used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The last of the stone slabs that covered the vault had crunched back in its place with a resounding crash.
past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading In the little chapel, the men who had acted as grave-diggers bared their heads and said a short prayer.
ancestorsnounUS /ˈænsestərz/
plural of “ancestor” — someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
From this reading Hans Eberhard von Schranden lay with his ancestors.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In the little chapel, the men who had acted as grave-diggers bared their heads and said a short prayer.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading In the little chapel, the men who had acted as grave-diggers bared their heads and said a short prayer.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Then without looking round at Boleslav they left the chapel.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The last of the stone slabs that covered the vault had crunched back in its place with a resounding crash.
baredadjectiveUS /berd/
having the head uncovered
From this reading In the little chapel, the men who had acted as grave-diggers bared their heads and said a short prayer.
Boleslav
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then without looking round at Boleslav they left the chapel.
burntadjectiveUS /bɜːrnt/
ruined by overcooking
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
put or send forth
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
chapelnounUS /ˈtʃæpəl/
a place of worship that has its own altar
From this reading In the little chapel, the men who had acted as grave-diggers bared their heads and said a short prayer.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading The last of the stone slabs that covered the vault had crunched back in its place with a resounding crash.
crashverbUS /kræʃ/
fall or come down violently
From this reading The last of the stone slabs that covered the vault had crunched back in its place with a resounding crash.
crunchedverbUS /krʌntʃt/
past form of “crunch” — make a crushing noise
From this reading The last of the stone slabs that covered the vault had crunched back in its place with a resounding crash.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
Eberhard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hans Eberhard von Schranden lay with his ancestors.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
flagstonesnounUS /ˈflæɡstoʊnz/
plural of “flagstone” — stratified stone that splits into pieces suitable as paving stones
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
flickeredverbUS /ˈflɪkərd/
past form of “flicker” — move back and forth very rapidly
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
an alert and refreshed state
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
grave-diggers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the little chapel, the men who had acted as grave-diggers bared their heads and said a short prayer.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The last of the stone slabs that covered the vault had crunched back in its place with a resounding crash.
HansnounUS /hɑːns/
plural of “han” — imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time from 206 BC to AD 220) and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy; remembered as one of the great eras of Chinese civilization
From this reading Hans Eberhard von Schranden lay with his ancestors.
plural of “head” — 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 the little chapel, the men who had acted as grave-diggers bared their heads and said a short prayer.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Hans Eberhard von Schranden lay with his ancestors.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The last of the stone slabs that covered the vault had crunched back in its place with a resounding crash.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The last of the stone slabs that covered the vault had crunched back in its place with a resounding crash.
immediately past
From this reading The last of the stone slabs that covered the vault had crunched back in its place with a resounding crash.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Hans Eberhard von Schranden lay with his ancestors.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Then without looking round at Boleslav they left the chapel.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading In the little chapel, the men who had acted as grave-diggers bared their heads and said a short prayer.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Then without looking round at Boleslav they left the chapel.
luridadjectiveUS /ˈlʊrəd/
horrible in fierceness or savagery
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
the force of workers available
From this reading In the little chapel, the men who had acted as grave-diggers bared their heads and said a short prayer.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The last of the stone slabs that covered the vault had crunched back in its place with a resounding crash.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The last of the stone slabs that covered the vault had crunched back in its place with a resounding crash.
the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)
From this reading In the little chapel, the men who had acted as grave-diggers bared their heads and said a short prayer.
resoundingadjectiveUS /riˈsaʊndɪŋ/
characterized by resonance
From this reading The last of the stone slabs that covered the vault had crunched back in its place with a resounding crash.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Then without looking round at Boleslav they left the chapel.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading In the little chapel, the men who had acted as grave-diggers bared their heads and said a short prayer.
Schranden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hans Eberhard von Schranden lay with his ancestors.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading In the little chapel, the men who had acted as grave-diggers bared their heads and said a short prayer.
slabsnounUS /slæbz/
plural of “slab” — block consisting of a thick piece of something
From this reading The last of the stone slabs that covered the vault had crunched back in its place with a resounding crash.
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
smouldered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
socketsnounUS /ˈsɑːkəts/
plural of “socket” — a bony hollow into which a structure fits
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
sternadjectiveUS /stɜːrn/
of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The last of the stone slabs that covered the vault had crunched back in its place with a resounding crash.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The last of the stone slabs that covered the vault had crunched back in its place with a resounding crash.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The last of the stone slabs that covered the vault had crunched back in its place with a resounding crash.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading In the little chapel, the men who had acted as grave-diggers bared their heads and said a short prayer.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then without looking round at Boleslav they left the chapel.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
torchesnounUS /ˈtɔːrtʃɪz/
plural of “torch” — a light usually carried in the hand; consists of some flammable substance
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
vaultnounUS /vɒlt/
An arched structure of masonry forming a ceiling, or a secure subterranean storage room.
From this reading The last of the stone slabs that covered the vault had crunched back in its place with a resounding crash.
von
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hans Eberhard von Schranden lay with his ancestors.
which person or people
From this reading In the little chapel, the men who had acted as grave-diggers bared their heads and said a short prayer.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The last of the stone slabs that covered the vault had crunched back in its place with a resounding crash.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Then without looking round at Boleslav they left the chapel.
worshippersnounUS /ˈwɜːrʃɪpərz/
plural of “worshipper” — a person who has religious faith
From this reading The torches that had burnt down to their sockets smouldered on the smooth surface of the flagstones, and cast a lurid glow as they flickered out over the stern faces of the worshippers.
