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Chapter XIII
Meanwhile the man whom she had left in the gloom of the staircase waited. The sound of the girl’s tread died away and silence followed. But she might be taking the news, she might be gone back to those who had sent her. He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over. And the suspense was intolerable.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Meanwhile the man whom she had left in the gloom of the staircase waited.”
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “Meanwhile the man whom she had left in the gloom of the staircase waited.”
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading “But she might be taking the news, she might be gone back to those who had sent her.”
above and across; more than
From this reading “He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.”
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading “The sound of the girl’s tread died away and silence followed.”
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading “But she might be taking the news, she might be gone back to those who had sent her.”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.”
Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The sound of the girl’s tread died away and silence followed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sound of the girl’s tread died away and silence followed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But she might be taking the news, she might be gone back to those who had sent her.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But she might be taking the news, she might be gone back to those who had sent her.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But she might be taking the news, she might be gone back to those who had sent her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sound of the girl’s tread died away and silence followed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sound of the girl’s tread died away and silence followed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sound of the girl’s tread died away and silence followed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Meanwhile the man whom she had left in the gloom of the staircase waited.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But she might be taking the news, she might be gone back to those who had sent her.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Meanwhile the man whom she had left in the gloom of the staircase waited.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading But she might be taking the news, she might be gone back to those who had sent her.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Meanwhile the man whom she had left in the gloom of the staircase waited.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the suspense was intolerable.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Meanwhile the man whom she had left in the gloom of the staircase waited.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Meanwhile the man whom she had left in the gloom of the staircase waited.
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Meanwhile the man whom she had left in the gloom of the staircase waited.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading But she might be taking the news, she might be gone back to those who had sent her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But she might be taking the news, she might be gone back to those who had sent her.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Meanwhile the man whom she had left in the gloom of the staircase waited.
above and across; more than
From this reading He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But she might be taking the news, she might be gone back to those who had sent her.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Meanwhile the man whom she had left in the gloom of the staircase waited.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading The sound of the girl’s tread died away and silence followed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sound of the girl’s tread died away and silence followed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Meanwhile the man whom she had left in the gloom of the staircase waited.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the suspense was intolerable.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But she might be taking the news, she might be gone back to those who had sent her.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Meanwhile the man whom she had left in the gloom of the staircase waited.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading But she might be taking the news, she might be gone back to those who had sent her.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But she might be taking the news, she might be gone back to those who had sent her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sound of the girl’s tread died away and silence followed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Meanwhile the man whom she had left in the gloom of the staircase waited.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And the suspense was intolerable.
which person or people
From this reading But she might be taking the news, she might be gone back to those who had sent her.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Meanwhile the man whom she had left in the gloom of the staircase waited.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He knew that at any moment the party charged with his arrest might appear, and that in a few seconds all would be over.
