used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A few moments later, Houston stepped briskly into the office.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After the little fellow had finished his work, and Houston supposed he had gone, he walked with a firm, decided step, over to where Morgan stood lounging and looking out of the window.
alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading Houston greeted him pleasantly, but his keen eyes at once detected trouble between Houston and Morgan, and he was immediately on the alert.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Houston greeted him pleasantly, but his keen eyes at once detected trouble between Houston and Morgan, and he was immediately on the alert.
a youthful male person
From this reading Bull-dog, who, since washing the windows, had constituted himself office boy, had built the fire and was now sweeping.
brisklyadverbUS /ˈbrɪskli/
in a brisk manner
From this reading A few moments later, Houston stepped briskly into the office.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading Bull-dog, who, since washing the windows, had constituted himself office boy, had built the fire and was now sweeping.
Bull-dog
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Bull-dog, who, since washing the windows, had constituted himself office boy, had built the fire and was now sweeping.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
constitutedadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːnstətuːtəd/
brought about or set up or accepted; especially long established
From this reading Bull-dog, who, since washing the windows, had constituted himself office boy, had built the fire and was now sweeping.
day'snounUS /deɪz/
possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
recognizable; marked
From this reading After the little fellow had finished his work, and Houston supposed he had gone, he walked with a firm, decided step, over to where Morgan stood lounging and looking out of the window.
defiantadjectiveUS /dɪˈfaɪənt/
boldly resisting authority or an opposing force
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
detectedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtektəd/
perceived or discerned
From this reading Houston greeted him pleasantly, but his keen eyes at once detected trouble between Houston and Morgan, and he was immediately on the alert.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Houston greeted him pleasantly, but his keen eyes at once detected trouble between Houston and Morgan, and he was immediately on the alert.
a boy or man
From this reading After the little fellow had finished his work, and Houston supposed he had gone, he walked with a firm, decided step, over to where Morgan stood lounging and looking out of the window.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading A few moments later, Houston stepped briskly into the office.
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading After the little fellow had finished his work, and Houston supposed he had gone, he walked with a firm, decided step, over to where Morgan stood lounging and looking out of the window.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Bull-dog, who, since washing the windows, had constituted himself office boy, had built the fire and was now sweeping.
marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
From this reading After the little fellow had finished his work, and Houston supposed he had gone, he walked with a firm, decided step, over to where Morgan stood lounging and looking out of the window.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
the act of departing
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
destroyed or killed
From this reading After the little fellow had finished his work, and Houston supposed he had gone, he walked with a firm, decided step, over to where Morgan stood lounging and looking out of the window.
past form of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading Houston greeted him pleasantly, but his keen eyes at once detected trouble between Houston and Morgan, and he was immediately on the alert.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Bull-dog, who, since washing the windows, had constituted himself office boy, had built the fire and was now sweeping.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Houston greeted him pleasantly, but his keen eyes at once detected trouble between Houston and Morgan, and he was immediately on the alert.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Bull-dog, who, since washing the windows, had constituted himself office boy, had built the fire and was now sweeping.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
HoustonnounUS /ˈhjuːstən/
the largest city in Texas; located in southeastern Texas near the Gulf of Mexico; site of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
From this reading A few moments later, Houston stepped briskly into the office.
ignoredadjectiveUS /ˌɪɡˈnɔːrd/
disregarded
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Houston greeted him pleasantly, but his keen eyes at once detected trouble between Houston and Morgan, and he was immediately on the alert.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading A few moments later, Houston stepped briskly into the office.
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading Houston greeted him pleasantly, but his keen eyes at once detected trouble between Houston and Morgan, and he was immediately on the alert.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading A few moments later, Houston stepped briskly into the office.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading After the little fellow had finished his work, and Houston supposed he had gone, he walked with a firm, decided step, over to where Morgan stood lounging and looking out of the window.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading After the little fellow had finished his work, and Houston supposed he had gone, he walked with a firm, decided step, over to where Morgan stood lounging and looking out of the window.
loungingverbUS /ˈlaʊndʒɪŋ/
-ing form of “lounge” — sit or recline comfortably
From this reading After the little fellow had finished his work, and Houston supposed he had gone, he walked with a firm, decided step, over to where Morgan stood lounging and looking out of the window.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
miningnounUS /ˈmaɪnɪŋ/
the act of extracting ores or coal etc from the earth
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading A few moments later, Houston stepped briskly into the office.
MorgannounUS /ˈmɔːrɡən/
United States anthropologist who studied the Seneca (1818-1881)
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Bull-dog, who, since washing the windows, had constituted himself office boy, had built the fire and was now sweeping.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading After the little fellow had finished his work, and Houston supposed he had gone, he walked with a firm, decided step, over to where Morgan stood lounging and looking out of the window.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading A few moments later, Houston stepped briskly into the office.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Houston greeted him pleasantly, but his keen eyes at once detected trouble between Houston and Morgan, and he was immediately on the alert.
on one occasion
From this reading Houston greeted him pleasantly, but his keen eyes at once detected trouble between Houston and Morgan, and he was immediately on the alert.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading After the little fellow had finished his work, and Houston supposed he had gone, he walked with a firm, decided step, over to where Morgan stood lounging and looking out of the window.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading After the little fellow had finished his work, and Houston supposed he had gone, he walked with a firm, decided step, over to where Morgan stood lounging and looking out of the window.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
pleasantlyadverbUS /ˈplezəntli/
in a cheerful manner
From this reading Houston greeted him pleasantly, but his keen eyes at once detected trouble between Houston and Morgan, and he was immediately on the alert.
preparationsnounUS /ˌprepərˈeɪʃənz/
plural of “preparation” — the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
reportsnounUS /rɪˈpɔːrts/
plural of “report” — a written document describing the findings of some individual or group
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Bull-dog, who, since washing the windows, had constituted himself office boy, had built the fire and was now sweeping.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
sortingnounUS /ˈsɔːrtɪŋ/
an operation that segregates items into groups according to a specified criterion
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading After the little fellow had finished his work, and Houston supposed he had gone, he walked with a firm, decided step, over to where Morgan stood lounging and looking out of the window.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading A few moments later, Houston stepped briskly into the office.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading After the little fellow had finished his work, and Houston supposed he had gone, he walked with a firm, decided step, over to where Morgan stood lounging and looking out of the window.
sullenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌlən/
showing a brooding ill humor
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
required or under orders
From this reading After the little fellow had finished his work, and Houston supposed he had gone, he walked with a firm, decided step, over to where Morgan stood lounging and looking out of the window.
sweepingadjectiveUS /ˈswiːpɪŋ/
taking in or moving over (or as if over) a wide area; often used in combination
From this reading Bull-dog, who, since washing the windows, had constituted himself office boy, had built the fire and was now sweeping.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A few moments later, Houston stepped briskly into the office.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
a source of difficulty
From this reading Houston greeted him pleasantly, but his keen eyes at once detected trouble between Houston and Morgan, and he was immediately on the alert.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading After the little fellow had finished his work, and Houston supposed he had gone, he walked with a firm, decided step, over to where Morgan stood lounging and looking out of the window.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Bull-dog, who, since washing the windows, had constituted himself office boy, had built the fire and was now sweeping.
washingnounUS /ˈwɑːʃɪŋ/
the work of cleansing (usually with soap and water)
From this reading Bull-dog, who, since washing the windows, had constituted himself office boy, had built the fire and was now sweeping.
in or at the place that
From this reading After the little fellow had finished his work, and Houston supposed he had gone, he walked with a firm, decided step, over to where Morgan stood lounging and looking out of the window.
which person or people
From this reading Bull-dog, who, since washing the windows, had constituted himself office boy, had built the fire and was now sweeping.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading After the little fellow had finished his work, and Houston supposed he had gone, he walked with a firm, decided step, over to where Morgan stood lounging and looking out of the window.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading Bull-dog, who, since washing the windows, had constituted himself office boy, had built the fire and was now sweeping.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Morgan sat at his desk, sorting some mining reports, and looked up with a sullen, defiant glance, but Houston ignored him, and going to his own desk, began making preparations for his day's work.
