adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/
anew
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
bednounUS /bed/
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
breatheverbUS /briːð/
draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
closedadjectiveUS /kloʊzd/
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
closingnounUS /ˈkloʊzɪŋ/
the act of closing something
From this reading He heard her shake out his dinner coat, try the pockets, heard the stealthy opening and closing of the drawers in his wardrobe.
coatnounUS /koʊt/
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading He heard her shake out his dinner coat, try the pockets, heard the stealthy opening and closing of the drawers in his wardrobe.
continuedadjectiveUS /kənˈtɪnjuːd/
without stop or interruption
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading He heard her shake out his dinner coat, try the pockets, heard the stealthy opening and closing of the drawers in his wardrobe.
doornounUS /dɔːr/
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
drawersnounUS /drɔːrz/
underpants worn by men
From this reading He heard her shake out his dinner coat, try the pockets, heard the stealthy opening and closing of the drawers in his wardrobe.
dressingnounUS /ˈdresɪŋ/
savory dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
drewnounUS /druː/
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading Presently the footsteps drew near to his bed.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
endnounUS /end/
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
eyesnounUS /aɪz/
opinion or judgment
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
feetnounUS /fiːt/
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
flutteringnounUS /ˈflʌtərɪŋ/
the motion made by flapping up and down
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
footfallnounUS /ˈfʊtfɔːl/
the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
footstepsnounUS /ˈfʊtsteps/
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading Presently the footsteps drew near to his bed.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
garmentsnounUS /ˈɡɑːrmənts/
plural of “garment” — an article of clothing
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
gownnounUS /ɡaʊn/
a woman's dress, usually with a close-fitting bodice and a long flared skirt, often worn on formal occasions
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
halfadjectiveUS /hæf/
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
half-closed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
handleverbUS /ˈhændəl/
be in charge of, act on, or dispose of
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He heard her shake out his dinner coat, try the pockets, heard the stealthy opening and closing of the drawers in his wardrobe.
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading He heard her shake out his dinner coat, try the pockets, heard the stealthy opening and closing of the drawers in his wardrobe.
heavilyadverbUS /ˈhevəli/
to a considerable degree
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He heard her shake out his dinner coat, try the pockets, heard the stealthy opening and closing of the drawers in his wardrobe.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
hournounUS /ˈaʊər/
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
intentlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈtentli/
with strained or eager attention
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
JuliannounUS /ˈdʒuːliən/
Roman Emperor and nephew of Constantine; he restored paganism as the official religion of the Roman Empire and destroyed Christian temples but his decision was reversed after his death (331?-363)
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
Julian's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
listeningnounUS /ˈlɪsənɪŋ/
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
lyingnounUS /ˈlaɪɪŋ/
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/
a particular point in time
From this reading For a moment he was obliged to set his teeth.
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
namelessadjectiveUS /ˈneɪm.ləs/
Having no name, or having a name that is kept secret or unknown.
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
nearadverbUS /nɪr/
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading Presently the footsteps drew near to his bed.
nightnounUS /naɪt/
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
noiselessadjective
making no sound
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
obligedadjectiveUS /əˈblaɪdʒd/
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading For a moment he was obliged to set his teeth.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/
and nothing more
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
openingnounUS /ˈoʊpənɪŋ/
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading He heard her shake out his dinner coat, try the pockets, heard the stealthy opening and closing of the drawers in his wardrobe.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He heard her shake out his dinner coat, try the pockets, heard the stealthy opening and closing of the drawers in his wardrobe.
pocketsnounUS /ˈpɑːkəts/
plural of “pocket” — a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading He heard her shake out his dinner coat, try the pockets, heard the stealthy opening and closing of the drawers in his wardrobe.
preparedadjectiveUS /priˈperd/
made ready or fit or suitable beforehand
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
PresentlyadverbUS /ˈprezəntli/
in the near future
From this reading Presently the footsteps drew near to his bed.
pushedverbUS /pʊʃt/
past form of “push” — move with force
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
setverbUS /set/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading For a moment he was obliged to set his teeth.
shakeverbUS /ʃeɪk/
move or cause to move back and forth
From this reading He heard her shake out his dinner coat, try the pockets, heard the stealthy opening and closing of the drawers in his wardrobe.
slowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
softadjectiveUS /sɑːft/
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
stealthyadjectiveUS /ˈstelθi/
marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed
From this reading He heard her shake out his dinner coat, try the pockets, heard the stealthy opening and closing of the drawers in his wardrobe.
stretchedadjectiveUS /stretʃt/
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
teethnounUS /tiːθ/
the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal
From this reading For a moment he was obliged to set his teeth.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
tryverbUS /traɪ/
make an effort or attempt
From this reading He heard her shake out his dinner coat, try the pockets, heard the stealthy opening and closing of the drawers in his wardrobe.
turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/
moved around an axis or center
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
vigilnounUS /ˈvɪdʒəl/
a period of sleeplessness
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
wardrobenounUS /ˈwɔːrdroʊb/
a tall piece of furniture that provides storage space for clothes; has a door and rails or hooks for hanging clothes
From this reading He heard her shake out his dinner coat, try the pockets, heard the stealthy opening and closing of the drawers in his wardrobe.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading It was at some nameless hour in the early morning when Julian’s vigil came to an end, when the handle of his door was slowly turned, and the door itself pushed open and closed again.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
wrappedadjectiveUS /ræpt/
covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak
From this reading Julian, lying stretched upon his bed, only half prepared for the night, with a dressing gown wrapped around him, continued to breathe heavily, his eyes half-closed, listening intently to the fluttering of light garments, the soft, almost noiseless footfall of light feet.
