used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
react verbally
From this reading He rose with some reluctance from his chair to answer the summons.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
BurtonnounUS /ˈbɜːrtən/
English explorer who with John Speke was the first European to explore Lake Tanganyika (1821-1890)
From this reading PROOF POSITIVE Burton did not get very far with his novel.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Burton came quickly in.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading He rose with some reluctance from his chair to answer the summons.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading PROOF POSITIVE Burton did not get very far with his novel.
having the place or position changed
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "Burton!" he exclaimed.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading PROOF POSITIVE Burton did not get very far with his novel.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He rose with some reluctance from his chair to answer the summons.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading PROOF POSITIVE Burton did not get very far with his novel.
hastyadjectiveUS /ˈheɪsti/
excessively quick
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He rose with some reluctance from his chair to answer the summons.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading PROOF POSITIVE Burton did not get very far with his novel.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Burton came quickly in.
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
a form of address for a man
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading PROOF POSITIVE Burton did not get very far with his novel.
novelnounUS /ˈnɑːvəl/
an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading PROOF POSITIVE Burton did not get very far with his novel.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
POSITIVEadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːzətɪv/
characterized by or displaying affirmation or acceptance or certainty etc.
From this reading PROOF POSITIVE Burton did not get very far with his novel.
any factual evidence that helps to establish the truth of something
From this reading PROOF POSITIVE Burton did not get very far with his novel.
with speed
From this reading Burton came quickly in.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
reluctancenounUS /rɪˈlʌktəns/
(physics) opposition to magnetic flux (analogous to electric resistance)
From this reading He rose with some reluctance from his chair to answer the summons.
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading He rose with some reluctance from his chair to answer the summons.
Identical; not different.
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading He rose with some reluctance from his chair to answer the summons.
spendingnounUS /ˈspendɪŋ/
the act of spending or disbursing money
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
summonsnounUS /ˈsʌmənz/
a request to be present
From this reading He rose with some reluctance from his chair to answer the summons.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He rose with some reluctance from his chair to answer the summons.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
precisely as stated
From this reading PROOF POSITIVE Burton did not get very far with his novel.
Waddington
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
which person or people
From this reading About nine o'clock on the same evening, Mr. Waddington, who was spending a quiet hour or two with his books, was disturbed by a hasty knock at the door of his rooms.
in the company of; together with
From this reading PROOF POSITIVE Burton did not get very far with his novel.
