used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was no mistake about it—a noise was audible in the cellar of the Corner House.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There was no mistake about it—a noise was audible in the cellar of the Corner House.
Agnes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Do you suppose it could be them?” whispered Agnes.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was not an insistent noise, rather it was a subdued one, as though the cause of it, whether man or beast, was desirous of concealing something.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was not an insistent noise, rather it was a subdued one, as though the cause of it, whether man or beast, was desirous of concealing something.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Who?” asked Neale, though he could guess.
audibleadjectiveUS /ˈɑːdəbəl/
heard or perceptible by the ear
From this reading There was no mistake about it—a noise was audible in the cellar of the Corner House.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Do you suppose it could be them?” whispered Agnes.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading It was not an insistent noise, rather it was a subdued one, as though the cause of it, whether man or beast, was desirous of concealing something.
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading It was not an insistent noise, rather it was a subdued one, as though the cause of it, whether man or beast, was desirous of concealing something.
cellarnounUS /ˈselər/
the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
From this reading There was no mistake about it—a noise was audible in the cellar of the Corner House.
concealingnounUS /kənˈsiːlɪŋ/
the activity of keeping something secret
From this reading It was not an insistent noise, rather it was a subdued one, as though the cause of it, whether man or beast, was desirous of concealing something.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading There was no mistake about it—a noise was audible in the cellar of the Corner House.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “Do you suppose it could be them?” whispered Agnes.
desirousadjectiveUS /dɪˈzaɪrəs/
having or expressing desire for something
From this reading It was not an insistent noise, rather it was a subdued one, as though the cause of it, whether man or beast, was desirous of concealing something.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Do you suppose it could be them?” whispered Agnes.
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading “Who?” asked Neale, though he could guess.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Who?” asked Neale, though he could guess.
HopverbUS /hɑːp/
jump lightly
From this reading “Those men Hop Wong told about.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading There was no mistake about it—a noise was audible in the cellar of the Corner House.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was no mistake about it—a noise was audible in the cellar of the Corner House.
insistentadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsɪstənt/
repetitive and persistent
From this reading It was not an insistent noise, rather it was a subdued one, as though the cause of it, whether man or beast, was desirous of concealing something.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading There was no mistake about it—a noise was audible in the cellar of the Corner House.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading It was not an insistent noise, rather it was a subdued one, as though the cause of it, whether man or beast, was desirous of concealing something.
the force of workers available
From this reading “Those men Hop Wong told about.
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading There was no mistake about it—a noise was audible in the cellar of the Corner House.
Neale
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Who?” asked Neale, though he could guess.
not any; not one
From this reading There was no mistake about it—a noise was audible in the cellar of the Corner House.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading There was no mistake about it—a noise was audible in the cellar of the Corner House.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was not an insistent noise, rather it was a subdued one, as though the cause of it, whether man or beast, was desirous of concealing something.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was no mistake about it—a noise was audible in the cellar of the Corner House.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It was not an insistent noise, rather it was a subdued one, as though the cause of it, whether man or beast, was desirous of concealing something.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It was not an insistent noise, rather it was a subdued one, as though the cause of it, whether man or beast, was desirous of concealing something.
on the contrary
From this reading It was not an insistent noise, rather it was a subdued one, as though the cause of it, whether man or beast, was desirous of concealing something.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading It was not an insistent noise, rather it was a subdued one, as though the cause of it, whether man or beast, was desirous of concealing something.
subduedadjectiveUS /səbˈduːd/
in a softened tone
From this reading It was not an insistent noise, rather it was a subdued one, as though the cause of it, whether man or beast, was desirous of concealing something.
express a supposition
From this reading “Do you suppose it could be them?” whispered Agnes.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was no mistake about it—a noise was audible in the cellar of the Corner House.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading “Do you suppose it could be them?” whispered Agnes.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was no mistake about it—a noise was audible in the cellar of the Corner House.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading “Those men Hop Wong told about.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading It was not an insistent noise, rather it was a subdued one, as though the cause of it, whether man or beast, was desirous of concealing something.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading “Those men Hop Wong told about.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was no mistake about it—a noise was audible in the cellar of the Corner House.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading It was not an insistent noise, rather it was a subdued one, as though the cause of it, whether man or beast, was desirous of concealing something.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading “Do you suppose it could be them?” whispered Agnes.
which person or people
From this reading “Who?” asked Neale, though he could guess.
Wong
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Those men Hop Wong told about.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Do you suppose it could be them?” whispered Agnes.
