used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He had a faint recollection afterwards of doing so, though only filled with horror at the moment itself.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury
From this reading There was a sudden cessation to all the clamor as the accident happened.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading He had a faint recollection afterwards of doing so, though only filled with horror at the moment itself.
Alec
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
(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 There was a sudden cessation to all the clamor as the accident happened.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
react verbally
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There was a sudden cessation to all the clamor as the accident happened.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Indeed, the three quick reports from the director's revolver hardly seemed needed to bring a halt to the proceedings.
bulbnounUS /bʌlb/
a modified bud consisting of a thickened globular underground stem serving as a reproductive structure
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
cameranounUS /ˈkæmərə/
equipment for taking photographs (usually consisting of a lightproof box with a lens at one end and light-sensitive film at the other)
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
cessationnounUS /ˌseˈseɪʃən/
a stopping
From this reading There was a sudden cessation to all the clamor as the accident happened.
clambering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
clamorverbUS /ˈklæmər/
make loud demands
From this reading There was a sudden cessation to all the clamor as the accident happened.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
director'snounUS /daɪˈrektərz/
possessive form of “director” — someone who controls resources and expenditures
From this reading Indeed, the three quick reports from the director's revolver hardly seemed needed to bring a halt to the proceedings.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading He had a faint recollection afterwards of doing so, though only filled with horror at the moment itself.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading He had a faint recollection afterwards of doing so, though only filled with horror at the moment itself.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading He had a faint recollection afterwards of doing so, though only filled with horror at the moment itself.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Indeed, the three quick reports from the director's revolver hardly seemed needed to bring a halt to the proceedings.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had a faint recollection afterwards of doing so, though only filled with horror at the moment itself.
haltverbUS /hɔːlt/
cause to stop
From this reading Indeed, the three quick reports from the director's revolver hardly seemed needed to bring a halt to the proceedings.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading There was a sudden cessation to all the clamor as the accident happened.
only a very short time before
From this reading Indeed, the three quick reports from the director's revolver hardly seemed needed to bring a halt to the proceedings.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had a faint recollection afterwards of doing so, though only filled with horror at the moment itself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
intense and profound fear
From this reading He had a faint recollection afterwards of doing so, though only filled with horror at the moment itself.
IMITATIONnounUS /ˌɪməˈteɪʃən/
the doctrine that representations of nature or human behavior should be accurate imitations
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading Indeed, the three quick reports from the director's revolver hardly seemed needed to bring a halt to the proceedings.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading He had a faint recollection afterwards of doing so, though only filled with horror at the moment itself.
and nothing more
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
for more time
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
mechanicallyadverbUS /məˈkænɪkli/
in a mechanical manner; by a mechanism
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
the force of workers available
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
a particular point in time
From this reading He had a faint recollection afterwards of doing so, though only filled with horror at the moment itself.
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading Indeed, the three quick reports from the director's revolver hardly seemed needed to bring a halt to the proceedings.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
and nothing more
From this reading He had a faint recollection afterwards of doing so, though only filled with horror at the moment itself.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
by chance
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
compacted by ironing
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
past form of “proceed” — continue talking
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
proceedingsnounUS /proʊˈsiːdɪŋz/
(law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked
From this reading Indeed, the three quick reports from the director's revolver hardly seemed needed to bring a halt to the proceedings.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading Indeed, the three quick reports from the director's revolver hardly seemed needed to bring a halt to the proceedings.
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
recollectionnounUS /ˌrekəˈlekʃən/
the ability to recall past occurrences
From this reading He had a faint recollection afterwards of doing so, though only filled with horror at the moment itself.
in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
reportsnounUS /rɪˈpɔːrts/
plural of “report” — a written document describing the findings of some individual or group
From this reading Indeed, the three quick reports from the director's revolver hardly seemed needed to bring a halt to the proceedings.
restrainedadjectiveUS /riˈstreɪnd/
cool and formal in manner
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
revolvernounUS /rɪˈvɑːlvər/
a pistol with a revolving cylinder (usually having six chambers for bullets)
From this reading Indeed, the three quick reports from the director's revolver hardly seemed needed to bring a halt to the proceedings.
routinenounUS /ruːˈtiːn/
an unvarying or habitual method or procedure
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Indeed, the three quick reports from the director's revolver hardly seemed needed to bring a halt to the proceedings.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He had a faint recollection afterwards of doing so, though only filled with horror at the moment itself.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading There was a sudden cessation to all the clamor as the accident happened.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a sudden cessation to all the clamor as the accident happened.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading He had a faint recollection afterwards of doing so, though only filled with horror at the moment itself.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Indeed, the three quick reports from the director's revolver hardly seemed needed to bring a halt to the proceedings.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was a sudden cessation to all the clamor as the accident happened.
the upper part of anything
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
topplingverbUS /ˈtɑːpəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “topple” — fall down, as if collapsing
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
precisely as stated
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
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 IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
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 As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
at the time that
From this reading IMITATION AND REALITY Perhaps it was almost mechanically that Alec pressed the bulb of his camera at just the very second when that wall was toppling over.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He had a faint recollection afterwards of doing so, though only filled with horror at the moment itself.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading As the door was about burst in, anyway, and some of the men could not longer be restrained from clambering over the top of the walls, it would answer just as well as though things had proceeded in their regular routine.
