hour, save for the clock on the wall that ticked loudly, there was silence in the room.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Norma knew the number.
loudlyadverbUS /ˈlaʊdli/
with relatively high volume
From this reading For more than an hour, save for the clock on the wall that ticked loudly, there was silence in the room.
Marie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading For more than an hour, save for the clock on the wall that ticked loudly, there was silence in the room.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
NormanounUS /ˈnɔːrmə/
a small constellation in the southern hemisphere near Lupus and Ara in the Milky Way
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading Norma knew the number.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
on one occasion
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
RosanounUS /ˈroʊzə/
large genus of erect or climbing prickly shrubs including roses
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
except for; apart from
From this reading For more than an hour, save for the clock on the wall that ticked loudly, there was silence in the room.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading For more than an hour, save for the clock on the wall that ticked loudly, there was silence in the room.
spotternounUS /ˈspɑːtər/
a worker employed at a dry-cleaning establishment to remove spots
From this reading “That’s Beth calling from the Granite Head spotter tower.”
switchboardnounUS /ˈswɪtʃbɔːrd/
telephone central where circuits are completed with patchcords
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading For more than an hour, save for the clock on the wall that ticked loudly, there was silence in the room.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading For more than an hour, save for the clock on the wall that ticked loudly, there was silence in the room.
That's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “That’s Beth calling from the Granite Head spotter tower.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then came a buzz at the switchboard.
in or at that place or location
From this reading For more than an hour, save for the clock on the wall that ticked loudly, there was silence in the room.
tickedverbUS /tɪkt/
past form of “tick” — make a clicking or ticking sound
From this reading For more than an hour, save for the clock on the wall that ticked loudly, there was silence in the room.
a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
trionounUS /ˈtriːoʊ/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
the topmost one of two
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading For more than an hour, save for the clock on the wall that ticked loudly, there was silence in the room.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For more than an hour, save for the clock on the wall that ticked loudly, there was silence in the room.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading THE DECOY BEACON Once again the following night the trio, Norma, Rosa, and Marie, were on duty in the upper room of the Sea Tower, Rosa at the switchboard, Norma before her charts, and Marie at attention for any emergency.
