used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He closed the door with difficulty, and sank down on a bench beside it.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading The old man stared after him for some few minutes, then suddenly his knees began to tremble.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading He received no answer, for Muller was already walking quickly down the street.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He closed the door with difficulty, and sank down on a bench beside it.
react verbally
From this reading He received no answer, for Muller was already walking quickly down the street.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading The old man stared after him for some few minutes, then suddenly his knees began to tremble.
a long seat for more than one person
From this reading He closed the door with difficulty, and sank down on a bench beside it.
Berner
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
next to; at the side of
From this reading He closed the door with difficulty, and sank down on a bench beside it.
blownadjectiveUS /bloʊn/
being moved or acted upon by moving air or vapor
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “Yes, he has, but how did you know it?” he murmured in surprise.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading He closed the door with difficulty, and sank down on a bench beside it.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “Yes, he has, but how did you know it?” he murmured in surprise.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading He closed the door with difficulty, and sank down on a bench beside it.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading He closed the door with difficulty, and sank down on a bench beside it.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He received no answer, for Muller was already walking quickly down the street.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The old man stared after him for some few minutes, then suddenly his knees began to tremble.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He received no answer, for Muller was already walking quickly down the street.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Yes, he has, but how did you know it?” he murmured in surprise.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Yes, he has, but how did you know it?” he murmured in surprise.
inflected form of “hide” — prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The old man stared after him for some few minutes, then suddenly his knees began to tremble.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The old man stared after him for some few minutes, then suddenly his knees began to tremble.
provoking horror
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Yes, he has, but how did you know it?” he murmured in surprise.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Yes, he has, but how did you know it?” he murmured in surprise.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Yes, he has, but how did you know it?” he murmured in surprise.
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading The old man stared after him for some few minutes, then suddenly his knees began to tremble.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “Yes, he has, but how did you know it?” he murmured in surprise.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
lanternnounUS /ˈlæntərn/
light in a transparent protective case
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The old man stared after him for some few minutes, then suddenly his knees began to tremble.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading The old man stared after him for some few minutes, then suddenly his knees began to tremble.
MullernounUS /ˈmʌlər/
Swiss chemist who synthesized DDT and discovered its use as an insecticide (1899-1965)
From this reading He received no answer, for Muller was already walking quickly down the street.
past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly
From this reading “Yes, he has, but how did you know it?” he murmured in surprise.
not any; not one
From this reading He received no answer, for Muller was already walking quickly down the street.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The old man stared after him for some few minutes, then suddenly his knees began to tremble.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He closed the door with difficulty, and sank down on a bench beside it.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
with speed
From this reading He received no answer, for Muller was already walking quickly down the street.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading He received no answer, for Muller was already walking quickly down the street.
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading He closed the door with difficulty, and sank down on a bench beside it.
in an aggressive manner
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The old man stared after him for some few minutes, then suddenly his knees began to tremble.
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading The old man stared after him for some few minutes, then suddenly his knees began to tremble.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading He received no answer, for Muller was already walking quickly down the street.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
happening unexpectedly
From this reading The old man stared after him for some few minutes, then suddenly his knees began to tremble.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading “Yes, he has, but how did you know it?” he murmured in surprise.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He received no answer, for Muller was already walking quickly down the street.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The old man stared after him for some few minutes, then suddenly his knees began to tremble.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The old man stared after him for some few minutes, then suddenly his knees began to tremble.
trembleverbUS /ˈtrembəl/
move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways
From this reading The old man stared after him for some few minutes, then suddenly his knees began to tremble.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
close enough to be walked to
From this reading He received no answer, for Muller was already walking quickly down the street.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He received no answer, for Muller was already walking quickly down the street.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
in the company of; together with
From this reading He closed the door with difficulty, and sank down on a bench beside it.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading The wind had blown out the light of his lantern; Berner was sitting in the dark without knowing it, for a sudden terrible light had burst upon his soul, burst upon it so sharply that he hid his eyes with his hands, and his old lips murmured, “Horrible!
an affirmative
From this reading “Yes, he has, but how did you know it?” he murmured in surprise.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Yes, he has, but how did you know it?” he murmured in surprise.
