used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a ticklish job getting the car out of the garage and into the street.
abandonmentnounUS /əˈbændənmənt/
the act of giving something up
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
perfect or complete or pure
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
in addition
From this reading Also, the trailer-truck was still in motion and making its own noise.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was a ticklish job getting the car out of the garage and into the street.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It might make men listen, but they could hardly locate it before the motor caught and ran quietly.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It might make men listen, but they could hardly locate it before the motor caught and ran quietly.
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading It was a ticklish job getting the car out of the garage and into the street.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading It might make men listen, but they could hardly locate it before the motor caught and ran quietly.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
garagenounUS /ɡərˈɑːʒ/
an outbuilding (or part of a building) for housing automobiles
From this reading It was a ticklish job getting the car out of the garage and into the street.
the act of acquiring something
From this reading It was a ticklish job getting the car out of the garage and into the street.
grindingnounUS /ˈɡraɪndɪŋ/
material resulting from the process of grinding
From this reading The grinding of the starter, though, lasted only for seconds.
only a very short time before
From this reading It might make men listen, but they could hardly locate it before the motor caught and ran quietly.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It was a ticklish job getting the car out of the garage and into the street.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a ticklish job getting the car out of the garage and into the street.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Also, the trailer-truck was still in motion and making its own noise.
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading It was a ticklish job getting the car out of the garage and into the street.
lastedverbUS /ˈlæstəd/
past form of “last” — persist for a specified period of time
From this reading The grinding of the starter, though, lasted only for seconds.
hear with intention
From this reading It might make men listen, but they could hardly locate it before the motor caught and ran quietly.
locateverbUS /ˈloʊkeɪt/
discover the location of; determine the place of; find by searching or examining
From this reading It might make men listen, but they could hardly locate it before the motor caught and ran quietly.
Lockley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
engage in
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading Also, the trailer-truck was still in motion and making its own noise.
the force of workers available
From this reading It might make men listen, but they could hardly locate it before the motor caught and ran quietly.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading It might make men listen, but they could hardly locate it before the motor caught and ran quietly.
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading Also, the trailer-truck was still in motion and making its own noise.
motornounUS /ˈmoʊtər/
machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was a ticklish job getting the car out of the garage and into the street.
and nothing more
From this reading The grinding of the starter, though, lasted only for seconds.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading It was a ticklish job getting the car out of the garage and into the street.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Also, the trailer-truck was still in motion and making its own noise.
with low volume
From this reading It might make men listen, but they could hardly locate it before the motor caught and ran quietly.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading It might make men listen, but they could hardly locate it before the motor caught and ran quietly.
secondsnounUS /ˈsekəndz/
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading The grinding of the starter, though, lasted only for seconds.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
starternounUS /ˈstɑːrtər/
an electric motor for starting an engine
From this reading The grinding of the starter, though, lasted only for seconds.
(especially of eyes) bulging or protruding as with fear
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
not in physical motion
From this reading Also, the trailer-truck was still in motion and making its own noise.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading It was a ticklish job getting the car out of the garage and into the street.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was a ticklish job getting the car out of the garage and into the street.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It might make men listen, but they could hardly locate it before the motor caught and ran quietly.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The grinding of the starter, though, lasted only for seconds.
ticklishadjectiveUS /ˈtɪkəlɪʃ/
difficult to handle; requiring great tact
From this reading It was a ticklish job getting the car out of the garage and into the street.
town'snounUS /taʊnz/
possessive form of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
trailer-truck
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Also, the trailer-truck was still in motion and making its own noise.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a ticklish job getting the car out of the garage and into the street.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Lockley was afraid that starting the motor would make a noise which in the silence of the town's absolute abandonment could be heard for a long way.
