used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
absurdlyadverbUS /əbˈsɜːrdli/
in an absurd manner or to an absurd degree
From this reading With his great bulk he felt himself absurdly out of scale.
admittancenounUS /ədˈmɪtəns/
the right to enter
From this reading THE same frown darkened Risca's brow the next day as he waited for admittance at his Aunt Gladys's door.
in addition
From this reading The tragedy looming huge in his mind was also absurdly out of scale with his errand.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE same frown darkened Risca's brow the next day as he waited for admittance at his Aunt Gladys's door.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE same frown darkened Risca's brow the next day as he waited for admittance at his Aunt Gladys's door.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading THE same frown darkened Risca's brow the next day as he waited for admittance at his Aunt Gladys's door.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
exhale hard
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading THE same frown darkened Risca's brow the next day as he waited for admittance at his Aunt Gladys's door.
bulknounUS /bʌlk/
the property resulting from being or relating to the greater in number of two parts; the main part
From this reading With his great bulk he felt himself absurdly out of scale.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
coylyadverbUS /ˈkɔɪli/
in a coy manner
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
curtainsnounUS /ˈkɜːrtənz/
plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
darkenedadjectiveUS /ˈdɑːrkənd/
(of fabrics and paper) grown dark in color over time
From this reading THE same frown darkened Risca's brow the next day as he waited for admittance at his Aunt Gladys's door.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading THE same frown darkened Risca's brow the next day as he waited for admittance at his Aunt Gladys's door.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading THE same frown darkened Risca's brow the next day as he waited for admittance at his Aunt Gladys's door.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
errandnounUS /ˈerənd/
a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission
From this reading The tragedy looming huge in his mind was also absurdly out of scale with his errand.
farthermostadjective
(comparatives of “far”) most remote in space or time or order
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
fat-leafed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading With his great bulk he felt himself absurdly out of scale.
first-floor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
fistnounUS /fɪst/
a hand with the fingers clenched in the palm (as for hitting)
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE same frown darkened Risca's brow the next day as he waited for admittance at his Aunt Gladys's door.
referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
frownverbUS /fraʊn/
look angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead, as if to signal disapproval
From this reading THE same frown darkened Risca's brow the next day as he waited for admittance at his Aunt Gladys's door.
futileadjectiveUS /ˈfjuːtəl/
producing no result or effect
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
gabledadjectiveUS /ˈɡeɪbəld/
(of a roof) constructed with a single slope on each side of the ridge supported at the end by a gable or vertical triangular portion of an end wall
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
Gladys's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE same frown darkened Risca's brow the next day as he waited for admittance at his Aunt Gladys's door.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading With his great bulk he felt himself absurdly out of scale.
guardingverbUS /ˈɡɑːrdɪŋ/
-ing form of “guard” — to keep watch over
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE same frown darkened Risca's brow the next day as he waited for admittance at his Aunt Gladys's door.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading With his great bulk he felt himself absurdly out of scale.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE same frown darkened Risca's brow the next day as he waited for admittance at his Aunt Gladys's door.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading The tragedy looming huge in his mind was also absurdly out of scale with his errand.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
interioradjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtɪriər/
situated within or suitable for inside a building
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
limitnounUS /ˈlɪmət/
the greatest possible degree of something
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
loomingverbUS /ˈluːmɪŋ/
-ing form of “loom” — come into view indistinctly, often threateningly
From this reading The tragedy looming huge in his mind was also absurdly out of scale with his errand.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading The tragedy looming huge in his mind was also absurdly out of scale with his errand.
muslinnounUS /ˈmʌzlən/
plain-woven cotton fabric
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading THE same frown darkened Risca's brow the next day as he waited for admittance at his Aunt Gladys's door.
obscuredverbUS /əbsˈkjʊrd/
past form of “obscure” — make less visible or unclear
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading With his great bulk he felt himself absurdly out of scale.
perkyadjectiveUS /ˈpɜːrki/
characterized by liveliness and lightheartedness
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
plantverbUS /plænt/
put or set (seeds, seedlings, or plants) into the ground
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
privacynounUS /ˈpraɪvəsi/
the quality of being secluded from the presence or view of others
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
resultantadjectiveUS /riˈzʌltənt/
occurring with or following as a consequence
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
ribbonsnounUS /ˈrɪbənz/
plural of “ribbon” — any long object resembling a thin line
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
Risca's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE same frown darkened Risca's brow the next day as he waited for admittance at his Aunt Gladys's door.
an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
Identical; not different.
From this reading THE same frown darkened Risca's brow the next day as he waited for admittance at his Aunt Gladys's door.
scalenounUS /skeɪl/
an ordered reference standard
From this reading With his great bulk he felt himself absurdly out of scale.
shrinkingnounUS /ˈʃrɪŋkɪŋ/
process or result of becoming less or smaller
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
smashedadjectiveUS /smæʃt/
very drunk
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE same frown darkened Risca's brow the next day as he waited for admittance at his Aunt Gladys's door.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
bound or secured closely
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
very small
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading The tragedy looming huge in his mind was also absurdly out of scale with his errand.
transparencynounUS /trænˈsperənsi/
permitting the free passage of electromagnetic radiation
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
trianglenounUS /ˈtraɪæŋɡəl/
a three-sided polygon
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
two-storied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
villasnounUS /ˈvɪləz/
plural of “villa” — Mexican revolutionary leader (1877-1923)
From this reading The house was one of a row of twenty perky, gabled, two-storied little villas, each coyly shrinking to the farthermost limit of its tiny front garden, and each guarding the privacy of its interior by means of muslin curtains at the windows, tied back by ribbons, the resultant triangle of transparency being obscured by a fat-leafed plant.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading THE same frown darkened Risca's brow the next day as he waited for admittance at his Aunt Gladys's door.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was such a futile little door to such a futile little house; he could have smashed in the former with a blow of his fist, and he could have jumped into the latter through the first-floor windows.
