used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He groped his way to the dresser at the opposite side of the room, and felt about for the searchlight which Duvall knew lay within easy reach.
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He drew back, his muscles tense, and gazed fixedly at the door.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
chauffeurnounUS /ʃoʊˈfɜːr/
a man paid to drive a privately owned car
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
closetnounUS /ˈklɑːzət/
a small room (or recess) or cabinet used for storage space
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading He drew back, his muscles tense, and gazed fixedly at the door.
dressernounUS /ˈdresər/
furniture with drawers for keeping clothes
From this reading He groped his way to the dresser at the opposite side of the room, and felt about for the searchlight which Duvall knew lay within easy reach.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading He drew back, his muscles tense, and gazed fixedly at the door.
Duvall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading He groped his way to the dresser at the opposite side of the room, and felt about for the searchlight which Duvall knew lay within easy reach.
enableverbUS /eˈneɪbəl/
render capable or able for some task
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading He groped his way to the dresser at the opposite side of the room, and felt about for the searchlight which Duvall knew lay within easy reach.
fixedlyadverb
in a fixed manner
From this reading He drew back, his muscles tense, and gazed fixedly at the door.
to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He groped his way to the dresser at the opposite side of the room, and felt about for the searchlight which Duvall knew lay within easy reach.
Francois
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading He drew back, his muscles tense, and gazed fixedly at the door.
an alert and refreshed state
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
gropedverbUS /ɡroʊpt/
past form of “grope” — feel about uncertainly or blindly
From this reading He groped his way to the dresser at the opposite side of the room, and felt about for the searchlight which Duvall knew lay within easy reach.
guardedadjectiveUS /ˈɡɑːrdəd/
prudent
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He drew back, his muscles tense, and gazed fixedly at the door.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He drew back, his muscles tense, and gazed fixedly at the door.
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste
From this reading The man seemed hurried.
impatiencenounUS /ˌɪmˈpeɪʃəns/
a lack of patience; irritation with anything that causes delay
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He groped his way to the dresser at the opposite side of the room, and felt about for the searchlight which Duvall knew lay within easy reach.
lampsnounUS /læmps/
plural of “lamp” — an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
immediately past
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading He groped his way to the dresser at the opposite side of the room, and felt about for the searchlight which Duvall knew lay within easy reach.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The man seemed hurried.
plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
musclesnounUS /ˈmʌsəlz/
plural of “muscle” — one of the contractile organs of the body
From this reading He drew back, his muscles tense, and gazed fixedly at the door.
easily agitated
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
not any; not one
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
and nothing more
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading He groped his way to the dresser at the opposite side of the room, and felt about for the searchlight which Duvall knew lay within easy reach.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading He groped his way to the dresser at the opposite side of the room, and felt about for the searchlight which Duvall knew lay within easy reach.
recognizeverbUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪz/
accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
Richard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
searchlightnounUS /ˈsɜːrtʃlaɪt/
a light source with reflectors that projects a beam of light in a particular direction
From this reading He groped his way to the dresser at the opposite side of the room, and felt about for the searchlight which Duvall knew lay within easy reach.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The man seemed hurried.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading He groped his way to the dresser at the opposite side of the room, and felt about for the searchlight which Duvall knew lay within easy reach.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
sufficedverbUS /səˈfaɪst/
past form of “suffice” — be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
tensenounUS /tens/
a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
From this reading He drew back, his muscles tense, and gazed fixedly at the door.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He groped his way to the dresser at the opposite side of the room, and felt about for the searchlight which Duvall knew lay within easy reach.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He groped his way to the dresser at the opposite side of the room, and felt about for the searchlight which Duvall knew lay within easy reach.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading He groped his way to the dresser at the opposite side of the room, and felt about for the searchlight which Duvall knew lay within easy reach.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with little or no difficulty.
