used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
at or in the front
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The sight was enough to startle any parent.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
awfuladjectiveUS /ˈɑːfəl/
exceptionally bad or displeasing
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading “Oh! my dear Tommy,” she wailed, as she caught sight of the silent figure fastened at the foot of the bed; “have they killed you?”
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading “Oh! my dear Tommy,” she wailed, as she caught sight of the silent figure fastened at the foot of the bed; “have they killed you?”
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
dearly loved
From this reading “Oh! my dear Tommy,” she wailed, as she caught sight of the silent figure fastened at the foot of the bed; “have they killed you?”
distancesnounUS /ˈdɪstənsəz/
plural of “distance” — the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading The sight was enough to startle any parent.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
firmly closed or secured
From this reading “Oh! my dear Tommy,” she wailed, as she caught sight of the silent figure fastened at the foot of the bed; “have they killed you?”
experiencing or showing fear
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading “Oh! my dear Tommy,” she wailed, as she caught sight of the silent figure fastened at the foot of the bed; “have they killed you?”
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading “Oh! my dear Tommy,” she wailed, as she caught sight of the silent figure fastened at the foot of the bed; “have they killed you?”
inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Oh! my dear Tommy,” she wailed, as she caught sight of the silent figure fastened at the foot of the bed; “have they killed you?”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
janitornounUS /ˈdʒænətər/
someone employed to clean and maintain a building
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading “Oh! my dear Tommy,” she wailed, as she caught sight of the silent figure fastened at the foot of the bed; “have they killed you?”
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 Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
a form of address for a man
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “Oh! my dear Tommy,” she wailed, as she caught sight of the silent figure fastened at the foot of the bed; “have they killed you?”
neighborsnounUS /ˈneɪbərz/
plural of “neighbor” — a person who lives (or is located) near another
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
information about recent and important events
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
not any; not one
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
OCCURRENCEnounUS /əˈkɜːrəns/
an event that happens
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh! my dear Tommy,” she wailed, as she caught sight of the silent figure fastened at the foot of the bed; “have they killed you?”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
and nothing more
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
out-of-doorsnoun
where the air is unconfined
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
pacesnounUS /ˈpeɪsɪz/
plural of “pace” — the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
parentnounUS /ˈperənt/
a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading The sight was enough to startle any parent.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
receivingverbUS /rəˈsiːvɪŋ/
-ing form of “receive” — get something; come into possession of
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
done under pressure
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
scrambledadjectiveUS /ˈskræmbəld/
thrown together in a disorderly fashion
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading “Oh! my dear Tommy,” she wailed, as she caught sight of the silent figure fastened at the foot of the bed; “have they killed you?”
marked by absence of sound
From this reading “Oh! my dear Tommy,” she wailed, as she caught sight of the silent figure fastened at the foot of the bed; “have they killed you?”
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
in the near future
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
startleverbUS /ˈstɑːrtəl/
to stimulate to action
From this reading The sight was enough to startle any parent.
STARTLINGadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtlɪŋ/
so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
express in words
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
terrifiedadjectiveUS /ˈterəfaɪd/
thrown into a state of intense fear or desperation
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Oh! my dear Tommy,” she wailed, as she caught sight of the silent figure fastened at the foot of the bed; “have they killed you?”
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
timidlyadverbUS /ˈtɪmədli/
in a shy or timid or bashful manner
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
Tommy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh! my dear Tommy,” she wailed, as she caught sight of the silent figure fastened at the foot of the bed; “have they killed you?”
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
on a floor above
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
varyingadjectiveUS /ˈveriɪŋ/
marked by diversity or difference
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
Wagstaff
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
wailedverbUS /weɪld/
past form of “wail” — emit long loud cries
From this reading “Oh! my dear Tommy,” she wailed, as she caught sight of the silent figure fastened at the foot of the bed; “have they killed you?”
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The husband entered the door through which several of the neighbors had timidly passed, only a few paces ahead of his wife, who was upstairs almost as soon as he.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Mrs. Wagstaff knew it must be something awful that had called him away in that style, and she lost no time in following, while the children scrambled after them at varying distances.
which person or people
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading A STARTLING OCCURRENCE Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Oh! my dear Tommy,” she wailed, as she caught sight of the silent figure fastened at the foot of the bed; “have they killed you?”
