used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading His feet, clad in white socks and an ancient pair of carpet slippers, were perched upon the top of a clicking steam radiator.
adjoiningverbUS /əˈdʒɔɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “adjoin” — lie adjacent to another or share a boundary
From this reading THE FALL OF MAN Griffith, C.E., sat in the inner room of the bare living apartments adjoining his office.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading His feet, clad in white socks and an ancient pair of carpet slippers, were perched upon the top of a clicking steam radiator.
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading His feet, clad in white socks and an ancient pair of carpet slippers, were perched upon the top of a clicking steam radiator.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading His feet, clad in white socks and an ancient pair of carpet slippers, were perched upon the top of a clicking steam radiator.
apartmentsnounUS /əˈpɑːrtmənts/
plural of “apartment” — a suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house
From this reading THE FALL OF MAN Griffith, C.E., sat in the inner room of the bare living apartments adjoining his office.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading His lank body balanced itself perilously in a rickety cane-seated chair, which was tilted far back on the rear legs.
balancedadjectiveUS /ˈbælənst/
being in a state of proper equilibrium
From this reading His lank body balanced itself perilously in a rickety cane-seated chair, which was tilted far back on the rear legs.
completely unclothed
From this reading THE FALL OF MAN Griffith, C.E., sat in the inner room of the bare living apartments adjoining his office.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading His lank body balanced itself perilously in a rickety cane-seated chair, which was tilted far back on the rear legs.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
burntadjectiveUS /bɜːrnt/
ruined by overcooking
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature
From this reading THE FALL OF MAN Griffith, C.E., sat in the inner room of the bare living apartments adjoining his office.
cane-seated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His lank body balanced itself perilously in a rickety cane-seated chair, which was tilted far back on the rear legs.
carpetnounUS /ˈkɑːrpət/
floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)
From this reading His feet, clad in white socks and an ancient pair of carpet slippers, were perched upon the top of a clicking steam radiator.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading His lank body balanced itself perilously in a rickety cane-seated chair, which was tilted far back on the rear legs.
cheapadjectiveUS /tʃiːp/
relatively low in price or charging low prices
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
cladadjectiveUS /klæd/
wearing or provided with clothing; sometimes used in combination
From this reading His feet, clad in white socks and an ancient pair of carpet slippers, were perched upon the top of a clicking steam radiator.
clickingverbUS /ˈklɪkɪŋ/
-ing form of “click” — move or strike with a noise
From this reading His feet, clad in white socks and an ancient pair of carpet slippers, were perched upon the top of a clicking steam radiator.
climaxnounUS /ˈklaɪmæks/
the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
climaxesnounUS /ˈklɪmæksɪz/
plural of “climax” — the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body
From this reading THE FALL OF MAN Griffith, C.E., sat in the inner room of the bare living apartments adjoining his office.
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
opinion or judgment
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading THE FALL OF MAN Griffith, C.E., sat in the inner room of the bare living apartments adjoining his office.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading His lank body balanced itself perilously in a rickety cane-seated chair, which was tilted far back on the rear legs.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading His feet, clad in white socks and an ancient pair of carpet slippers, were perched upon the top of a clicking steam radiator.
finaladjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəl/
occurring at or forming an end or termination
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
flirtingnounUS /ˈflɜːrtɪŋ/
playful behavior intended to arouse sexual interest
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
gallopedverbUS /ˈɡæləpt/
past form of “gallop” — ride at a galloping pace
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
GriffithnounUS /ˈɡrɪfəθ/
United States film maker who was the first to use flashbacks and fade-outs (1875-1948)
From this reading THE FALL OF MAN Griffith, C.E., sat in the inner room of the bare living apartments adjoining his office.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE FALL OF MAN Griffith, C.E., sat in the inner room of the bare living apartments adjoining his office.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE FALL OF MAN Griffith, C.E., sat in the inner room of the bare living apartments adjoining his office.
located inward
From this reading THE FALL OF MAN Griffith, C.E., sat in the inner room of the bare living apartments adjoining his office.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading His lank body balanced itself perilously in a rickety cane-seated chair, which was tilted far back on the rear legs.
jawverbUS /dʒɔː/
talk socially without exchanging too much information
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
lankadjectiveUS /læŋk/
long and thin and often limp
From this reading His lank body balanced itself perilously in a rickety cane-seated chair, which was tilted far back on the rear legs.
immediately past
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
staying power
From this reading His lank body balanced itself perilously in a rickety cane-seated chair, which was tilted far back on the rear legs.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading THE FALL OF MAN Griffith, C.E., sat in the inner room of the bare living apartments adjoining his office.
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 His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading THE FALL OF MAN Griffith, C.E., sat in the inner room of the bare living apartments adjoining his office.
a particular point in time
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
novelnounUS /ˈnɑːvəl/
an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE FALL OF MAN Griffith, C.E., sat in the inner room of the bare living apartments adjoining his office.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading THE FALL OF MAN Griffith, C.E., sat in the inner room of the bare living apartments adjoining his office.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading His lank body balanced itself perilously in a rickety cane-seated chair, which was tilted far back on the rear legs.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
plural of “page” — one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading His feet, clad in white socks and an ancient pair of carpet slippers, were perched upon the top of a clicking steam radiator.
perchedverbUS /pɜːrtʃt/
past form of “perch” — sit, as on a branch
From this reading His feet, clad in white socks and an ancient pair of carpet slippers, were perched upon the top of a clicking steam radiator.
perilouslyadverbUS /ˈperələsli/
in a dangerous manner
From this reading His lank body balanced itself perilously in a rickety cane-seated chair, which was tilted far back on the rear legs.
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
radiatornounUS /ˈreɪdieɪtər/
any object that radiates energy
From this reading His feet, clad in white socks and an ancient pair of carpet slippers, were perched upon the top of a clicking steam radiator.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
the back of a military formation or procession
From this reading His lank body balanced itself perilously in a rickety cane-seated chair, which was tilted far back on the rear legs.
ricketyadjectiveUS /ˈrɪkəti/
inclined to shake as from weakness or defect
From this reading His lank body balanced itself perilously in a rickety cane-seated chair, which was tilted far back on the rear legs.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading THE FALL OF MAN Griffith, C.E., sat in the inner room of the bare living apartments adjoining his office.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading THE FALL OF MAN Griffith, C.E., sat in the inner room of the bare living apartments adjoining his office.
sensationaladjectiveUS /senˈseɪʃənəl/
causing intense interest, curiosity, or emotion
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
seriesnounUS /ˈsɪriz/
similar things placed in order or happening one after another
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
slackadjectiveUS /slæk/
not tense or taut
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
slippersnounUS /ˈslɪpərz/
plural of “slipper” — low footwear that can be slipped on and off easily; usually worn indoors
From this reading His feet, clad in white socks and an ancient pair of carpet slippers, were perched upon the top of a clicking steam radiator.
an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
socksnounUS /sɑːks/
plural of “sock” — hosiery consisting of a cloth covering for the foot; worn inside the shoe; reaches to between the ankle and the knee
From this reading His feet, clad in white socks and an ancient pair of carpet slippers, were perched upon the top of a clicking steam radiator.
steamverbUS /stiːm/
travel by means of steam power
From this reading His feet, clad in white socks and an ancient pair of carpet slippers, were perched upon the top of a clicking steam radiator.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
stretchingnounUS /ˈstretʃɪŋ/
act of expanding by lengthening or widening
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
tensenounUS /tens/
a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE FALL OF MAN Griffith, C.E., sat in the inner room of the bare living apartments adjoining his office.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
a special situation
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
tiltedadjectiveUS /ˈtɪltɪd/
departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal
From this reading His lank body balanced itself perilously in a rickety cane-seated chair, which was tilted far back on the rear legs.
the upper part of anything
From this reading His feet, clad in white socks and an ancient pair of carpet slippers, were perched upon the top of a clicking steam radiator.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading His feet, clad in white socks and an ancient pair of carpet slippers, were perched upon the top of a clicking steam radiator.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading His lank body balanced itself perilously in a rickety cane-seated chair, which was tilted far back on the rear legs.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His feet, clad in white socks and an ancient pair of carpet slippers, were perched upon the top of a clicking steam radiator.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading His lank body balanced itself perilously in a rickety cane-seated chair, which was tilted far back on the rear legs.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading His pipe, long since burnt out and cold, hung from his slack jaw, while his eyes, bright and excited, galloped through the last pages of a sensational society novel.
a Caucasian
From this reading His feet, clad in white socks and an ancient pair of carpet slippers, were perched upon the top of a clicking steam radiator.
yawningadjectiveUS /ˈjɔːnɪŋ/
gaping open as if threatening to engulf someone or something
From this reading He reached the final climax of the series of climaxes, and sat for a moment tense; then, flirting the cheap thing into a corner, he drew down his feet and stood up, stretching and yawning.
