used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was late that night that a startled knocking came at the door of Elmdene.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “We are all frightened, sir, about master.”
(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 Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “We are all frightened, sir, about master.”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was late that night that a startled knocking came at the door of Elmdene.
baldadjectiveUS /bɔːld/
with no effort to conceal
From this reading There in the porch was Jones, the stout head-butler of the Hall, hatless, scared, with the raindrops shining in the lamplight upon his smooth, bald head.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
lacking funds
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading It was late that night that a startled knocking came at the door of Elmdene.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “If you please, Mr. McIntyre, sir, would it trouble you to step up to the Hall?” he cried.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading It was late that night that a startled knocking came at the door of Elmdene.
Elmdene
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was late that night that a startled knocking came at the door of Elmdene.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
made afraid
From this reading “We are all frightened, sir, about master.”
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading There in the porch was Jones, the stout head-butler of the Hall, hatless, scared, with the raindrops shining in the lamplight upon his smooth, bald head.
harshadjectiveUS /hɑːrʃ/
unpleasantly stern
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
hatlessadjective
not wearing a hat
From this reading There in the porch was Jones, the stout head-butler of the Hall, hatless, scared, with the raindrops shining in the lamplight upon his smooth, bald head.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “If you please, Mr. McIntyre, sir, would it trouble you to step up to the Hall?” he cried.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading There in the porch was Jones, the stout head-butler of the Hall, hatless, scared, with the raindrops shining in the lamplight upon his smooth, bald head.
head-butler
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There in the porch was Jones, the stout head-butler of the Hall, hatless, scared, with the raindrops shining in the lamplight upon his smooth, bald head.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “If you please, Mr. McIntyre, sir, would it trouble you to step up to the Hall?” he cried.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was late that night that a startled knocking came at the door of Elmdene.
United States labor leader (born in Ireland) who helped to found the Industrial Workers of the World (1830-1930)
From this reading There in the porch was Jones, the stout head-butler of the Hall, hatless, scared, with the raindrops shining in the lamplight upon his smooth, bald head.
knockingnounUS /ˈnɑːkɪŋ/
the sound of knocking (as on a door or in an engine or bearing)
From this reading It was late that night that a startled knocking came at the door of Elmdene.
lamplightnoun
light from a lamp
From this reading There in the porch was Jones, the stout head-butler of the Hall, hatless, scared, with the raindrops shining in the lamplight upon his smooth, bald head.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading It was late that night that a startled knocking came at the door of Elmdene.
Laura
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading “We are all frightened, sir, about master.”
McIntyre
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If you please, Mr. McIntyre, sir, would it trouble you to step up to the Hall?” he cried.
moodilyadverb
in a moody manner
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
a form of address for a man
From this reading “If you please, Mr. McIntyre, sir, would it trouble you to step up to the Hall?” he cried.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It was late that night that a startled knocking came at the door of Elmdene.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was late that night that a startled knocking came at the door of Elmdene.
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading “If you please, Mr. McIntyre, sir, would it trouble you to step up to the Hall?” he cried.
porchnounUS /pɔːrtʃ/
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading There in the porch was Jones, the stout head-butler of the Hall, hatless, scared, with the raindrops shining in the lamplight upon his smooth, bald head.
raindropsnounUS /ˈreɪndrɑːps/
plural of “raindrop” — a drop of rain
From this reading There in the porch was Jones, the stout head-butler of the Hall, hatless, scared, with the raindrops shining in the lamplight upon his smooth, bald head.
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
scaredadjectiveUS /skerd/
made afraid
From this reading There in the porch was Jones, the stout head-butler of the Hall, hatless, scared, with the raindrops shining in the lamplight upon his smooth, bald head.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading There in the porch was Jones, the stout head-butler of the Hall, hatless, scared, with the raindrops shining in the lamplight upon his smooth, bald head.
term of address for a man
From this reading “If you please, Mr. McIntyre, sir, would it trouble you to step up to the Hall?” he cried.
the act of smoking tobacco or other substances
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading There in the porch was Jones, the stout head-butler of the Hall, hatless, scared, with the raindrops shining in the lamplight upon his smooth, bald head.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading It was late that night that a startled knocking came at the door of Elmdene.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading “If you please, Mr. McIntyre, sir, would it trouble you to step up to the Hall?” he cried.
dependable
From this reading There in the porch was Jones, the stout head-butler of the Hall, hatless, scared, with the raindrops shining in the lamplight upon his smooth, bald head.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
summonsnounUS /ˈsʌmənz/
a request to be present
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was late that night that a startled knocking came at the door of Elmdene.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was late that night that a startled knocking came at the door of Elmdene.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There in the porch was Jones, the stout head-butler of the Hall, hatless, scared, with the raindrops shining in the lamplight upon his smooth, bald head.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “If you please, Mr. McIntyre, sir, would it trouble you to step up to the Hall?” he cried.
a source of difficulty
From this reading “If you please, Mr. McIntyre, sir, would it trouble you to step up to the Hall?” he cried.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “If you please, Mr. McIntyre, sir, would it trouble you to step up to the Hall?” he cried.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was late that night that a startled knocking came at the door of Elmdene.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “We are all frightened, sir, about master.”
at the time that
From this reading Laura had been in her room all day, and Robert was moodily smoking his pipe by the fire, when this harsh and sudden summons broke in upon his thoughts.
in the company of; together with
From this reading There in the porch was Jones, the stout head-butler of the Hall, hatless, scared, with the raindrops shining in the lamplight upon his smooth, bald head.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “If you please, Mr. McIntyre, sir, would it trouble you to step up to the Hall?” he cried.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “If you please, Mr. McIntyre, sir, would it trouble you to step up to the Hall?” he cried.
