used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
Billie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Billie was not the lad to sit down and cry.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading But Billie was not the lad to sit down and cry.
past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
dyingadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪɪŋ/
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
a boy or man
From this reading But Billie was not the lad to sit down and cry.
by chance
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading THE MYSTERY SOLVED.
not any; not one
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
no person; not anyone
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
To move from a closed position.
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
SantiagonounUS /ˌsæntiˈɑːɡoʊ/
city in the northern Dominican Republic
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
be seated
From this reading But Billie was not the lad to sit down and cry.
SOLVEDadjectiveUS /sɑːlvd/
explained or answered
From this reading THE MYSTERY SOLVED.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
subterraneanadjectiveUS /ˌsʌb.təˈreɪ.ni.ən/
Existing, occurring, or done under the earth's surface.
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
an event that accomplishes its intended purpose
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MYSTERY SOLVED.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
the upper part of anything
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
hard to endure
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
at the time that
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Nobody on earth knows that I am down here," he thought, "and with Santiago sick and maybe dying, no one on earth probably knows that there is such a passage."
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading When the opening at the head of the stairs had closed upon Billie and he realized that he was shut in a subterranean passage, for a minute his heart sank within him.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He had tried to find an opening at the top of the opposite stairs and had failed, and he did not know that he would have any better success in trying to find a way to open the place through which he had descended.
