adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 It was as if a chasm had yawned beneath his feet, and all the castles of his dreams had come down in ruins.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He stood there, stunned and horrified, staring at the wreckage of everything he had believed.
believedverbUS /bɪˈliːvd/
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading He stood there, stunned and horrified, staring at the wreckage of everything he had believed.
beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading It was as if a chasm had yawned beneath his feet, and all the castles of his dreams had come down in ruins.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The rain was driving underneath the shelter of the roof; but he faced it, and ran toward the door.
castlesnounUS /ˈkæsəlz/
plural of “castle” — a large and stately mansion
From this reading It was as if a chasm had yawned beneath his feet, and all the castles of his dreams had come down in ruins.
chasmnounUS /ˈkæzəm/
a deep opening in the earth's surface
From this reading It was as if a chasm had yawned beneath his feet, and all the castles of his dreams had come down in ruins.
comeverbUS /kʌm/
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading It was as if a chasm had yawned beneath his feet, and all the castles of his dreams had come down in ruins.
crashingadjectiveUS /ˈkræʃɪŋ/
informal intensifiers
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
crossedadjectiveUS /krɔːst/
placed crosswise
From this reading Then suddenly he crossed the drawing-room and opened one of the French windows which led to the piazza.
doornounUS /dɔːr/
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The rain was driving underneath the shelter of the roof; but he faced it, and ran toward the door.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading It was as if a chasm had yawned beneath his feet, and all the castles of his dreams had come down in ruins.
drawing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then suddenly he crossed the drawing-room and opened one of the French windows which led to the piazza.
dreamsnounUS /driːmz/
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading It was as if a chasm had yawned beneath his feet, and all the castles of his dreams had come down in ruins.
drivingadjectiveUS /ˈdraɪvɪŋ/
having the power of driving or impelling
From this reading The rain was driving underneath the shelter of the roof; but he faced it, and ran toward the door.
echoverbUS /ˈekoʊ/
to say again or imitate
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/
all things; all of a situation
From this reading He stood there, stunned and horrified, staring at the wreckage of everything he had believed.
facedadjectiveUS /feɪst/
having a face or facing especially of a specified kind or number; often used in combination
From this reading The rain was driving underneath the shelter of the roof; but he faced it, and ran toward the door.
feetnounUS /fiːt/
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading It was as if a chasm had yawned beneath his feet, and all the castles of his dreams had come down in ruins.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
FrenchnounUS /frentʃ/
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading Then suddenly he crossed the drawing-room and opened one of the French windows which led to the piazza.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was as if a chasm had yawned beneath his feet, and all the castles of his dreams had come down in ruins.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He stood there, stunned and horrified, staring at the wreckage of everything he had believed.
hearingnounUS /ˈhiːrɪŋ/
(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
horrifiedadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːrəfaɪd/
stricken with horror
From this reading He stood there, stunned and horrified, staring at the wreckage of everything he had believed.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading It was as if a chasm had yawned beneath his feet, and all the castles of his dreams had come down in ruins.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was as if a chasm had yawned beneath his feet, and all the castles of his dreams had come down in ruins.
lednounUS /led/
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading Then suddenly he crossed the drawing-room and opened one of the French windows which led to the piazza.
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
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 For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
motionlessadjectiveUS /ˈmoʊʃənləs/
not in physical motion
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Then suddenly he crossed the drawing-room and opened one of the French windows which led to the piazza.
openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Then suddenly he crossed the drawing-room and opened one of the French windows which led to the piazza.
ownverbUS /oʊn/
have ownership or possession of
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
piazzanounUS /piˈæzə/
a public square with room for pedestrians
From this reading Then suddenly he crossed the drawing-room and opened one of the French windows which led to the piazza.
rainnounUS /reɪn/
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
ranverbUS /ræn/
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading The rain was driving underneath the shelter of the roof; but he faced it, and ran toward the door.
roofnounUS /ruːf/
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading The rain was driving underneath the shelter of the roof; but he faced it, and ran toward the door.
ruinsnounUS /ˈruːənz/
plural of “ruin” — an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction
From this reading It was as if a chasm had yawned beneath his feet, and all the castles of his dreams had come down in ruins.
SamuelnounUS /ˈsæmjuːl/
(Old Testament) Hebrew prophet and judge who anointed Saul as king
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
shelternounUS /ˈʃeltər/
a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger
From this reading The rain was driving underneath the shelter of the roof; but he faced it, and ran toward the door.
soulnounUS /soʊl/
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
staringadjectiveUS /ˈsterɪŋ/
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading He stood there, stunned and horrified, staring at the wreckage of everything he had believed.
stoodverbUS /stʊd/
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
stormverbUS /stɔːrm/
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
stunnedadjectiveUS /stʌnd/
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading He stood there, stunned and horrified, staring at the wreckage of everything he had believed.
suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Then suddenly he crossed the drawing-room and opened one of the French windows which led to the piazza.
swishverbUS /swɪʃ/
move with or cause to move with a whistling or hissing sound
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
ThenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then suddenly he crossed the drawing-room and opened one of the French windows which led to the piazza.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading He stood there, stunned and horrified, staring at the wreckage of everything he had believed.
thunderverbUS /ˈθʌndər/
move fast, noisily, and heavily
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then suddenly he crossed the drawing-room and opened one of the French windows which led to the piazza.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading The rain was driving underneath the shelter of the roof; but he faced it, and ran toward the door.
underneathprepositionUS /ˌʌndərˈniːθ/
directly under, often hidden by what is above
From this reading The rain was driving underneath the shelter of the roof; but he faced it, and ran toward the door.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was as if a chasm had yawned beneath his feet, and all the castles of his dreams had come down in ruins.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Then suddenly he crossed the drawing-room and opened one of the French windows which led to the piazza.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading For a long while, Samuel stood motionless, hearing the swish of the rain and the crashing of the thunder as an echo of the storm in his own soul.
windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading Then suddenly he crossed the drawing-room and opened one of the French windows which led to the piazza.
wreckagenounUS /ˈrekədʒ/
the remaining parts of something that has been wrecked
From this reading He stood there, stunned and horrified, staring at the wreckage of everything he had believed.
yawnedverbUS /jɔːnd/
past form of “yawn” — utter a yawn, as from lack of oxygen or when one is tired
From this reading It was as if a chasm had yawned beneath his feet, and all the castles of his dreams had come down in ruins.
