used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Slowly the night came, with stars and a moon well toward the full.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading But we could keep in shadow while about the chateau, and the light would aid our travelling later.
a person or thing that is a resource that helps make something easier or possible to do
From this reading But we could keep in shadow while about the chateau, and the light would aid our travelling later.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE WINDING STAIRS I left the table early, and went to my room.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading I tore two strips from the sheet of my bed, and wrapped them around my boots so as to cover the soles and deaden my footsteps.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I tore two strips from the sheet of my bed, and wrapped them around my boots so as to cover the soles and deaden my footsteps.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At half-past ten o'clock, the house seemed so still I thought the Count must have gone to bed before his usual time.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading I tore two strips from the sheet of my bed, and wrapped them around my boots so as to cover the soles and deaden my footsteps.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading At half-past ten o'clock, the house seemed so still I thought the Count must have gone to bed before his usual time.
plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg
From this reading I tore two strips from the sheet of my bed, and wrapped them around my boots so as to cover the soles and deaden my footsteps.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But we could keep in shadow while about the chateau, and the light would aid our travelling later.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Slowly the night came, with stars and a moon well toward the full.
chateaunounUS /ʃæˈtoʊ/
an impressive country house (or castle) in France
From this reading But we could keep in shadow while about the chateau, and the light would aid our travelling later.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading But we could keep in shadow while about the chateau, and the light would aid our travelling later.
determine the number or amount of
From this reading At half-past ten o'clock, the house seemed so still I thought the Count must have gone to bed before his usual time.
provide with a covering or cause to be covered
From this reading I tore two strips from the sheet of my bed, and wrapped them around my boots so as to cover the soles and deaden my footsteps.
deadenverbUS /ˈdedən/
make vague or obscure or make (an image) less visible
From this reading I tore two strips from the sheet of my bed, and wrapped them around my boots so as to cover the soles and deaden my footsteps.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading THE WINDING STAIRS I left the table early, and went to my room.
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading I tore two strips from the sheet of my bed, and wrapped them around my boots so as to cover the soles and deaden my footsteps.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I tore two strips from the sheet of my bed, and wrapped them around my boots so as to cover the soles and deaden my footsteps.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading Slowly the night came, with stars and a moon well toward the full.
destroyed or killed
From this reading At half-past ten o'clock, the house seemed so still I thought the Count must have gone to bed before his usual time.
half-past
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At half-past ten o'clock, the house seemed so still I thought the Count must have gone to bed before his usual time.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading At half-past ten o'clock, the house seemed so still I thought the Count must have gone to bed before his usual time.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading At half-past ten o'clock, the house seemed so still I thought the Count must have gone to bed before his usual time.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading At half-past ten o'clock, the house seemed so still I thought the Count must have gone to bed before his usual time.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading THE WINDING STAIRS I left the table early, and went to my room.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But we could keep in shadow while about the chateau, and the light would aid our travelling later.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading But we could keep in shadow while about the chateau, and the light would aid our travelling later.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading But we could keep in shadow while about the chateau, and the light would aid our travelling later.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading THE WINDING STAIRS I left the table early, and went to my room.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading But we could keep in shadow while about the chateau, and the light would aid our travelling later.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading Slowly the night came, with stars and a moon well toward the full.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading At half-past ten o'clock, the house seemed so still I thought the Count must have gone to bed before his usual time.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading THE WINDING STAIRS I left the table early, and went to my room.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Slowly the night came, with stars and a moon well toward the full.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading At half-past ten o'clock, the house seemed so still I thought the Count must have gone to bed before his usual time.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I tore two strips from the sheet of my bed, and wrapped them around my boots so as to cover the soles and deaden my footsteps.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading But we could keep in shadow while about the chateau, and the light would aid our travelling later.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading THE WINDING STAIRS I left the table early, and went to my room.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading At half-past ten o'clock, the house seemed so still I thought the Count must have gone to bed before his usual time.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading But we could keep in shadow while about the chateau, and the light would aid our travelling later.
any broad thin expanse or surface
From this reading I tore two strips from the sheet of my bed, and wrapped them around my boots so as to cover the soles and deaden my footsteps.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading Slowly the night came, with stars and a moon well toward the full.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I tore two strips from the sheet of my bed, and wrapped them around my boots so as to cover the soles and deaden my footsteps.
solesnounUS /soʊlz/
plural of “sol” — a colloid that has a continuous liquid phase in which a solid is suspended in a liquid
From this reading I tore two strips from the sheet of my bed, and wrapped them around my boots so as to cover the soles and deaden my footsteps.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading THE WINDING STAIRS I left the table early, and went to my room.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading Slowly the night came, with stars and a moon well toward the full.
not in physical motion
From this reading At half-past ten o'clock, the house seemed so still I thought the Count must have gone to bed before his usual time.
stripsnounUS /strɪps/
plural of “strip” — a relatively long narrow piece of something
From this reading I tore two strips from the sheet of my bed, and wrapped them around my boots so as to cover the soles and deaden my footsteps.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading THE WINDING STAIRS I left the table early, and went to my room.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading At half-past ten o'clock, the house seemed so still I thought the Count must have gone to bed before his usual time.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE WINDING STAIRS I left the table early, and went to my room.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I tore two strips from the sheet of my bed, and wrapped them around my boots so as to cover the soles and deaden my footsteps.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading At half-past ten o'clock, the house seemed so still I thought the Count must have gone to bed before his usual time.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading At half-past ten o'clock, the house seemed so still I thought the Count must have gone to bed before his usual time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE WINDING STAIRS I left the table early, and went to my room.
commonly the lowest molding at the base of a column
From this reading I tore two strips from the sheet of my bed, and wrapped them around my boots so as to cover the soles and deaden my footsteps.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading Slowly the night came, with stars and a moon well toward the full.
the act of going from one place to another
From this reading But we could keep in shadow while about the chateau, and the light would aid our travelling later.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading I tore two strips from the sheet of my bed, and wrapped them around my boots so as to cover the soles and deaden my footsteps.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading At half-past ten o'clock, the house seemed so still I thought the Count must have gone to bed before his usual time.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading But we could keep in shadow while about the chateau, and the light would aid our travelling later.
(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 Slowly the night came, with stars and a moon well toward the full.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading THE WINDING STAIRS I left the table early, and went to my room.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading But we could keep in shadow while about the chateau, and the light would aid our travelling later.
WINDINGadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪndɪŋ/
marked by repeated turns and bends
From this reading THE WINDING STAIRS I left the table early, and went to my room.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Slowly the night came, with stars and a moon well toward the full.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading But we could keep in shadow while about the chateau, and the light would aid our travelling later.
covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak
From this reading I tore two strips from the sheet of my bed, and wrapped them around my boots so as to cover the soles and deaden my footsteps.
