used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When all was ready, he lingered for a moment to enjoy the sight of his work.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He gradually became quite excited with satisfaction, and dropped on to his hands and knees again, and began to hop about, panting more heavily in his savage joy.
anew
From this reading He gradually became quite excited with satisfaction, and dropped on to his hands and knees again, and began to hop about, panting more heavily in his savage joy.
(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 When all was ready, he lingered for a moment to enjoy the sight of his work.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As a few fragments of coal had fallen on the stairs, he ran off to get a brush, and carefully swept the black dust from the steps.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Then he completed his inspection with the careful precision of a man who means to do things as they ought to be done.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading He gradually became quite excited with satisfaction, and dropped on to his hands and knees again, and began to hop about, panting more heavily in his savage joy.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading He gradually became quite excited with satisfaction, and dropped on to his hands and knees again, and began to hop about, panting more heavily in his savage joy.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading As a few fragments of coal had fallen on the stairs, he ran off to get a brush, and carefully swept the black dust from the steps.
brushverbUS /brʌʃ/
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading As a few fragments of coal had fallen on the stairs, he ran off to get a brush, and carefully swept the black dust from the steps.
exercising caution or showing care or attention
From this reading Then he completed his inspection with the careful precision of a man who means to do things as they ought to be done.
taking care or paying attention
From this reading As a few fragments of coal had fallen on the stairs, he ran off to get a brush, and carefully swept the black dust from the steps.
coalnounUS /koʊl/
fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading As a few fragments of coal had fallen on the stairs, he ran off to get a brush, and carefully swept the black dust from the steps.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading Then he completed his inspection with the careful precision of a man who means to do things as they ought to be done.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Then he completed his inspection with the careful precision of a man who means to do things as they ought to be done.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading Then he completed his inspection with the careful precision of a man who means to do things as they ought to be done.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading He gradually became quite excited with satisfaction, and dropped on to his hands and knees again, and began to hop about, panting more heavily in his savage joy.
remove the dust from
From this reading As a few fragments of coal had fallen on the stairs, he ran off to get a brush, and carefully swept the black dust from the steps.
derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading When all was ready, he lingered for a moment to enjoy the sight of his work.
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading He gradually became quite excited with satisfaction, and dropped on to his hands and knees again, and began to hop about, panting more heavily in his savage joy.
of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading As a few fragments of coal had fallen on the stairs, he ran off to get a brush, and carefully swept the black dust from the steps.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading As a few fragments of coal had fallen on the stairs, he ran off to get a brush, and carefully swept the black dust from the steps.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When all was ready, he lingered for a moment to enjoy the sight of his work.
fragmentsnounUS /ˈfræɡmənts/
plural of “fragment” — a piece broken off or cut off of something else
From this reading As a few fragments of coal had fallen on the stairs, he ran off to get a brush, and carefully swept the black dust from the steps.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
in a gradual manner
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading As a few fragments of coal had fallen on the stairs, he ran off to get a brush, and carefully swept the black dust from the steps.
in a gradual manner
From this reading He gradually became quite excited with satisfaction, and dropped on to his hands and knees again, and began to hop about, panting more heavily in his savage joy.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading As a few fragments of coal had fallen on the stairs, he ran off to get a brush, and carefully swept the black dust from the steps.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When all was ready, he lingered for a moment to enjoy the sight of his work.
to a considerable degree
From this reading He gradually became quite excited with satisfaction, and dropped on to his hands and knees again, and began to hop about, panting more heavily in his savage joy.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When all was ready, he lingered for a moment to enjoy the sight of his work.
hopverbUS /hɑːp/
jump lightly
From this reading He gradually became quite excited with satisfaction, and dropped on to his hands and knees again, and began to hop about, panting more heavily in his savage joy.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
inspectionnounUS /ˌɪnˈspekʃən/
a formal or official examination
From this reading Then he completed his inspection with the careful precision of a man who means to do things as they ought to be done.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading He gradually became quite excited with satisfaction, and dropped on to his hands and knees again, and began to hop about, panting more heavily in his savage joy.
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 He gradually became quite excited with satisfaction, and dropped on to his hands and knees again, and began to hop about, panting more heavily in his savage joy.
lingeredverbUS /ˈlɪŋɡərd/
past form of “linger” — remain present although waning or gradually dying
From this reading When all was ready, he lingered for a moment to enjoy the sight of his work.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Then he completed his inspection with the careful precision of a man who means to do things as they ought to be done.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading Then he completed his inspection with the careful precision of a man who means to do things as they ought to be done.
a particular point in time
From this reading When all was ready, he lingered for a moment to enjoy the sight of his work.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading He gradually became quite excited with satisfaction, and dropped on to his hands and knees again, and began to hop about, panting more heavily in his savage joy.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When all was ready, he lingered for a moment to enjoy the sight of his work.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading As a few fragments of coal had fallen on the stairs, he ran off to get a brush, and carefully swept the black dust from the steps.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading As a few fragments of coal had fallen on the stairs, he ran off to get a brush, and carefully swept the black dust from the steps.
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading Then he completed his inspection with the careful precision of a man who means to do things as they ought to be done.
pantingnounUS /ˈpæntɪŋ/
breathing heavily (as after exertion)
From this reading He gradually became quite excited with satisfaction, and dropped on to his hands and knees again, and began to hop about, panting more heavily in his savage joy.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
precisionnounUS /priˈsɪʒən/
the quality of being reproducible in amount or performance
From this reading Then he completed his inspection with the careful precision of a man who means to do things as they ought to be done.
pyresnounUS /ˈpaɪərz/
plural of “pyre” — wood heaped for burning a dead body as a funeral rite
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading He gradually became quite excited with satisfaction, and dropped on to his hands and knees again, and began to hop about, panting more heavily in his savage joy.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading As a few fragments of coal had fallen on the stairs, he ran off to get a brush, and carefully swept the black dust from the steps.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading When all was ready, he lingered for a moment to enjoy the sight of his work.
rubbedverbUS /rʌbd/
inflected form of “rub” — move over something with pressure
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading He gradually became quite excited with satisfaction, and dropped on to his hands and knees again, and began to hop about, panting more heavily in his savage joy.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading When all was ready, he lingered for a moment to enjoy the sight of his work.
square-set
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading As a few fragments of coal had fallen on the stairs, he ran off to get a brush, and carefully swept the black dust from the steps.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading As a few fragments of coal had fallen on the stairs, he ran off to get a brush, and carefully swept the black dust from the steps.
possessing sweep
From this reading As a few fragments of coal had fallen on the stairs, he ran off to get a brush, and carefully swept the black dust from the steps.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When all was ready, he lingered for a moment to enjoy the sight of his work.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he completed his inspection with the careful precision of a man who means to do things as they ought to be done.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then he completed his inspection with the careful precision of a man who means to do things as they ought to be done.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Then he completed his inspection with the careful precision of a man who means to do things as they ought to be done.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When all was ready, he lingered for a moment to enjoy the sight of his work.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
viewingnounUS /ˈvjuːɪŋ/
the display of a motion picture
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When all was ready, he lingered for a moment to enjoy the sight of his work.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
at the time that
From this reading When all was ready, he lingered for a moment to enjoy the sight of his work.
which person or people
From this reading Then he completed his inspection with the careful precision of a man who means to do things as they ought to be done.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He went from pile to pile, took pleasure in viewing the square-set pyres, and gently rubbed his hands together with an appearance of extreme satisfaction.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading When all was ready, he lingered for a moment to enjoy the sight of his work.
