used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For a second Legge was paralysed with rage and fear.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading He stood, breathless and panting, by the doorway, until he heard the sound of steel against the inner keyhole, and in a flash realised that Johnny had secured the pass-key.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He heard an exclamation, felt for a second the fingers relax; and, slipping like an eel from the grasp, flew to the door and closed it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For a second Legge was paralysed with rage and fear.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Quick as lightning, he slipped his own key back into the lock and turned it slightly, so that it could not be pushed out from the other side.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Then, in the wildness of his despair, he kicked at the man, who had slipped from the bed and was holding him.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Quick as lightning, he slipped his own key back into the lock and turned it slightly, so that it could not be pushed out from the other side.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Quick as lightning, he slipped his own key back into the lock and turned it slightly, so that it could not be pushed out from the other side.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading Then, in the wildness of his despair, he kicked at the man, who had slipped from the bed and was holding him.
breathlessadjectiveUS /ˈbreθləs/
not breathing or able to breathe except with difficulty
From this reading He stood, breathless and panting, by the doorway, until he heard the sound of steel against the inner keyhole, and in a flash realised that Johnny had secured the pass-key.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He stood, breathless and panting, by the doorway, until he heard the sound of steel against the inner keyhole, and in a flash realised that Johnny had secured the pass-key.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading He heard an exclamation, felt for a second the fingers relax; and, slipping like an eel from the grasp, flew to the door and closed it.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Quick as lightning, he slipped his own key back into the lock and turned it slightly, so that it could not be pushed out from the other side.
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading Then, in the wildness of his despair, he kicked at the man, who had slipped from the bed and was holding him.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading He heard an exclamation, felt for a second the fingers relax; and, slipping like an eel from the grasp, flew to the door and closed it.
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading He stood, breathless and panting, by the doorway, until he heard the sound of steel against the inner keyhole, and in a flash realised that Johnny had secured the pass-key.
eelnounUS /iːl/
the fatty flesh of eel; an elongate fish found in fresh water in Europe and America; large eels are usually smoked or pickled
From this reading He heard an exclamation, felt for a second the fingers relax; and, slipping like an eel from the grasp, flew to the door and closed it.
exclamationnounUS /ˌekskləˈmeɪʃən/
an abrupt excited utterance
From this reading He heard an exclamation, felt for a second the fingers relax; and, slipping like an eel from the grasp, flew to the door and closed it.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading For a second Legge was paralysed with rage and fear.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading He heard an exclamation, felt for a second the fingers relax; and, slipping like an eel from the grasp, flew to the door and closed it.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading He heard an exclamation, felt for a second the fingers relax; and, slipping like an eel from the grasp, flew to the door and closed it.
gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading He stood, breathless and panting, by the doorway, until he heard the sound of steel against the inner keyhole, and in a flash realised that Johnny had secured the pass-key.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading He heard an exclamation, felt for a second the fingers relax; and, slipping like an eel from the grasp, flew to the door and closed it.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a second Legge was paralysed with rage and fear.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Then, in the wildness of his despair, he kicked at the man, who had slipped from the bed and was holding him.
hold firmly
From this reading He heard an exclamation, felt for a second the fingers relax; and, slipping like an eel from the grasp, flew to the door and closed it.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Then, in the wildness of his despair, he kicked at the man, who had slipped from the bed and was holding him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then, in the wildness of his despair, he kicked at the man, who had slipped from the bed and was holding him.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading He heard an exclamation, felt for a second the fingers relax; and, slipping like an eel from the grasp, flew to the door and closed it.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then, in the wildness of his despair, he kicked at the man, who had slipped from the bed and was holding him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Then, in the wildness of his despair, he kicked at the man, who had slipped from the bed and was holding him.
the act of retaining something
From this reading Then, in the wildness of his despair, he kicked at the man, who had slipped from the bed and was holding him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then, in the wildness of his despair, he kicked at the man, who had slipped from the bed and was holding him.
located inward
From this reading He stood, breathless and panting, by the doorway, until he heard the sound of steel against the inner keyhole, and in a flash realised that Johnny had secured the pass-key.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Quick as lightning, he slipped his own key back into the lock and turned it slightly, so that it could not be pushed out from the other side.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He heard an exclamation, felt for a second the fingers relax; and, slipping like an eel from the grasp, flew to the door and closed it.
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading He stood, breathless and panting, by the doorway, until he heard the sound of steel against the inner keyhole, and in a flash realised that Johnny had secured the pass-key.
metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
From this reading Quick as lightning, he slipped his own key back into the lock and turned it slightly, so that it could not be pushed out from the other side.
keyholenounUS /ˈkiːhoʊl/
the hole where a key is inserted
From this reading He stood, breathless and panting, by the doorway, until he heard the sound of steel against the inner keyhole, and in a flash realised that Johnny had secured the pass-key.
kickedverbUS /kɪkt/
past form of “kick” — drive or propel with the foot
From this reading Then, in the wildness of his despair, he kicked at the man, who had slipped from the bed and was holding him.
Legge
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a second Legge was paralysed with rage and fear.
abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light
From this reading Quick as lightning, he slipped his own key back into the lock and turned it slightly, so that it could not be pushed out from the other side.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading He heard an exclamation, felt for a second the fingers relax; and, slipping like an eel from the grasp, flew to the door and closed it.
fasten with a lock
From this reading Quick as lightning, he slipped his own key back into the lock and turned it slightly, so that it could not be pushed out from the other side.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Then, in the wildness of his despair, he kicked at the man, who had slipped from the bed and was holding him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Quick as lightning, he slipped his own key back into the lock and turned it slightly, so that it could not be pushed out from the other side.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Then, in the wildness of his despair, he kicked at the man, who had slipped from the bed and was holding him.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Quick as lightning, he slipped his own key back into the lock and turned it slightly, so that it could not be pushed out from the other side.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Quick as lightning, he slipped his own key back into the lock and turned it slightly, so that it could not be pushed out from the other side.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Quick as lightning, he slipped his own key back into the lock and turned it slightly, so that it could not be pushed out from the other side.
pantingnounUS /ˈpæntɪŋ/
breathing heavily (as after exertion)
From this reading He stood, breathless and panting, by the doorway, until he heard the sound of steel against the inner keyhole, and in a flash realised that Johnny had secured the pass-key.
paralysed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a second Legge was paralysed with rage and fear.
pass-key
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He stood, breathless and panting, by the doorway, until he heard the sound of steel against the inner keyhole, and in a flash realised that Johnny had secured the pass-key.
past form of “push” — move with force
From this reading Quick as lightning, he slipped his own key back into the lock and turned it slightly, so that it could not be pushed out from the other side.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading Quick as lightning, he slipped his own key back into the lock and turned it slightly, so that it could not be pushed out from the other side.
a feeling of intense anger
From this reading For a second Legge was paralysed with rage and fear.
realisedadjectiveUS /ˈriːəlaɪzd/
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading He stood, breathless and panting, by the doorway, until he heard the sound of steel against the inner keyhole, and in a flash realised that Johnny had secured the pass-key.
relaxverbUS /rɪˈlæks/
become less tense, rest, or take one's ease
From this reading He heard an exclamation, felt for a second the fingers relax; and, slipping like an eel from the grasp, flew to the door and closed it.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading For a second Legge was paralysed with rage and fear.
past form of “secure” — get by special effort
From this reading He stood, breathless and panting, by the doorway, until he heard the sound of steel against the inner keyhole, and in a flash realised that Johnny had secured the pass-key.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Quick as lightning, he slipped his own key back into the lock and turned it slightly, so that it could not be pushed out from the other side.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading Quick as lightning, he slipped his own key back into the lock and turned it slightly, so that it could not be pushed out from the other side.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading Then, in the wildness of his despair, he kicked at the man, who had slipped from the bed and was holding him.
slippingadjectiveUS /ˈslɪpɪŋ/
moving as on a slippery surface
From this reading He heard an exclamation, felt for a second the fingers relax; and, slipping like an eel from the grasp, flew to the door and closed it.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Quick as lightning, he slipped his own key back into the lock and turned it slightly, so that it could not be pushed out from the other side.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading He stood, breathless and panting, by the doorway, until he heard the sound of steel against the inner keyhole, and in a flash realised that Johnny had secured the pass-key.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading He stood, breathless and panting, by the doorway, until he heard the sound of steel against the inner keyhole, and in a flash realised that Johnny had secured the pass-key.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading He stood, breathless and panting, by the doorway, until he heard the sound of steel against the inner keyhole, and in a flash realised that Johnny had secured the pass-key.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He stood, breathless and panting, by the doorway, until he heard the sound of steel against the inner keyhole, and in a flash realised that Johnny had secured the pass-key.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Then, in the wildness of his despair, he kicked at the man, who had slipped from the bed and was holding him.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, in the wildness of his despair, he kicked at the man, who had slipped from the bed and was holding him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He heard an exclamation, felt for a second the fingers relax; and, slipping like an eel from the grasp, flew to the door and closed it.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Quick as lightning, he slipped his own key back into the lock and turned it slightly, so that it could not be pushed out from the other side.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading He stood, breathless and panting, by the doorway, until he heard the sound of steel against the inner keyhole, and in a flash realised that Johnny had secured the pass-key.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For a second Legge was paralysed with rage and fear.
which person or people
From this reading Then, in the wildness of his despair, he kicked at the man, who had slipped from the bed and was holding him.
wildnessnounUS /ˈwaɪldnəs/
a feeling of extreme emotional intensity
From this reading Then, in the wildness of his despair, he kicked at the man, who had slipped from the bed and was holding him.
in the company of; together with
From this reading For a second Legge was paralysed with rage and fear.
