used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Seven of them sat against the rough log walls, silent and motionless, and, the room being small, not very far from the table.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading By extending an arm any one of them could have touched the eighth man, who lay on the table, face upward, partly covered by a sheet, his arms at his sides.
from appearances alone
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading By extending an arm any one of them could have touched the eighth man, who lay on the table, face upward, partly covered by a sheet, his arms at his sides.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading By extending an arm any one of them could have touched the eighth man, who lay on the table, face upward, partly covered by a sheet, his arms at his sides.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading By extending an arm any one of them could have touched the eighth man, who lay on the table, face upward, partly covered by a sheet, his arms at his sides.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Seven of them sat against the rough log walls, silent and motionless, and, the room being small, not very far from the table.
in addition to; as well as
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading By extending an arm any one of them could have touched the eighth man, who lay on the table, face upward, partly covered by a sheet, his arms at his sides.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading By extending an arm any one of them could have touched the eighth man, who lay on the table, face upward, partly covered by a sheet, his arms at his sides.
darkeningadjectiveUS /ˈdɑːrkənɪŋ/
becoming dark or darker as from waning light or clouding over
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
being one more than seven
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
eighthadjectiveUS /eɪtθ/
coming next after the seventh and just before the ninth in position
From this reading By extending an arm any one of them could have touched the eighth man, who lay on the table, face upward, partly covered by a sheet, his arms at his sides.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
extendingverbUS /ɪkˈstendɪŋ/
-ing form of “extend” — extend in scope or range or area
From this reading By extending an arm any one of them could have touched the eighth man, who lay on the table, face upward, partly covered by a sheet, his arms at his sides.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading By extending an arm any one of them could have touched the eighth man, who lay on the table, face upward, partly covered by a sheet, his arms at his sides.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Seven of them sat against the rough log walls, silent and motionless, and, the room being small, not very far from the table.
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Seven of them sat against the rough log walls, silent and motionless, and, the room being small, not very far from the table.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
to an extraordinary extent or degree
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading By extending an arm any one of them could have touched the eighth man, who lay on the table, face upward, partly covered by a sheet, his arms at his sides.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading By extending an arm any one of them could have touched the eighth man, who lay on the table, face upward, partly covered by a sheet, his arms at his sides.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading By extending an arm any one of them could have touched the eighth man, who lay on the table, face upward, partly covered by a sheet, his arms at his sides.
legibleadjectiveUS /ˈledʒəbəl/
(of handwriting, print, etc.) capable of being read or deciphered
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
logverbUS /lɔːɡ/
enter into a log, as on ships and planes
From this reading Seven of them sat against the rough log walls, silent and motionless, and, the room being small, not very far from the table.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
the force of workers available
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
not in physical motion
From this reading Seven of them sat against the rough log walls, silent and motionless, and, the room being small, not very far from the table.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
obscuritynounUS /əbsˈkjʊrəti/
the quality of being unclear or abstruse and hard to understand
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
to some extent; in some degree; not wholly
From this reading By extending an arm any one of them could have touched the eighth man, who lay on the table, face upward, partly covered by a sheet, his arms at his sides.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
a person who enjoys reading
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Seven of them sat against the rough log walls, silent and motionless, and, the room being small, not very far from the table.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading Seven of them sat against the rough log walls, silent and motionless, and, the room being small, not very far from the table.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
any broad thin expanse or surface
From this reading By extending an arm any one of them could have touched the eighth man, who lay on the table, face upward, partly covered by a sheet, his arms at his sides.
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading By extending an arm any one of them could have touched the eighth man, who lay on the table, face upward, partly covered by a sheet, his arms at his sides.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading Seven of them sat against the rough log walls, silent and motionless, and, the room being small, not very far from the table.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Seven of them sat against the rough log walls, silent and motionless, and, the room being small, not very far from the table.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
comparative of “strong” — having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
tallownounUS /ˈtæloʊ/
obtained from suet and used in making soap, candles and lubricants
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Seven of them sat against the rough log walls, silent and motionless, and, the room being small, not very far from the table.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
propel through the air
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
having come into contact
From this reading By extending an arm any one of them could have touched the eighth man, who lay on the table, face upward, partly covered by a sheet, his arms at his sides.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
upwardadjectiveUS /ˈʌpwərd/
directed up
From this reading By extending an arm any one of them could have touched the eighth man, who lay on the table, face upward, partly covered by a sheet, his arms at his sides.
precisely as stated
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading Seven of them sat against the rough log walls, silent and motionless, and, the room being small, not very far from the table.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
which person or people
From this reading By extending an arm any one of them could have touched the eighth man, who lay on the table, face upward, partly covered by a sheet, his arms at his sides.
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The shadow of the book would then throw into obscurity a half of the room, darkening a number of faces and figures; for besides the reader, eight other men were present.
the act of creating written works
From this reading It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held the page close to the flame of the candle to get a stronger light upon it.
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading By THE light of a tallow candle, which had been placed on one end of a rough table, a man was reading something written in a book.
