used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading Like a piece of machinery momentarily out of gear, the group adjusted itself and snapped back into action.
adjustedadjectiveUS /əˈdʒʌstɪd/
altered to accommodate to certain requirements or bring into a proper relation
From this reading Like a piece of machinery momentarily out of gear, the group adjusted itself and snapped back into action.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading I saw the men’s faces held in expressions of amazement so intense they looked like caricatures.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Like a piece of machinery momentarily out of gear, the group adjusted itself and snapped back into action.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
lacking funds
From this reading That broke the tension.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
caricaturesnounUS /kərˈɪkətʃərz/
plural of “caricature” — a representation of a person that is exaggerated for comic effect
From this reading I saw the men’s faces held in expressions of amazement so intense they looked like caricatures.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
chokedadjectiveUS /tʃoʊkt/
stopped up; clogged up
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
a timepiece that shows the time of day
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
crumpleverbUS /ˈkrʌmpəl/
fall apart
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
expressionsnounUS /ɪkˈspreʃənz/
plural of “expression” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading I saw the men’s faces held in expressions of amazement so intense they looked like caricatures.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading I saw the men’s faces held in expressions of amazement so intense they looked like caricatures.
start firing a weapon
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
gearnounUS /ɡɪr/
a toothed wheel that engages another toothed mechanism in order to change the speed or direction of transmitted motion
From this reading Like a piece of machinery momentarily out of gear, the group adjusted itself and snapped back into action.
any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading Like a piece of machinery momentarily out of gear, the group adjusted itself and snapped back into action.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading I saw the men’s faces held in expressions of amazement so intense they looked like caricatures.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
not accessible to view
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I saw the men’s faces held in expressions of amazement so intense they looked like caricatures.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading I saw the men’s faces held in expressions of amazement so intense they looked like caricatures.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Like a piece of machinery momentarily out of gear, the group adjusted itself and snapped back into action.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Like a piece of machinery momentarily out of gear, the group adjusted itself and snapped back into action.
a small worthless amount
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading I saw the men’s faces held in expressions of amazement so intense they looked like caricatures.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading I saw the men’s faces held in expressions of amazement so intense they looked like caricatures.
machinerynounUS /məˈʃiːnəri/
machines or machine systems collectively
From this reading Like a piece of machinery momentarily out of gear, the group adjusted itself and snapped back into action.
mantelnounUS /ˈmæntəl/
shelf that projects from wall above fireplace
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
men'snounUS /menz/
a public toilet for men
From this reading I saw the men’s faces held in expressions of amazement so intense they looked like caricatures.
a particular point in time
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
momentarilyadverbUS /ˌmoʊmənˈterəli/
for an instant or moment
From this reading Like a piece of machinery momentarily out of gear, the group adjusted itself and snapped back into action.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Like a piece of machinery momentarily out of gear, the group adjusted itself and snapped back into action.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading Like a piece of machinery momentarily out of gear, the group adjusted itself and snapped back into action.
rustleverbUS /ˈrʌsəl/
make a dry crackling sound
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
cut with a saw
From this reading I saw the men’s faces held in expressions of amazement so intense they looked like caricatures.
express in words
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
snapverbUS /snæp/
utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
snappedverbUS /snæpt/
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading Like a piece of machinery momentarily out of gear, the group adjusted itself and snapped back into action.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I saw the men’s faces held in expressions of amazement so intense they looked like caricatures.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
stutteringverbUS /ˈstʌtərɪŋ/
-ing form of “stutter” — speak haltingly
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
plural of “tell” — a Swiss patriot who lived in the early 14th century and who was renowned for his skill as an archer
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
tensionnounUS /ˈtenʃən/
(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense
From this reading That broke the tension.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I saw the men’s faces held in expressions of amazement so intense they looked like caricatures.
ticknounUS /tɪk/
a metallic tapping sound
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
WhitehallnounUS /ˈwaɪthɔːl/
a wide street in London stretching from Trafalgar Square to the Houses of Parliament; site of many government offices
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I saw Mrs. Whitehall try to say something, then with a rustle and a broken cry crumple up in a chair, her face hidden, stuttering, choked sounds coming from behind her hands.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading JACK TELLS THE STORY In the moment of silence which followed that sentence you could hear the fire snap and the tick of the clock on the mantel.
