used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “This is just the place for a secret door or a staircase in the wall,” exclaimed Grace.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
in the past
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
(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 The library of Ten Eyck Hall was, to Bab, the most beautiful of all the rooms.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
Bab
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The library of Ten Eyck Hall was, to Bab, the most beautiful of all the rooms.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading The library of Ten Eyck Hall was, to Bab, the most beautiful of all the rooms.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
ceilingnounUS /ˈsiːlɪŋ/
the overhead upper surface of a covered space
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
plural of “chair” — a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
conveniencenounUS /kənˈviːnjəns/
the state of being suitable or opportune
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
couchesnounUS /ˈkaʊtʃɪz/
plural of “couch” — an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
curtainsnounUS /ˈkɜːrtənz/
plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
(plural) the deepest and most remote part
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading “This is just the place for a secret door or a staircase in the wall,” exclaimed Grace.
plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
entrancesnounUS /ˈentrənsəz/
plural of “entrance” — something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
at any time
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading “This is just the place for a secret door or a staircase in the wall,” exclaimed Grace.
Eycknoun
Flemish painter who was a founder of the Flemish school of painting and who pioneered modern techniques of oil painting (1390-1441)
From this reading The library of Ten Eyck Hall was, to Bab, the most beautiful of all the rooms.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
galleriesnounUS /ˈɡæləriz/
plural of “gallery” — spectators at a golf or tennis match
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
the act of acquiring something
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence
From this reading “This is just the place for a secret door or a staircase in the wall,” exclaimed Grace.
halfwayadjectiveUS /ˈhæfˈweɪ/
equally distant from the extremes
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading The library of Ten Eyck Hall was, to Bab, the most beautiful of all the rooms.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “This is just the place for a secret door or a staircase in the wall,” exclaimed Grace.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “This is just the place for a secret door or a staircase in the wall,” exclaimed Grace.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
and nothing more
From this reading “This is just the place for a secret door or a staircase in the wall,” exclaimed Grace.
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
leathernounUS /ˈleðər/
an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
a room where books are kept
From this reading The library of Ten Eyck Hall was, to Bab, the most beautiful of all the rooms.
linedadjectiveUS /laɪnd/
bordered by a line of things
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
literallyadverbUS /ˈlɪtərəli/
in a literal sense
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
locationnounUS /loʊˈkeɪʃən/
a point or extent in space
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
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 “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
majoradjectiveUS /ˈmeɪdʒər/
of greater importance or stature or rank
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
used to form the superlative
From this reading The library of Ten Eyck Hall was, to Bab, the most beautiful of all the rooms.
of an obscure nature
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
no person; not anyone
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The library of Ten Eyck Hall was, to Bab, the most beautiful of all the rooms.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “This is just the place for a secret door or a staircase in the wall,” exclaimed Grace.
passagesnounUS /ˈpæsədʒəz/
plural of “passage” — the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading “This is just the place for a secret door or a staircase in the wall,” exclaimed Grace.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading The library of Ten Eyck Hall was, to Bab, the most beautiful of all the rooms.
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading “This is just the place for a secret door or a staircase in the wall,” exclaimed Grace.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
in or at or to some place
From this reading Big leather chairs and couches were scattered about and heavy curtains seemed to conceal entrances to mysterious doors and passages leading off somewhere into the depths of the old house.
staircasenounUS /ˈsterkeɪs/
a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading “This is just the place for a secret door or a staircase in the wall,” exclaimed Grace.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading The library of Ten Eyck Hall was, to Bab, the most beautiful of all the rooms.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The library of Ten Eyck Hall was, to Bab, the most beautiful of all the rooms.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “This is just the place for a secret door or a staircase in the wall,” exclaimed Grace.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The library of Ten Eyck Hall was, to Bab, the most beautiful of all the rooms.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
precisely as stated
From this reading “There is a secret door, I believe, in this very room,” replied the major; “but it is really a secret, for the location was lost long ago and nobody has ever been able to find it since.”
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading “This is just the place for a secret door or a staircase in the wall,” exclaimed Grace.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The library of Ten Eyck Hall was, to Bab, the most beautiful of all the rooms.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The walls were literally lined with books from floor to ceiling, and there were little galleries halfway up for the convenience of getting books that were too high to reach from the floor.
