adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
affectedadjectiveUS /əˈfektɪd/
acted upon; influenced
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
Chauvelin's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
crossedadjectiveUS /krɔːst/
placed crosswise
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
DirectlyadverbUS /dərˈektli/
without deviation
From this reading Directly he heard the word: “Halt!” outside the door, he jumped to his feet.
doornounUS /dɔːr/
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Directly he heard the word: “Halt!” outside the door, he jumped to his feet.
DuringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
earsnounUS /ɪrz/
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
enemynounUS /ˈenəmi/
an opposing military force
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading The next moment Marguerite had entered the room.
eternitynounUS /ɪˈtɜːrnəti/
time without end
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
evidentlyadverbUS /ˈevədəntli/
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
expectantadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektənt/
marked by eager anticipation
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
feetnounUS /fiːt/
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Directly he heard the word: “Halt!” outside the door, he jumped to his feet.
floornounUS /flɔːr/
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
footnounUS /fʊt/
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
fullyadverbUS /ˈfʊli/
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
HaltverbUS /hɔːlt/
cause to stop
From this reading Directly he heard the word: “Halt!” outside the door, he jumped to his feet.
HardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/
only a very short time before
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
hastenounUS /heɪst/
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Directly he heard the word: “Halt!” outside the door, he jumped to his feet.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
impatiencenounUS /ˌɪmˈpeɪʃəns/
a lack of patience; irritation with anything that causes delay
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
jumpedverbUS /dʒʌmpt/
past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading Directly he heard the word: “Halt!” outside the door, he jumped to his feet.
lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
LessadverbUS /les/
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
MargueritenounUS /ˌmɑːrɡərˈiːt/
tall leafy-stemmed Eurasian perennial with white flowers; widely naturalized; often placed in genus Chrysanthemum
From this reading The next moment Marguerite had entered the room.
minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/
a particular point in time
From this reading The next moment Marguerite had entered the room.
nextadjectiveUS /nekst/
immediately following in time or order
From this reading The next moment Marguerite had entered the room.
obeisancenounUS /oʊˈbeɪsəns/
bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame or greeting
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading Directly he heard the word: “Halt!” outside the door, he jumped to his feet.
PercynounUS /ˈpɜːrsi/
United States writer whose novels explored human alienation (1916-1990)
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
quietlyadverbUS /ˈkwaɪətli/
with low volume
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
realadjectiveUS /riːl/
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
roomnounUS /ruːm/
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The next moment Marguerite had entered the room.
rosenounUS /roʊz/
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
satnounUS /sæt/
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
seemedverbUS /siːmd/
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
silentlyadverbUS /ˈsaɪləntli/
without speaking
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
SirnounUS /sɜːr/
term of address for a man
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
skirtsnounUS /skɜːrts/
plural of “skirt” — cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
slumbernounUS /ˈslʌmbər/
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
softadjectiveUS /sɑːft/
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
soundnounUS /saʊnd/
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
stonenounUS /stoʊn/
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
threenounUS /θriː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
thresholdnounUS /ˈθreʃoʊld/
the starting point for a new state or experience
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/
in the direction of
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
turningnounUS /ˈtɜːrnɪŋ/
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
watchingnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃɪŋ/
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading During those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her, made her a low obeisance.
woman'snounUS /ˈwʊmənz/
possessive form of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor.
wordnounUS /wɜːrd/
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading Directly he heard the word: “Halt!” outside the door, he jumped to his feet.
