used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Then he felt in his pocket for a match.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
a person or thing that is a resource that helps make something easier or possible to do
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was evident that Mr. Andrew's vaunt had not been an entirely idle one.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Raising himself upon his hands, Mr. Bates lifted his leg and scrambled in noiselessly over the sill.
Andrew'snounUS /ˈændruːz/
possessive form of “andrew” — (New Testament) disciple of Jesus; brother of Peter; patron saint of Scotland
From this reading It was evident that Mr. Andrew's vaunt had not been an entirely idle one.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
BatesverbUS /beɪts/
third-person singular of “bate” — moderate or restrain; lessen the force of
From this reading Raising himself upon his hands, Mr. Bates lifted his leg and scrambled in noiselessly over the sill.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It was evident that Mr. Andrew's vaunt had not been an entirely idle one.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
disordernounUS /dɪˈsɔːrdər/
a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning
From this reading The room was in a state of shocking disorder.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading It was evident that Mr. Andrew's vaunt had not been an entirely idle one.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading It was evident that Mr. Andrew's vaunt had not been an entirely idle one.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Then he felt in his pocket for a match.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Then he felt in his pocket for a match.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was evident that Mr. Andrew's vaunt had not been an entirely idle one.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Raising himself upon his hands, Mr. Bates lifted his leg and scrambled in noiselessly over the sill.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then he felt in his pocket for a match.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Raising himself upon his hands, Mr. Bates lifted his leg and scrambled in noiselessly over the sill.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Raising himself upon his hands, Mr. Bates lifted his leg and scrambled in noiselessly over the sill.
not in action or at work
From this reading It was evident that Mr. Andrew's vaunt had not been an entirely idle one.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Raising himself upon his hands, Mr. Bates lifted his leg and scrambled in noiselessly over the sill.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
a human limb; commonly used to refer to a whole limb but technically only the part of the limb between the knee and ankle
From this reading Raising himself upon his hands, Mr. Bates lifted his leg and scrambled in noiselessly over the sill.
held up in the air
From this reading Raising himself upon his hands, Mr. Bates lifted his leg and scrambled in noiselessly over the sill.
be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
From this reading Then he felt in his pocket for a match.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Raising himself upon his hands, Mr. Bates lifted his leg and scrambled in noiselessly over the sill.
nervouslyadverbUS /ˈnɜːrvəsli/
in an anxiously nervous manner
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
noiselesslyadverb
without a sound
From this reading Raising himself upon his hands, Mr. Bates lifted his leg and scrambled in noiselessly over the sill.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was evident that Mr. Andrew's vaunt had not been an entirely idle one.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It was evident that Mr. Andrew's vaunt had not been an entirely idle one.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Raising himself upon his hands, Mr. Bates lifted his leg and scrambled in noiselessly over the sill.
a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading Then he felt in his pocket for a match.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
the event of something being raised upward
From this reading Raising himself upon his hands, Mr. Bates lifted his leg and scrambled in noiselessly over the sill.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The room was in a state of shocking disorder.
scrambledadjectiveUS /ˈskræmbəld/
thrown together in a disorderly fashion
From this reading Raising himself upon his hands, Mr. Bates lifted his leg and scrambled in noiselessly over the sill.
shadingnounUS /ˈʃeɪdɪŋ/
graded markings that indicate light or shaded areas in a drawing or painting
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
shockingadjectiveUS /ˈʃɑːkɪŋ/
glaringly vivid and graphic; marked by sensationalism
From this reading The room was in a state of shocking disorder.
sillnounUS /sɪl/
structural member consisting of a continuous horizontal timber forming the lowest member of a framework or supporting structure
From this reading Raising himself upon his hands, Mr. Bates lifted his leg and scrambled in noiselessly over the sill.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading The room was in a state of shocking disorder.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
superfluousadjectiveUS /ˈsuːpərflwʌs/
serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was evident that Mr. Andrew's vaunt had not been an entirely idle one.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Raising himself upon his hands, Mr. Bates lifted his leg and scrambled in noiselessly over the sill.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he felt in his pocket for a match.
trousersnounUS /ˈtraʊzərz/
(usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Raising himself upon his hands, Mr. Bates lifted his leg and scrambled in noiselessly over the sill.
vauntnoun
extravagant self-praise
From this reading It was evident that Mr. Andrew's vaunt had not been an entirely idle one.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was evident that Mr. Andrew's vaunt had not been an entirely idle one.
in the company of; together with
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading By the aid of a dry portion of his trousers he struck it without any superfluous noise, and, shading it with his hand, gazed nervously about him.
