used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
bedroomsnounUS /ˈbedruːmz/
plural of “bedroom” — a room used primarily for sleeping
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
brooches
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
an occurrence of something
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading As this happened, Sebastian caught a momentary glimpse of the face.
disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
plural of “difficulty” — an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading SPENCELEY MET HIS DIFFICULTIES.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
evil-disposed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading As this happened, Sebastian caught a momentary glimpse of the face.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
a quick look
From this reading As this happened, Sebastian caught a momentary glimpse of the face.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading As this happened, Sebastian caught a momentary glimpse of the face.
harvestnounUS /ˈhɑːrvəst/
the yield from plants in a single growing season
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading SPENCELEY MET HIS DIFFICULTIES.
HOW
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW MR.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading SPENCELEY MET HIS DIFFICULTIES.
momentaryadjectiveUS /ˈmoʊmənteri/
lasting for a markedly brief time
From this reading As this happened, Sebastian caught a momentary glimpse of the face.
attach to a support
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
a form of address for a man
From this reading HOW MR.
as might be expected
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
neglectedadjectiveUS /nəˈɡlektəd/
disregarded
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
on one occasion
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
penetrateverbUS /ˈpenətreɪt/
pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
by chance
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
a human being
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
with speed
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
reapverbUS /riːp/
gather, as of natural products
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
determined
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
Sebastian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As this happened, Sebastian caught a momentary glimpse of the face.
Sebastian's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
shawl-pins
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
SPENCELEY
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SPENCELEY MET HIS DIFFICULTIES.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
thiefnounUS /θiːf/
a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading As this happened, Sebastian caught a momentary glimpse of the face.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
warnverbUS /wɔːrn/
notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
watchesnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃəz/
plural of “watch” — a small portable timepiece
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
at the time that
From this reading In such a case, it was his duty at once to warn the servants, and he was in the act of turning to go and do so as quickly as possible, when the figure reached the head of the first flight of stairs, and turned to mount the next.
which person or people
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
the words that are spoken
From this reading Sebastian’s first thought naturally resolved itself into the words, ‘A thief in the night;’ some evil-disposed person who thought to penetrate to some of the bedrooms, in the confusion, and perhaps reap a harvest of neglected brooches, watches, or shawl-pins.
