used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading ADMIRAL PEPPER The mystery that hung over the big stone house, like a bat’s shadow, was a strange tangle.
ADMIRALnounUS /ˈædmərəl/
the supreme commander of a fleet; ranks above a vice admiral and below a fleet admiral
From this reading ADMIRAL PEPPER The mystery that hung over the big stone house, like a bat’s shadow, was a strange tangle.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading We could see that, all right.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading And now, to help things along to even greater mystery, had come the disappearance of the granddaughter.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading We looked to the old man for an answer to that, but he could tell us nothing.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And now, to help things along to even greater mystery, had come the disappearance of the granddaughter.
react verbally
From this reading We looked to the old man for an answer to that, but he could tell us nothing.
bat's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ADMIRAL PEPPER The mystery that hung over the big stone house, like a bat’s shadow, was a strange tangle.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Was there, we wondered, some hidden tie-up between the girl’s disappearance and the unusual gander?
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading ADMIRAL PEPPER The mystery that hung over the big stone house, like a bat’s shadow, was a strange tangle.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading We looked to the old man for an answer to that, but he could tell us nothing.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading And now, to help things along to even greater mystery, had come the disappearance of the granddaughter.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading We could see that, all right.
disappearancenounUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrəns/
the act of leaving secretly or without explanation
From this reading And now, to help things along to even greater mystery, had come the disappearance of the granddaughter.
divisible by two
From this reading And now, to help things along to even greater mystery, had come the disappearance of the granddaughter.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading We looked to the old man for an answer to that, but he could tell us nothing.
gandernounUS /ˈɡændər/
mature male goose
From this reading Was there, we wondered, some hidden tie-up between the girl’s disappearance and the unusual gander?
girl'snounUS /ɡɜːrlz/
possessive form of “girl” — a young female
From this reading Was there, we wondered, some hidden tie-up between the girl’s disappearance and the unusual gander?
granddaughternounUS /ˈɡrændɔːtər/
a female grandchild
From this reading And now, to help things along to even greater mystery, had come the disappearance of the granddaughter.
greater in size or importance or degree
From this reading And now, to help things along to even greater mystery, had come the disappearance of the granddaughter.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading And now, to help things along to even greater mystery, had come the disappearance of the granddaughter.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading We looked to the old man for an answer to that, but he could tell us nothing.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading And now, to help things along to even greater mystery, had come the disappearance of the granddaughter.
not accessible to view
From this reading Was there, we wondered, some hidden tie-up between the girl’s disappearance and the unusual gander?
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading ADMIRAL PEPPER The mystery that hung over the big stone house, like a bat’s shadow, was a strange tangle.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading ADMIRAL PEPPER The mystery that hung over the big stone house, like a bat’s shadow, was a strange tangle.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading ADMIRAL PEPPER The mystery that hung over the big stone house, like a bat’s shadow, was a strange tangle.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading We looked to the old man for an answer to that, but he could tell us nothing.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading We looked to the old man for an answer to that, but he could tell us nothing.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading ADMIRAL PEPPER The mystery that hung over the big stone house, like a bat’s shadow, was a strange tangle.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading We looked to the old man for an answer to that, but he could tell us nothing.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And now, to help things along to even greater mystery, had come the disappearance of the granddaughter.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And now, to help things along to even greater mystery, had come the disappearance of the granddaughter.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading We looked to the old man for an answer to that, but he could tell us nothing.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading ADMIRAL PEPPER The mystery that hung over the big stone house, like a bat’s shadow, was a strange tangle.
PEPPERverbUS /ˈpepər/
add pepper to
From this reading ADMIRAL PEPPER The mystery that hung over the big stone house, like a bat’s shadow, was a strange tangle.
precisely, exactly
From this reading We could see that, all right.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading We could see that, all right.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading ADMIRAL PEPPER The mystery that hung over the big stone house, like a bat’s shadow, was a strange tangle.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Was there, we wondered, some hidden tie-up between the girl’s disappearance and the unusual gander?
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading ADMIRAL PEPPER The mystery that hung over the big stone house, like a bat’s shadow, was a strange tangle.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading ADMIRAL PEPPER The mystery that hung over the big stone house, like a bat’s shadow, was a strange tangle.
tanglenounUS /ˈtæŋɡəl/
a twisted and tangled mass that is highly interwoven
From this reading ADMIRAL PEPPER The mystery that hung over the big stone house, like a bat’s shadow, was a strange tangle.
express in words
From this reading We looked to the old man for an answer to that, but he could tell us nothing.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ADMIRAL PEPPER The mystery that hung over the big stone house, like a bat’s shadow, was a strange tangle.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ADMIRAL PEPPER The mystery that hung over the big stone house, like a bat’s shadow, was a strange tangle.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Was there, we wondered, some hidden tie-up between the girl’s disappearance and the unusual gander?
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading And now, to help things along to even greater mystery, had come the disappearance of the granddaughter.
tie-upnoun
a social or business relationship
From this reading Was there, we wondered, some hidden tie-up between the girl’s disappearance and the unusual gander?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And now, to help things along to even greater mystery, had come the disappearance of the granddaughter.
not usual or common or ordinary
From this reading Was there, we wondered, some hidden tie-up between the girl’s disappearance and the unusual gander?
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading We looked to the old man for an answer to that, but he could tell us nothing.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ADMIRAL PEPPER The mystery that hung over the big stone house, like a bat’s shadow, was a strange tangle.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We could see that, all right.
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading Was there, we wondered, some hidden tie-up between the girl’s disappearance and the unusual gander?
