used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
(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 “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “Determined not to appear frightened I put my hand out of bed and called ‘Trot!
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Consequently my visitor, unless a mouse or a rat, could be nothing material.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading “Determined not to appear frightened I put my hand out of bed and called ‘Trot!
ConsequentlyadverbUS /ˈkɑːnsəkwəntli/
(sentence connectors) because of the reason given
From this reading Consequently my visitor, unless a mouse or a rat, could be nothing material.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
characterized by great determination
From this reading “Determined not to appear frightened I put my hand out of bed and called ‘Trot!
developedadjectiveUS /dɪˈveləpt/
being changed over time so as to be e.g. stronger or more complete or more useful
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
devoutlyadverbUS /dɪˈvaʊtli/
in a devout and pious manner
From this reading “I devoutly wished I had slept in one of the other rooms.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
examinationnounUS /ɪɡˌzæməˈneɪʃən/
the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
made afraid
From this reading “Determined not to appear frightened I put my hand out of bed and called ‘Trot!
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading “Determined not to appear frightened I put my hand out of bed and called ‘Trot!
decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “I devoutly wished I had slept in one of the other rooms.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
and nothing more
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
knocksnounUS /nɑːks/
plural of “knock” — the sound of knocking (as on a door or in an engine or bearing)
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
fasten with a lock
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests
From this reading Consequently my visitor, unless a mouse or a rat, could be nothing material.
mousenounUS /maʊs/
any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails
From this reading Consequently my visitor, unless a mouse or a rat, could be nothing material.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Consequently my visitor, unless a mouse or a rat, could be nothing material.
not any; not one
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “Determined not to appear frightened I put my hand out of bed and called ‘Trot!
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Consequently my visitor, unless a mouse or a rat, could be nothing material.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
odournounUS /ˈoʊdər/
the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Consequently my visitor, unless a mouse or a rat, could be nothing material.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading “I devoutly wished I had slept in one of the other rooms.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “Determined not to appear frightened I put my hand out of bed and called ‘Trot!
perceptibleadjectiveUS /pərˈseptəbəl/
capable of being perceived by the mind or senses
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
precautionnounUS /priˈkɔːʃən/
a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading “Determined not to appear frightened I put my hand out of bed and called ‘Trot!
ratnounUS /ræt/
any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
From this reading Consequently my visitor, unless a mouse or a rat, could be nothing material.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading “I devoutly wished I had slept in one of the other rooms.
scratchingnounUS /ˈskrætʃɪŋ/
a harsh noise made by scraping
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
similar things placed in order or happening one after another
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
sicklyadjectiveUS /ˈsɪkli/
unhealthy looking
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading “I devoutly wished I had slept in one of the other rooms.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
thoroughadjectiveUS /ˈθɜːroʊ/
painstakingly careful and accurate
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
TrotverbUS /trɑːt/
run at a moderately swift pace
From this reading “Determined not to appear frightened I put my hand out of bed and called ‘Trot!
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
unequaladjectiveUS /əˈniːkwəl/
poorly balanced or matched in quantity or value or measure
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
uninterpretable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
except if; if not
From this reading Consequently my visitor, unless a mouse or a rat, could be nothing material.
someone who visits
From this reading Consequently my visitor, unless a mouse or a rat, could be nothing material.
wardrobenounUS /ˈwɔːrdroʊb/
a tall piece of furniture that provides storage space for clothes; has a door and rails or hooks for hanging clothes
From this reading “I knew no one could have entered the room, as I had taken the precaution to lock the door, having first of all looked under the bed and made a thorough examination of the hanging wardrobe.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
an old and formal word for “while”
From this reading “A faint and sickly odour now became perceptible whilst the noise hitherto uninterpretable developed into a series of unequal knocks just as if some big animal were lying on the floor ‘scratching’ itself.
past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish
From this reading “I devoutly wished I had slept in one of the other rooms.
